Here’s the good news – It is possible to increase your body’s natural fat-burning process by simply changing your lifestyle in little ways. So, keep these points in mind to help you achieve your ideal figure without the pain!

1. Eat early

Eat the majority of your food earlier in the day. Dinner should be your lightest meal and try not to eat anything after 8pm or any later than three to four hours before bedtime. This helps your body process and burn the food when you are awake and moving around and burning more calories per hour.

2. Three times isn’t enough

The good news is that eating five to six small meals daily help keep your metabolism high all day. The effects are greatest when you do not allow more than four hours to lapse between meals. The key is not to eat more but to eat the same meal over longer periods of the day.

3. Count on calcium

Studies show women who drank at least three glasses of milk per day experienced weight loss of 70 percent more than those who didn’t. Calcium intake appears to increase fat burning and discourages fat from being stored in your cells.

4. Squeeze in more sleep

When you lose sleep, it also increases your insulin resistance and creates a hormonal imbalance that can slow your metabolism and increase your appetite.

5. Drink lots of water

Just by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day can help burn an extra 17,400 calories a year resulting in about a five pound weight loss. Drinking water also prevents overeating by filling you up. Iced cold water also makes the body burn extra calories to warm the water to body temperature.

6. Protein power

Lean protein sources such as non fat yoghurt, fish, cottage cheese, peanut butter and eggs help ward off hunger between meals. Adding some protein to each meal also helps by giving you an added metabolic boost.

7. Red hot chilli

Due to its unique thermal heat action, chilli increases metabolic activity promoting natural weight loss, increasing circulation and decreasing appetite. Among others, celebs Paris Hilton and Angelina Jolie have credited a drink made of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and chilli powder as the secret to their perfect figures.

8. Low fat isn’t no fat

Fat makes food taste better and makes you feel fuller faster and longer. So, at the end of the day, fewer calories are consumed. That is why eating a low-fat meal often leaves you hungry, unsatisfied and more likely to overeat. The key is in eating good fats such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats. The fats to avoid are saturated and trans fats found in meat, dairy foods, coconut, chocolate and bake goods.

9. Go veggie once a week

Vegetarian meals tend to be low in fat and high in fiber, so they are the perfect option for calorie counters.

10. Relax and lose the excess

Being stresses increases your body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that increases fat accumulation and causes the body to deposit more fat in you abdomen, and increasing your appetite for sweet, fatty comfort foods. Instead of heading for the fridge, try going for a walk, playing with your kids or having a long soak in the tub.