So, we discussed the differences between losing weight and losing fat here. If you haven’t read it… stop now… follow the link… read it…
Done?
Welcome back.
And the big question that crops up is: 'OK then smart-arse… How do I lose just fat then?'
I’m glad you asked.
This is a nuanced subject that can be both incredibly simple and extremely complex. There are a lot of Billy Bullshitters about and no shortage of conflicting advice. One thing I genuinely hate to see, is people applying effort in the wrong way. People that put the work in… but feel like they’re getting nothing in return. Sometimes it isn’t a case of working harder but working smarter.
The four key elements to achieving a leaner physique are:
- A Mild calorie deficit
- Some form of resistance training
- Sufficient protein
- Patience. The next few posts won’t just show you how to lose fat.
They’ll show you how to lose it for good.
But before we do that, we need to understand what we're up against.
What is fat?
Basically, fat is stored energy.
Imagine you’re filling your car up at petrol station. Once the tank is full… you’re not fitting anymore fuel in. So, you start filling petrol cans to keep in the boot.
That is exactly what your body does.
Without getting needlessly complicated. Your body stores energy in your muscles and liver. But once these stores are full, your body converts excess energy into body fat through a process called lipogenesis.
Fat is stored fuel.
1lb of fat tissue contains approximately 3,500 calories. * (Sources indicate it can be between 3,436 to 3,752 calories)
So, to lose fat, we need to work our way through those fuel stores. We need to expend more calories than we take in. We need to put ourselves in a…
“Calorie Deficit”
You’ve probably heard this term bandied about. Being in a calorie deficit means taking in fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current state.
It's importance cannot be overstated.
If you're not in a calorie deficit... you're not losing anything.
But how much of a calorie deficit do I need? Surely the fewer calories I eat, the better?
Well, not exactly.
Remember, we’re talking purely ‘fat loss’ here. We need to be a little bit more specific. The first job is to identify your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). We multiply your Basal Metabolic Rate (The calorie expenditure for basic bodily functions) by an Activity Multiplier (dictated by how much physical activity you partake in throughout the day).
You can calculate your TDEE here Do it… go on…
Let’s use Mr Albert Prince as our example.
He’s a sedentary 45yr old man weighing 16st, his TDEE would be 2,289 calories.
If he eats 2,289 calories, he will maintain his current weight. If he eats more or less than that, he will gain or lose weight respectively.
Now we can create a calorie deficit in two ways:
1 – Increase activity level.
If you went from being completely sedentary to walking every day and resistance training a couple of times per week WITHOUT ingesting any more calories than usual… you will be in a calorie deficit.
(The mistake so many people make, is that they increase calorie consumption in line with increases in activity because of ‘I’ve earned it’ syndrome.
Think about it, if you create a calorie deficit of 500 calories via exercise… and then eat an additional 500 calories… you’ve wiped out the deficit… anyway, that’s a subject for another day.)
2 – Adjust calorie intake.
If you need 2,289 calories to maintain your current weight and eat 1,989 calories, you’ve created a 300 calorie deficit.
If you can maintain that for a week 300 calories x 7 days = 2,100 calories. You maintain that for a year… that’s a 109,500 calorie deficit… or to put it another way… between 29-31lbs of fat loss*.
*Take these numbers with a pinch of salt, your body won’t lose fat quite as linearly over 1 year. Adaptations will occur and need to be addressed… but the point is still valid. Small changes add up.
You might use approach 1, 2 or a combination of both. That’s absolutely fine.
But the key here is mild calorie deficit.
If you’re too aggressive, you run the risk of losing muscle mass.
Without sufficient nutrition, your body breaks down muscle mass to use as fuel. And like we said previously, muscle is your friend… we want to keep it. Losing muscle mass will lower your BMR and lead to fewer calories being burned.
Now strap in for some sick pie-charts…
In this example… Albert has gone a bit OTT.
He’s doing a diet recommended by his mate from work. He’s been sticking to a 1,000 daily calorie total.
Unfortunately, that’s way too low for him.
He’s in an approximate 55-60% calorie deficit. He’s losing weight… but half of it is muscle mass. He’s lost 6lbs so far… 3lbs of fat mass. 3lbs of Lean Body Mass.
Not ideal.
It's not sustainable long-term and has the potential to damage his health. Really frustrating to see because the guy is trying hard.
He's grafted his bollocks off, lost some weight... but when he goes back to 'eating normally' his weight will creep back up.
In fact, he'll probably end up heavier than before on account of having lost Lean Body Mass. As we know, muscle is expensive to maintain from a calorie standpoint. We lose muscle mass and his BMR and TDEE will have reduced.
Therefore, if he goes back to eating his perceived maintenance level of 2,289 calories he'll actually be in a calorie surplus and will gain fat.
That is the very definition of Yo-Yo dieting.
But what if we took a more moderate approach?
If we put Albert in a 20% calorie deficit. He consumes 1,831 calories per day.
Sure the ‘weight loss’ will be slower… but the ‘fat loss’ will be superior.
If he loses 4lbs of weight. He’ll lose 3.8lbs of fat mass And only 0.2lbs of that will be LBM.
Can he maintain that long term? Will he look better for it?
Absolutely.
So when it comes to losing fat and getting leaner, think long term. Quick fixes aren’t sustainable.
We're in it for the long haul.
Things to do:
- Calculate your TDEE here.
- As a general rule, avoid going above a 20-25% calorie deficit.
- Your calorie intake should never be below your BMR.
- Track your food intake with a calorie counter like MyFitnessPal.
Oh… and look out for Part 2 next week.
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