The quickest way to burn fat and, in turn, burn calories is cardio. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Luckily, cardio comes in a number of forms. Running, biking, swimming, boxing, tennis, dancing, and myriad other activities count as cardio. So if your knees aren't too thrilled about pounding the pavement, turn to other options. Running, tae kwon do, aerobics, and rope jumping are some of the highest calorie-burning activities out there. Look into high-intensity-interval-training. The Journal of Physiology released a new study that stated "HIT means doing a number of short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery breaks in between. The authors have already shown with young healthy college students that this produces the same physical benefits as conventional long duration endurance training despite taking much less time (and amazingly, actually doing less exercise!)" Not only will you burn more calories, but you'll do it in a shorter amount of time. Cardio is great, yes. You definitely need it to lose weight. However, in order to get the best results, you need to do cardio and weight-train. Cardio can be done every day while weight-training cannot. Your muscles need time to heal. Aim for a cardio workout as often as possible, but limit your weight-training to a few times per week. Nothing burns calories faster than brisk exercise. If you're not already working out at least 3-4 times a week, get started. Your training sessions should be around an hour each and should balance cardiovascular activity with strength and conditioning. Get your heart rate up and your muscles burning. The more you move, you the more you'll lose, period. Take a couple days off to rest throughout the week. You'll be in a reduced calorie state, so your recovery time will be even more important than usual. You're much more likely to exercise consistently if you can make things fun for yourself. If you're not the treadmill type, try yoga, swimming, kickboxing, mountain biking, climbing or Crossfit. Anything that keeps you active will benefit your weight loss efforts. If you are rather out of shape (by your own doing or because of a physical problem), you may think that you can't work out. But you can -- you'll just have to work out for longer periods of time. Whether it's low intensity or high, it's still calorie burning and muscle strengthening. Even adding short walks, taking the stairs, and washing the car count towards your calorie expenditure. If you can't run a 5k right now, relax. Be a little stricter on your diet and walk that 5k in the morning. Every little bit adds up. Fasted cardio involves engaging in some type of cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging, swimming or rowing, while on an empty stomach. The idea is that without glycogen (sugars that enter your bloodstream when you eat) from food, your body will begin drawing on its fat stores to convert to ready-to-use energy. Fasted cardio has been shown to help athletes and dieters burn fat at a much faster rate than traditional forms of exercise. The best time to get in a fasted cardio session is after you first wake up, before you've eaten breakfast. Your blood sugar will already be sufficiently low from not having eaten overnight. For fasted workouts, keep the intensity low and the duration short. A 20-30 minute jog at a moderate pace or even a brisk walk will be more than enough to reap the benefits. Workouts based on the Tabata Protocol, named after the scientist who invented it, are simple yet infinitely challenging: all you have to do is pick a single or compound movement and do it for 20 seconds at a time, with a 10 second rest break in between, for a total of four minutes (8 rounds). Sounds easy, right? Guess again. They're excruciating and typically leave you heaving in a puddle of your own sweat, but Tabatas are an extremely metabolically-dense method of training, meaning they'll cause fat to practically melt away. Choose simple movements, like lunges or squat thrusts, that can be repeated multiple times per round. To simplify things when you're first starting out, only do each round for 10 seconds, with a 20 second rest. Switch to full rounds when you're ready. Don't push yourself too hard. Tabatas are one of the most intense forms of exercise there is and should only be attempted by those who are fit enough to handle it.

Summary: Start the cardio. Begin weight-training. Exercise more often. Be realistic about exercise. Perform fasted cardio. Give Tabatas a shot.

To properly blacken fish, the fillets need to be thin enough to cook quickly without burning. Cut your meat so that the fillets are no larger than 4 by 6in (10 by 15cm). They should not be thicker than 12in (1.3cm). For thicker cuts of fish, slice it laterally to make 2 thinner slices. Keep your fish refrigerated until you are ready to cook it. Whether you are using a gas grill or a charcoal grill, you must make sure your pan is hot before adding the fish. Placing a cast iron skillet directly on the rack of the grill works best. After your grill is heated, it should only take around 5 minutes for the skillet to become hot. Only use skillets that can withstand high temperatures and direct heat. You can also heat a cast iron skillet on the stove on high heat for 10 minutes. However, cooking blackened fish in a cast iron skillet is not recommended indoors due to the amount of smoke the blackening method produces. After your fish is covered in butter, rub your spices around the exterior of the fish. You can add as much or as little spice as you want. Spices should be added immediately before you cook your fish. Put the fish directly in the hot pan after seasoning. Place a piece of fish in the middle of the hot cast iron skillet and immediately spoon the melted butter on top. Use caution as the butter hitting the hot pan can make it flare up or smoke. Blackened fish makes a great meal all on its own, or atop a salad. The fish should be served immediately. Store any leftover fish in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store any leftovers as soon as possible. If they are left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, throw them away. If you cannot get to your leftovers in 2-3 days, freeze them in a container or airtight bag for up to a month. You can try adding different dressings to enhance the Cajun style seasonings, like a strawberry kiwi salsa.
Summary: Cut the meat into fillets that are 4 by 6in (10 by 15cm). Turn the grill on high and heat a cast iron skillet on the grill. Sprinkle both sides of the meat with blackening spices. Put a piece of fish on the skillet and spoon 1UStbsp (15mL) of butter on it. Serve your fish immediately.