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How to Lose Fat With Science-Based Tools

Episode 21 May 24, 2021 1h 49m 19 insights
This episode I describe the science of fat loss, including how fat is mobilized and oxidized (burned) and how to increase fat burning by leveraging the nervous system. Most people don't realize it, but our neurons connect to our fat and release epinephrine/adrenaline to facilitate fat oxidation. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Quality Sleep

Strive for quality and sufficient sleep by managing light exposure, controlling temperature, and timing your sleep correctly according to your chronotype to support overall health and metabolism.

2. Manage Caloric Intake

Adhere to the fundamental principle of ‘calories in versus calories out’; ingest fewer calories than you burn to achieve weight and fat loss.

3. Leverage Belief for Results

Recognize that believing movement and exercise are beneficial can physiologically shift your body towards enhanced weight and fat loss outcomes.

4. Increase EPA Intake

Consume over 1,000 milligrams of EPA (an essential fatty acid) daily from food or supplements to support metabolism, improve mood, and benefit cardiovascular health.

5. Support Gut Microbiome

Ingest one to two servings of fermented foods daily, such as sauerkraut or kimchi, to assist in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.

6. Optimize Thyroid Function

Ensure sufficient, but not excessive, intake of iodine (e.g., from kelp or iodized salt) and selenium (e.g., 1-3 Brazil nuts daily) to support thyroid hormone levels and metabolism.

7. Boost NEAT (Fidgeting)

Increase non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) by deliberately fidgeting, bouncing your knee, pacing, and standing up/sitting down more often throughout the day to burn an additional 800-2,500 calories daily and accelerate fat loss.

8. Cold Exposure Shiver Protocol

For fat loss, expose yourself to cold 1-3 (up to 5) times per week by getting into cold water until you shiver, exiting for 1-3 minutes without drying, and repeating this 3 times to induce sucanate release and brown fat thermogenesis. Avoid rapid cold adaptation by not resisting the shiver and consider cycling exposure (e.g., 2-3 months on, 2-3 months off).

9. Vary Exercise Patterns

Engage in novel and varied exercise patterns involving different body parts and movements to potentially stimulate nerve innervation of ‘stubborn’ fat pads and encourage local fat mobilization.

10. Optimize Exercise Timing

To maximize fat burning, perform high-intensity training (20-60 minutes) followed by moderate-to-low intensity exercise, ideally in a fasted state, as this depletes glycogen and shifts the body to burn more fat during and after the activity.

11. Keep Insulin Low

Adopt dietary strategies, such as lower carbohydrate intake or fasting, to keep insulin levels low, which facilitates increased fat oxidation both during exercise and at rest.

12. Use Caffeine for Fat Oxidation

If caffeine-adapted and safe for you, ingest 100-400 milligrams of caffeine 30-40 minutes before exercise to increase epinephrine/adrenaline release, thereby enhancing fat oxidation.

13. Yerba Mate for GLP-1

Drink yerba mate or guayusa tea (e.g., 16-30 ounces sipped throughout the day, especially before exercise) to increase GLP-1, which enhances fat burning and shifts metabolism.

14. Supplement L-Carnitine

Consider supplementing with 500 milligrams to 2 grams of Acetyl L-Carnitine daily in divided doses, as it facilitates fat oxidation by helping convert fatty acids into ATP within cells.

15. Reduce Sugar Cravings

If experiencing sugar cravings, take a teaspoon or tablespoon of glutamine a few times a day (easing into it to avoid GI distress) to satisfy cravings and potentially improve leaky gut symptoms.

16. Ensure Electrolyte Balance

Dissolve one packet of Element electrolytes in 16-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during physical exercise to ensure adequate hydration and electrolyte balance for optimal brain and body function.

17. Daily Nutritional Support

Take an all-in-one vitamin-mineral probiotic drink (like Athletic Greens) once or twice a day to cover basic nutritional needs, address deficiencies, and support microbiome health.

18. Supplement Vitamin D3K2

Supplement with Vitamin D3K2 (e.g., a year’s supply) as D3 is essential for brain and body health, and K2 is important for cardiovascular function and calcium regulation.

19. Utilize Meditation App

Use a meditation app like Waking Up for various meditation programs, mindfulness training, yoga nidra, or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) sessions to place the brain and body into different states and restore energy.