Adopting new fitness resolutions can have a positive impact on your weight loss goals. If you're actually losing some weight but want to burn more calories, you can definitely achieve that provided you are committed to a few lifestyle changes. Here are 8 simple ways to burn more calories:

Eat nutrient-dense foods

If you find it hard to burn calories even though you're physically active, the problem could lie in your diet. If you're exercising but eating the wrong kind of foods, you'll sure have a hard time burning calories. If you can replace a bag of chips with an apple as a snack, this makes a big difference. Eat foods which are packed with nutrients like antioxidants as these stimulate your metabolism enabling you to burn more calories. Such foods include wholegrain cereals, lean protein, vegetables and fruits.

Control your food portions

Knowing how much to eat at every meal is fundamental if you want to burn more calories. If you tend to oversize your food portions, you'll gain belly fat as excess calories can't be assimilated by your body and they get stored as adipose tissue(fatty deposits). A fist-sized portion of each food item is usually recommended, so eating small food portions every 3 hours or so have a beneficial effect on your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories and shedding fat.

Drink water

Water is vital for health and for bodily functions. Drinking water also prevents fatigue and regulates your metabolism for more efficient calorie burning. Instead of drinking soft drinks or energy drinks which are loaded with sugar, drink water.

Get enough sleep

If you're not getting enough sleep, your body becomes lethargic and you're easily fatigued. Your metabolism will also take a hit making you more prone to storing fat rather than burning it. Having adequate rest keeps your metabolism active and energy levels high, thereby putting you on track to burn more calories during the day. Avoid late nights and try to sleep before midnight.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator

Burning calories does not only occur during exercising. Simple things like using the stairs instead of taking the elevator result in calorie burning. If you do this regularly, you'll see positive results.

Don't use your car every time

There are many times you don't really need to take the car as your destination is not very far away, for instance if you need to do some groceries nearby, instead of taking the car, simply walk. Maybe do some brisk walking to burn even more calories. If you have to visit a friend who lives not very far away, walk instead of using your car.

Use the high intensity interval training(HIIT)

If you're an avid jogger and you usually run miles at a slow pace in the hope of torching fat, you can definitely burn more calories simply by varying your routine. Instead of going at a slow pace every time, you can alternate the speeds and use the high intensity interval training strategy, for instance try running fast for 1 full minute, medium pace for 2 minutes and slow pace for 3 minutes, with no break in between. After the 6 minutes are up, rest for 2 minutes and repeat the scenario. If you can do 3-4 sessions for a total of only 18-24 minutes, you'll burn way more calories than a long and slow jog which can last more than 1 hour.

Many people who want to lose weight procrastinate about not having enough time to exercise but the truth is exercising doesn't take a lot of time. As you can see with the HIIT training method, your workout can last only about 20 minutes. If you work out three times per week, that's only 60 minutes total which can bring great weight loss results.

Perform resistance training

Resistance training is also known as strength training and includes bodyweight exercises and lifting weights. Building muscle definitely helps in burning more calories if you perform them intensely enough. If you can perform several sets of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, bench press, deadlifts, bent-over rows, military press and do these exercises in a row with a rest in between sets and exercise, expect to burn a lot of calories. The good thing about resistance training is you can do them at home without much equipment like dumbbells, bench, pull-up bar, chairs for dips and decline push-ups. There is no need for fancy gym machines.

If your goal is to stay fit and trim, burning more calories should not become a chore but rather a new lifestyle and the quest for a healthier body. Just enjoy and have fun in what you do and burning more calories will become a breeze.