Make Iron Your Appetizer

You already know your body has to burn calories to process and store food. But now researchers at the University of Nevada have found that lifting weights before you eat increases the thermic effect on food. And increasing your thermic effect can aid in weight loss. When the researchers studied the impact of completing a 30-minute workout before a high-carbohydrate meal, they found that it increased the calorie-burning effect by 73 percent. Here’s why: Working out lowers glycogen levels, which trigger your body to process more of your post-workout meal into new glycogen.