The Big Difference Between Weight Loss and Fat Loss: Part Two

Part Two: What Not to do and Why.

Have you ever stumbled across a person that you haven’t seen in months or even years and thought to yourself “What the heck have they done to themselves?” I have, many, many times. That’s why I keep repeating how and why a person should be aware of the dos and don’ts in regards to weight loss (fat loss) before they start on their journey to reduce their body fat.

Will people successfully lose body fat using all of the wrong methods? The answer is yes, absolutely. So, what’s the problem one might ask? There are several answers to that question. One, malnutrition, two, over restricting calorie intake, and the number one problem is loss of muscle. That’s why a lot people who have lost a substantial amount of weight actually looked better and healthier when they were overweight!

A typical body builder can weigh up to 50 lbs. more in the off-season than they will weigh at competition, and they look better at competition, not worse. Why, because they preserved their muscle while losing the body fat in preparation for the competition. I myself have lost over 50 lbs. in preparation for a competition and have never looked or felt better than I did on competition day because most, if not all of that weight loss, was from loss of fat and water, not muscle.

Let’s take a closer look at the “don’ts” and why they are “don’ts” and what the consequences are if you make these typical mistakes that most do.

Problem #1: “I’m eating nothing but fruits and vegetables now”. Don’t! This is not a good idea. Believe it or not, that is typical malnutrition. There is not nearly enough protein in just fruits and vegetables to protect the muscle you have while you are restricting your calories, so your body will automatically look for a protein source from inside your body, more specifically your muscle. The body will convert the stored protein in your muscles into glucose for energy resulting in loss of muscle tissue when that happens.

The consequence: loss of muscle.

Problem #2: Over restricting calories. Don’t! There is a formula that is universally used in the sport nutrition industry that will calculate how many calories you should be consuming in a day based on your age, gender, height, body weight and activity level to ensure you are consuming enough calories to stay healthy while still being in a slight calorie deficit each day to lose body fat correctly and safely. If you over restrict your calories, which will severely restrict your protein intake, then once again, your body will automatically look for nutrition from inside your body, more specifically your muscle. The body will convert the stored protein in your muscles into glucose for energy resulting in loss of muscle tissue when that happens.

The consequence, again: loss of muscle.

Problem #3: Doing only cardio exercise in order to burn more calories. Don’t! This is typical again. People think that the more calories they burn, the faster it will reduce the fat, so it makes sense to just do more cardio. Does that work? Yes, but what this will do is put you into a deep calorie deficit, more than what is healthy, and thus becomes a nutrient deficiency which will cause the body to react in the same way as in problem #1 and problem #2.

The consequence again: loss of muscle.

Problem #4: Combining more cardio with calorie restriction.

This is bad. Don’t! Burning too many calories and consuming too little calories simultaneously is simply put, a detriment to your health and well being. You will be in such a calorie deficit that your body will not only waste away because of the muscle loss but once you stop doing that, you will experience a fat increase in your body like you’ve never experienced before and that’s because you’ve ruined your metabolism which in turn makes your body rebound by storing more body fat than it has ever done before in case you do it again. It’s the rebound effect and a defensive reaction that happens naturally. You’ve seen it I’m certain. Someone loses an incredible amount of weight very quickly and then a year later is heavier than ever.

Consequence: Loss of muscle and uncontrollable weight gain.

Are you starting to see what the problem is? Most of the don’ts are the ones that cause too much of a calorie deficit and a nutritional issue thus triggering an unfavorable reaction in your body. The secret to losing body fat in a safe, healthy, sustainable, efficient and successful manner is proper nutrition which includes proper calorie intake, consuming enough protein and one more thing that in my mind is the most important and the one I will discuss in detail in Part Three: What to do, How to do it and Why, so stay tuned!

Gino