Strategies for Fat Loss

Fat loss is a much debated topic, and is always the subject of constant interest. With obesity rates increasing this topic is raised for good reason. As society becomes more reliant on energy saving devices and the access to abundance of food it is no surprise that obesity levels are on the rise. Obesity comes with an array of issues impacting physical and mental health. So if you are struggling with being overweight or obese read on for some strategies.

Two major strategies for losing fat:

#1 Focus on your food choices

OR

#2 Start counting calories and macros

Let’s get started on the first method.

#1 Focus on your food choices

There is no such thing as the best diet as your best diet suits your metabolic needs and keeps your health in optimal shape. However, diets that focus specifically on WHAT you eat instead of HOW much you eat can be suitable for some people. Diets such as paleo, carnivore and keto diets are designed by changing your daily food consumption. These diets work by cutting out certain food groups.

Examples:

Paleo- Imitates how pre-historic humans used to eat. A diet that consists of what could be obtained by hunting and gathering e.g. meat, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. It rejects the notion of modern diets and its association with processed foods.

Carnivore- A diet that only includes animal products. It excludes all other food groups such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.

Keto- A diet high in fat with adequate protein and low carbohydrate intake. The goal of this diet is to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.

I could list many more diets but you get the idea. Chances are that these sorts of diets are too extreme and probably not the answer to what you’re looking for. However you shouldn’t be discouraged, if you are interested in a certain diet you should experiment for about a month and see how your body responds. To get most individuals started with their fat loss journey it is probably more feasible to eat based off certain tips/principles. I will provide you with 10 guiding principles for your food choices:

• Increase water intake

• Decrease sugar intake

• Decrease refined carbohydrate intake (white bread, pasta etc.)

• Increase fruit and vegetable intake

• Portion control- only have the suggested serving

• Increase protein intake

• Decrease any liquid calorie intake (especially drinks high in sugar- soft drinks)

• Decrease alcohol intake

• Avoid processed foods as much as possible (anything that comes in a packet)

• Try to go to bed somewhat hungry- an indicator you’re losing bodyfat

  
  

  By consciously making these decisions in your day to day life you will eventually clean up your diet making you more likely to lose fat.

  
  

  #2 Start counting calories and macros

  This is a more rigid method for losing weight.

  1. Start by calculating maintenance calories/kilojoules and eat that way for 2 weeks

  2. Reduce that intake by about 500 calories after the two weeks

  3. If weight loss stalls reduce intake by a further 100-300 calories

  
  

  Tips for this approach:

  • Start with maintenance then cut calories with carbohydrates, fats or both

  • Meal timing- space out meals to minimise hunger

  • Eat more protein- this will keep you fuller for longer

  • Do not diet for more than 4 months, after 4 months follow maintenance

  • You CANNOT diet forever, you may need to eat at maintenance one day a week

  • Get used to reading food labels

  • Use online tools or an app to calculate calorie maintenance and track calorie intake

    
    

    What happens when fat loss plateaus?

  • Take a week off from dieting

  • Cut calories more to create a bigger deficit

  • Once you resumed a healthy weight go back to eating at maintenance