Everything You Need To Know
Fat loss is a goal shared by so many, yet it presents a real challenge for most. This guide offers the facts concerning fat loss and the principles that must be applied in order to achieve the sustainable loss of fat. In combining scientific evidence with consistency and a holistic approach, an effective strategy can be formulated to cut the kilos and keep them cut.
Understanding The Basics: Calorie Deficit
Without a calorie deficit, nothing else matters. Energy balance is the number one priority for anyone trying to lose fat. Determining ‘calories in’ and how that compares to ‘calories out’ must be the prerogative and primary concern for any individual embarking on their fat loss journey. The reason is that without a deficit of calories, your body will continue to hold onto its fat stores, with no reason to tap into them for a reserve of energy.
How do I get into a calorie deficit?
There are plenty of online resources (e.g., calorie calculators using the Harris-Benedict equation) that can help you determine your maintenance level of calories. Utilising an estimate of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) you can get pretty accurate predictions on your calorie baseline. With this established you can decide to downregulate your caloric intake, upregulate your energy output or a combination of the two. The best approach is always the steady one to increase chances of adherence and ensure sustainable progress towards your goals. 200-300 calorie deficits will suffice unless you want to take more drastic action and opt for 500-700 calorie deficits. This will deliver quicker results as you can expect to lose anywhere from 0.5 to 1kg of fat per week, but it is less sustainable than the former deficit.
Prioritise Nutrient-Dense Foods
Once a calorie deficit is established, you can pretty confidently assume that your fat loss journey will be underway. However, there are nuances and finer details that can make the journey a whole lot easier. One of these is the prioritisation of nutrient-dense whole foods. The quality of calories should be your number 2 go-to when thinking about fat loss. Providing your body with the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients will prove incredibly beneficial for overall health which only aids in the fat loss process. Aim to get at least 80% of your intake from vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds and you’ll be sure to boost your fat loss prospects.
On the other side of the coin, processed foods should be limited as much as possible. Sometimes they are useful for satisfying cravings and lend well to improving adherence long-term, however, they can generally be considered as empty calories that ultimately hinder fat loss and indeed your overall health. Save these for the occasional treat.
Macronutrient Balance
Establishing the right ratios of proteins, carbohydrates and fats plays a large supporting role in the fat loss process. Each plays its own significant yet unique part in cutting the pounds of fat.
- Protein: aiming for 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight is crucial when looking to maintain or even gain as much muscle mass as possible whilst losing fat mass. Protein also has high thermic effects of protein during the digestion and absorption process, meaning you’ll burn some extra calories by eating a nice lean source.
- Carbohydrates: not to be demonised, as has often been the case in the media of late. Opting for healthy complex carbs is a great way to fuel workouts whilst maintaining more stable blood sugar levels. Refined carbs should be avoided as much as possible (e.g., chocolate, sweets and pastries), instead opt for whole food sources (e.g., whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables).
- Fats: do not make you fat! Healthy fats (e.g., extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados and fatty fish) are essential to health. They can help keep us satiated too which is super important for fat loss. A solid lineup of healthy fats can even support our hormone production which is another great way to manage hunger cues.
Physical Activity and Exercise
Combined with a high protein diet that contains the right ratio of fats to carbs for your individual needs, a well-crafted exercise programme can only elevate your fat loss potential. While strength training is a key player in muscle gain and retention and subsequent fat loss, cardio is a great calorie burner that can boost cardiovascular health too. In unison, these two pillars of physical activity can increase your metabolism and enhance fat loss whilst offering countless other benefits for overall health and wellness.
At the most basic level, look to incorporate 3-4 sessions of each per week, focusing on compound movements on strength days (e.g., deadlifts, squats, bench presses, etc.) that work for every muscle group and a combination of intense and easy cardio days.
Sleep and Recovery
This vital component of health is, in most cases, criminally overlooked for fat loss. There is not a component of health that poor sleep doesn’t impact and that is especially true for hormonal imbalances which can skew our perceptions of hunger the following day. Good quality sleep will regulate our ghrelin, leptin and cortisol hormones which all play a pivotal role in what we eat. Ghrelin and leptin dictate our hunger-satiety cues while cortisol can trigger stress responses during the day that indirectly lead us to a binge. Incorporate adequate rest days into training and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to avoid these disruptions.
Hydration
Are you hungry or just dehydrated? Effectively hydrating with water plus an effective electrolyte profile (e.g., potassium, magnesium and sodium) can be the difference. This comes as a surprise to most but in a recent study from the States, it was revealed that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.1 The situation isn’t much better in the UK and other parts of the Western World, where sugar-sweetened and caffeinated beverages seem to dominate our daily fluid consumption.
Drinking at least 8-10 glasses (over 3 litres) of water per day with a dash of sea salt (e.g., Baja Gold Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt or Celtic Sea Salt) is essential, particularly in hot climates or when highly active. This will support metabolic processes and digestion which can help reduce hunger and thus contribute to fat loss.
Adherence and Patience
The best diet is the one that you can follow in the long term. This concept has become somewhat of a cliché but for good reason, with a plethora of supporting evidence constantly emerging to back it up.2 Our fat loss journeys do not happen overnight and often they can be long, drawn-out processes that require consistency and patience. Gradual changes and tweaks, built up over time, prove to be conducive to sustainable results time and again.
To adopt this philosophy, it is generally recommended to set realistic goals and expectations. Do not jump on the newest FAD diet in the hope of a quick fix. Do not dive into extreme dieting and fall victim to the temptation. Instead, aim for steady progress, tracking progress as you go for motivational purposes and increased energy.
Mental and Emotional Health
It is no secret that binge eating is a downfall for many of us when pushing to lose fat. Emotional eating, stress and a negative relationship with food are inextricably linked with episodes of binge eating and a lack of self-control. Gaining autonomy over our eating habits can prove transformative for a fat loss pursuit and help us build a positive relationship with food, void of any emotional attachment or tendencies.
To achieve this relationship a mindful eating practice is encouraged. Eat slowly (try to place your knife and fork down with each mouthful, share a meal with family and friends over conversation or chew at least 8 times before swallowing), focus on your food (flavour, texture and smells), be grateful for it, enjoy it and listen to your body. A great rule to follow is that of the Okinawans from Japan. “Hara Hachi Bu” is an ancient principle that entails eating until one is just 80% full. Anything in excess of this is considered unnecessary. It takes 20 minutes to digest food and become receptive to hunger cues again, so my advice would be eat to 80% fullness and if you are still hungry after 20 minutes, go in for a little bit more.
Stress management can also become helpful in a fat loss journey. Meditation, deep breathwork, yoga, grounding, journaling, exercise or getting out in nature are all great ways to lower cortisol. These stress-reducing practices will circumvent any stress-induced eating.
The Common Pitfalls
Whilst every individual will face their own problems when losing fat, there are some commonly shared struggles that often hold us back. These include the following:
- Underestimating/Overestimating Calorie Consumption/Output: While tracking calories and weighing foods is not necessary with every meal, gaining an appreciation for portion sizes is pivotal. It is so easy to underestimate the number of calories we consume, with the most treacherous foods being sauces, condiments and beverages, with respect to miscalculations. By the same token, it is super easy to overestimate how many calories we burn during exercise. It is wise to track calories for one week or just a few days to gain an appreciation for the calories in the foods you commonly consume. This understanding will lend to smarter decision down the line.
- Overtraining: Sometimes, in the enthusiasm of seeing the scale shift in the right direction and the feel-good factor this provides, we can push ourselves extra hard in our workouts. This can transpire into burnout and injuries will detract from a fat-losing potential in the coming weeks and months. Be sure to stick to the plan and adopt a long-term mindset.
- FAD Diets: As has already been mentioned, the temptation of a quick fix should be avoided at all costs. Fancy diets banded on social media, promising to ‘burn fat in 24 hours’ are industry-fuelled lies. They are not sustainable and can even lead to nutrient deficiencies. Again, I remind you to adhere to the process and take the patient approach.
The Round-Up
If there are only 2 things you take from this article, let them be the following:
1. Fat loss cannot be achieved without a calorie deficit.
2. Fat loss is a long game. You must be consistent and adopt a sustainable approach.
The other points made in this article can be banded into either of those buckets. Adhering to healthy habits becomes addictive once you start to see the results and your hard work begins to manifest itself in kilos lost, better body image, improved self-confidence, elevated fitness and all-round wellness. The sacrifices and long-term return on investment are worth it. Believe me. Make healthy choices, conducive to fat loss, a part of your everyday life and reap the rewards.
Start your fat loss journey today, by contacting me at Girling Nutrition:
Phone: (+44)7731 492384
Email: girlingnutrition@gmail.com
Website: https://nutrium.com/p/girlingnutrition
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlingnutrition
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samgirlingnutrition
I look forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve your health and fitness goals!
References
1. Taylor K, Jones EB. Adult dehydration. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 9]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
2. Thomas SL, Hyde J, Karunaratne A, Kausman R, Komesaroff PA. ‘They all work...when you stick to them’: A qualitative investigation of dieting, weight loss, and physical exercise, in obese individuals. Nutr J [Internet]. 2008 Nov 24 [cited 2024 Aug 9];7:34. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2607302/
