THE TRUTH BEHIND FAT LOSS
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In a world where there’s so much information. It’s hard to know what’s correct and what isn’t correct. The internet and in particular social media, has muddled the facts and myths around fat loss.
Information surrounding fat loss is now more important than ever. In a country where the government cares more about making money off fast food, rather than putting in guidelines and rules to make meals healthier, it’s tough. Correct information is key regarding your diet, health and lifestyle. We’re in big trouble and things will only get worse from here. Hopefully COVID-19 has taught everyone that being obese or even overweight can massively effect your ability to live and thrive as a human being.
Anyway, onto a positive note, losing body fat and becoming a healthy individual isn’t rocket science. You just need to be careful where you get your information from and stick to the basics. What if I told you that fat loss and fat gain simply relies on one equation:
Calorie Intake – Calorie Expenditure
If we are intaking MORE calories than we are expending then we will GAIN body fat over time. If we are intaking LESS calories than we are expending then we will LOSE body fat over time.
So how do we know how many calories we taking in?
Despite the internet having certain negative effects on peoples view on fat loss, there’s positives that it has brought. We now have the ability to track a very important variable. The amount of calories we eat day to day and week to week.
Apps such as MyFitnessPal allow us to count our calories by inputting the food we eat. And despite not always being 100% accurate it gives us a good idea of how much we’re eating.
Now how do we know how many calories to eat?
There’s a tonne of online calorie calculators that give us an estimation of how many calories we need to eat to be in a deficit of calories. There are many different methods to use but an online calculator should save you a lot of time. If you are not losing weight on the calorie intake prescribed to you then simply reduce your intake until you start seeing results.
Here is the website I use to calculate calories: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
How do we know how many calories we expend?
We don’t.
Unless we hooked you to a load of machines in a lab there’s no way of knowing exactly how many calories you burn in a day. And before you ask. No, your Fitbit isn’t accurate.
That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t bother looking at how we move day to day. Although we can’t get a 100% accurate answer of how many calories we burn in a day, there’s a big factor that we should look at.
Our step count.
What if I told you that your step count is more important than your training for fat loss? I am telling you the truth, believe it or not.
70% of the calories we burn in a day is from our basal metabolic rate which is the amount of calories we burn resting and 10% of the calories we burn in a day is from the thermic effect of food, basically our body digesting food.
We can’t really control the amount of calories we burn from these two factors. But we there are 2 more factors that we can control. If I’m starting to lose you, please don’t go anywhere. This will all make sense soon.
The final two factors are the calories we burn from exercising and non exercise activity. To be precise these are our EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). EAT is… Exercise. NEAT is activities such as walking, cleaning or even making a cup of tea.
Believe it or not only 5% of the calories we burn in a day is actually from exercise. You’re probably pissed off that you spent an hour on the treadmill now. On the other hand 15% of the calories we burn each day is from non exercise activity.
What does this show us?
Focus more on your daily activity rather than exercise. With all of my clients we set a step target which usually ranges from 8,000-12,000 steps. This does not mean that if your goal is fat loss then you shouldn’t exercise. Exercise has endless benefits and the calories you burn from exercise could make all the difference. After all, steps don’t shape your body. Training does!
Exercise to be healthier, increase fitness and build muscle. Not to lose body fat. The secret behind fat loss is not spending hours on the treadmill but actually in what you out into your body and how active you are throughout each day.
This may not be the complete Fat Loss Blueprint. But it’s a start and something to build on.
So remember, track your calorie intake, your step count and exercise for your health not your body fat.
Any question send me a DM through Instagram @jh_supreme_fitness or email me at jhsupremefitness@gmail.com
1 comment
Hi, finally worked it out.
So not worked for 5 years, been on medication some of it weight gain! I’m 53 in June.
Until I became sick I was 8 and 1/2 never higher than 9 stone. I was freakishly strong people used to tell me.
Now being stuck indoors and having manic sessions and then serious blows my diet just got way out of control.
This time last year I joined YMCA best thing ever, took some courage but got there and was getting into good routine 3 times a week and was just beginning to see a difference (as I was told under my fat I still had my muscle core from being fit before) bamb along came covid. I was good for first three weeks doing workout at home but then the low set in and that was the end of that.
I have on my phone Samsung Health and I put everything when focused in there and I wear a Samsung galaxy watch.
I basically want someone to motivate me to do core exercises and arm exercises.
Once I get going I will be totally dedicated but I need someone to seriously be on at me "Why haven’t you done this, why did you skip breakfast and so forth.
I really hope this makes sence.
So I’m basically bipolar, with major anxiety and depression and OCD. Was only diagnosed 5 years ago so still getting my head around it too.
Hope you can help. Tokk alot to comment and follow you but yeah I want it badly as for nearly 53 think I still have a bit to give, not as flexible and have bad right shoulder/neck but apart from that and being oh god 11 stone 8 I know with help I can lose weight. Jist need help. Thanks Eddy.