The Science of Fat Loss
There are a few key factors in getting the most out of your fat loss efforts. Even though we are constantly being promoted the newest fads and “easy” ways of getting weight loss, it is mostly just that, fads and lies.
Something I have always said is the concept of weight loss is simple, but not easy.
This article is everything you need to know on the subject and hopefully helps clarify what is needed for fat loss to occur in your body. It’s nothing new, but it is exactly what we have been teaching for over 38 years here for successful weight loss.
#1. Eating less calories is the most important factor for weight loss.
Improving your nutrition and eating the right amount of calories is the only way for fat loss to occur. If you are overeating, fat loss is impossible.
You first need to figure out your Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the amount of energy your body requires to function properly on a daily basis and you never want to eat less than this amount as you would be starving your body. Once you figure out your BMR you then need to add in your activity. Once you have that number, you then create a deficit by subtracting approximately 500 calories from that total. You can find these calculations online or we can help you figure it out at the front desk or you can get the calculation from Gino’s book Eat Smart, Eat Often, Eat Small which is free to download or you can purchase a physical copy at the front desk.
All diets achieve the same outcome, they restrict calories, and there is no fat loss benefit of one over another beyond calorie control so it just becomes a matter of preference and what diet will work best for you and your lifestyle.
Eat protein at every meal for appetite management and muscle maintenance. Eat a lot of vegetables and limit your processed foods as much as possible.
#2. Strength Train
Strength training increases your BMR, aka, your metabolism. This is very important for fat loss. Because muscle requires energy to function, the more of it that you have, the more energy you will burn all day long doing everyday things. This increase in calorie burn then aids in fat loss.
Another reason strength training is important is because if you are following rule number one above and reducing calories, up to 27% of that weight loss can come from muscle loss if you are not stimulating the muscle through effective strength training. Losing muscle will have a negative effect on your metabolism. Make sure you are strength training a minimum of 2 days per week, hitting all major muscle groups and challenging the muscles with enough resistance.
Exercise in general burns energy (calories) so the more exercise you do the better. This can include any activity, not just strength training but be sure to get at least those 2 days of strength training in per week.
#3. Get Enough Sleep
There are many benefits to proper sleep, rest and recovery. There are entire books written on the subject but the two main points made for the purpose of fat loss is that you will have more will power to stay on track with your proper eating habits when you are well rested and that you will have more energy to want to do the required workouts and activity needed for fat loss as well as do better quality workouts when you are properly rested.
Everything is harder when you are tired so make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of good quality sleep so you can feel good and tackle your day, doing what you need to do to get results. Don’t make it harder on yourself by depriving yourself sleep and being too tired to make the right decisions.
#4. Be 80-90% Consistent
You don’t have to be perfect to get results. Strive for 80 to 90% consistency in doing the above 3 points and you will be successful. Things come up all the time where you might get slightly off track for a meal or miss a workout. That’s normal. Don’t beat yourself up about it, accept it and move on getting right back on track. Consistency is the key to long term success.
#5. Time (6-12 months)
Transformations take time. A lot of us just don’t give the process enough time to see dramatic change. If you follow the above 4 points for a minimum of 6 months or can stick with it for long term and make it part of your lifestyle, which is ideally what you want to do, you can completely change your body. Losing 1-2 pounds a week doesn’t seem like a lot in the beginning but when you do that consistently for 6 months that could be 30 or 40 pounds of weight change. You would be a different person. So, commit to giving yourself the time to get there.
#6. Psychology
This is the last point but is actually the most important factor. The people who see the most success in fat loss and are able to stick with it are people who have made a mental shift and are at a point where they are ready to make these above changes to their lifestyle. If you are not in the right place mentally to want to do these things, it is going to be very difficult to stay on track with the proper eating, do the workouts, go to bed on time, be consistent and stick with it for enough time to see results.
Remember at the beginning of this article I said that the concept of fat loss is simple, but not easy? This is exactly why. We all know we need to eat less and move more if we want to lose weight, but life is not that easy. Things will come up, there will be temptations to eat bad foods or skip workouts or just give up. Having the right mindset to want to overcome these obstacles is the only way to win.
So, now you know the science of fat loss and how to achieve results. The only question left is are you ready to do it?
If you need any help with implementing these concepts or help with accountability to stay on track, we can help! You can request a free consultation here to learn about some of our personal training options and get some extra guidance.
