A common fitness goal is to lose body fat and build / hold onto muscle mass. In this blog we will discuss how you can go about losing bodyfat to have you feeling your best. The rate of fat loss will be different for each individual. Someone with more body fat will find that the rate of fat loss will be quicker compared to someone with less body fat. If you are looking to start a fat loss journey, this blog will give you all the information needed to get started.
Calorie deficit explained
The most common phrase in the fitness world is calorie deficit however it is important to understand when you are trying to lose fat. A calorie deficit is where you consume less calories than you are burning per day. For example if you burn 2500 calories per day, eating 2300 calories a day will leave you in a calorie deficit.
Setting goals
Setting a target bodyweight is a good way to keep yourself motivated throughout a dieting phase. Set a realistic target that you will be able to achieve if you stick to a plan. For example losing 5kg of bodyweight in 12 weeks is an achievable goal. It is important to monitor your bodyweight as a weekly average to see if your training and diet plan is working effectively.
Choose a training split
Stop searching social media for the 'best training split', the best training split is the one that you can stick to and the one that you can fit into your weekly routine. It is recommended that you try and do resistance training 3-6 times per week. Cardio can then be added to help increase the total amount of calories you are burning per day to help you stay in a calorie deficit.
If you are looking to hold onto muscle mass while dropping body fat, you should be looking to maintain / gain as much strength as possible during your gym sessions. A common mistake people make is, reducing the weights they are doing in the gym when they start dieting.
Is cardio needed for fat loss?
You have probably heard that cardio burns body fat more than weight training however, this is a myth. Eating less calories than you are burning on a weekly basis, burns body fat. So whether you are doing weight training or cardio you will still be burning body fat if you are eating in a calorie deficit. Although cardio isn't essential for fat loss is can be a useful tool for it. If you are at a stage where you have hit a plateau with your weight loss journey, you can either increase the amount of calories that you are burning or you can reduce your daily calorie intake. Adding some cardio into your weekly routine can help you burn more calories so that you don't have to reduce your calorie intake so soon.
Tracking calories for fat loss
Tracking calories and macros isn't essential however it is going to speed up your fat loss journey as you'll be able to be more consistent with your daily intake. If you track what you are eating and your fat loss stalls, you can simply reduce your daily intake. It is good for everyone to track foods at some point as it gives you a good understanding on nutritional values and you can then make better choices going forward when you are not tracking anymore.
High volume foods
When trying to reduce your daily calorie intake, one of the most important changes to make is your food choices. Making smarter food choices by eating foods that are higher volume and less calories will leave you feeling fuller and help reduce cravings. One easy way to do this is by packing your meals with vegetables as not only do they provide you with essential nutrients, they are very filling while being low calorie.
In conclusion, finding a plan that you can be consistent with alongside a calorie deficit, you will start to lose body fat. Losing weight is often complicated however if you track what you are doing and keep progressing over a long period of time, results will come.
