The TRUTH about fat-loss, everything you need to know!
If you could change something about yourself, what would it be? Most people would answer ‘my weight’ or ‘the size of my stomach’. Fat-loss is a very popular goal for women no matter what the age. Mainly for aesthetic reasons but most importantly health reasons. Excess fat can cause a hella problems such as arthritis, insomnia, heart conditions and more. Personally, I would love to have a lower fat percentage, to be able to feel more confident and just so I can see my hard work, because under that flab are muscles and I want to grate cheese on those abs. However I do truly believe that I am a healthy, strong and beautiful person and completely accept my body (most of the time). So although I appreciate aesthetic goals, my passion lies in health and fitness. This blog is aimed at those that suffer with weight management and obesity- although, I like to call it fat management as weight measurements may not indicate obesity or poor health.
I am assuming you are reading this because you yourself want to lose fat or you know someone that needs to lose fat and you want to help them. So put simply, every BODY is different, our metabolisms work at different rates, we store fat in different places and we tolerate a variety of foods. All of this affects our health, the way we look and the way we feel. So, the answer to your question is there is no quick and simple way to lose fat. BUT! I am going to tell you everything you need to know to lose fat, its up to you to implement these actions into your lifestyle.
The fundamentals of fat loss
The most basic but crucial way to lose fat is reduce your calorie intake to create a calorie deficit: Energy in (food/drink)-Energy out (exercise)= deficit. for example if I eat 1000 calories in a day but I burn 1200 calories in the same day I have created a calorie deficit of 200 …= fat loss. Seems simple right? Yes and no. Now counting calories can be good and bad. If you are a body builder or athlete and need to manage your calories, then counting them is crucial but if you become obsessed with counting calories this can have a major effect on your mental health. Being aware of the energy content in foods is important just avoid obsessing over numbers.
Types of exercise
Whats the best exercise for fat loss you ask? Well… research suggests that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the best fat-loss strategy and at the moment, I agree, from my own experience I have found that this training strategy works best for fat-loss, plus I find it way more interesting and enjoyable than any other type of training. HIIT is made up of 40 seconds on and 10 seconds off intervals at 80% effort or above. Additionally, the best ‘type of training’ is resistance training over cardio based training for fat-loss. Resistance training increases your muscle mass which helps to increase your resting metabolic rate. Plain and simple, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Resistance training also targets certain areas so if you need to lose weight around your arms then you would do bicep curls or press ups. (head over to my Instagram for HIIT sessions and exercises).
Diet
The word diet tends to have negative connotations, but diet simply explains your own personal eating habits. This is where it get tricky as we all like different foods and we may be limited due to allergy’s and budget. First things first, find out what sits well and what doesn’t. 2 years a go I decided to give up gluten, 1. Because that was the latest health craze and 2. Whenever I would eat bread I would feel so bloated, lethargic and have tummy upsets (if you get what I mean). So I put two and two together and cut out gluten completely… but I was still being affected. I eventually figured out it was lactose that was the problem. When I would eat bread I would either cover it in butter and cheese or have a cup of tea with semi skimmed milk so it copletely threw me! Cheeky lactose! It's completely changed my life, reducing my lactose intake, my energy is consistent and I am rarely bloated. Get to know your body, what it likes, what it doesn’t, you may have a intolerance that you are unaware off. Secondly, processed sugar is the devil to our bodies but an angel to our taste buds. You find this 'so-called bad sugar' in foods such as cakes, cookies and chocolate. It's void of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and enzymes and although it’s a source of energy it is not nutritious at all. Simple sugars gain quick access and cause a spike in blood sugar, additionally excess sugar in the diet is harmful to the body over time, it speeds up the aging process, damages teeth and gums and puts pressure on the liver the same way alcohol does! Excessive sugar consumption has also been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers. I could go on for days about diet but lets start here, figure out what your body needs and likes and avoid processed sugar.
4. Fitting all of this into your lifestyle
Managing all of this on top of work, friends and family and everything else we need to do is tough, but not impossible. It all about the lists! writing lists, de-cluttering lists and then implementing meal prep and exercise as fundamental daily activities. Exercise should become as normal as brushing your teeth! That’s when it gets easy. So if you struggle to motivate to do exercise, find a GOOD local personal trainer or class that you like, make that a ‘must do’ and try to attend 3x a week. If you struggle to know what to eat why not invest some money into food prep companies such as FR3SHBOX
(Check out my site for 10% off meal prep - https://www.vitalityhub.co.uk/packages).
So that’s all I could fit into one blog about fat-loss, but if you want information on anything that I have mentioned, tips on health and fitness make sure you sign up to my monthly blog at www.vitalityhub.co.uk
Feel free to contact me on info@vitaliityhub.co.uk
Photo by Baher Khairy