How do I lose body fat?
How do I lose body fat?
Your Complete Guide to Losing Body Fat in a Healthy, Long-Term Way
Information overload is a genuine problem when it comes to understanding how to decrease body fat. One plan recommends significantly reducing calories, while another recommends going all out in the gym and guzzling protein powder. (By the way, both techniques should be avoided.) A well-balanced approach will always be the most long-lasting.)
Because a study of WH readers indicated that losing body fat is one of their top health goals, we know it's important to you. Our goal is to assist you in determining the most effective method for safely lowering your body fat percentage to a healthy level without jeopardizing your physical or mental health.
So, where do we start? First, we'll go over why certain body fat is healthy and what it does in the body. Then, before we get into the business of learning how to lose fat, we'll teach you how to find out if you have excess body fat to shed by concentrating on nutrition, exercise, your menstrual cycle, and stress.
Is there anyone who shouldn't make an effort to reduce weight?
Let's get a few things clear before we go any further. Trying to decrease body fat if you're already at a healthy weight and body fat percentage for your height and age. If you fit into any of the above categories, you're in good company. Please see your doctor for additional information:
- A kid or adolescent,
- Whether you're pregnant or nursing,
- Have a chronic illness or an adrenal-related medical condition
What is the significance of body fat?
To put it bluntly, humans require body fat to operate. It's an unavoidable reality of life. Nicola Addison, a PT and Healthspan wellness expert, explains why.
‘Body fat serves as a source of energy for the body. It protects your organs, cushions your joints, maintains your body temperature, and is in charge of hormone secretion. In a nutshell, it keeps you alive,' she explains.
It also helps to maintain our menstrual periods joyful and healthy since it helps to control specific hormones. It's really significant.
However, there is such a thing as too much of anything, and too much body fat may be dangerous to one's health. There will be more on this later.
For women, what is a healthy body fat percentage?
Body fat is determined as a percentage based on how much fat you have compared to the rest of your body (bones, water weight, muscle mass, etc).
'Every woman is different, but the "healthy" range is 21–35 percent,' says dietitian and NHS dietetic manager Catherine Rabies. By medical standards, if you're within these body fat percentages, you're OK. If your BMI is greater than 35 percent, you're more likely to acquire diabetes as well as other illnesses including coronary heart disease.
Why is it hazardous to have too much body fat?
Higher amounts of body fat have been related to a slew of serious health problems. The most harmful form of fat is visceral fat, which surrounds the organs and can cause heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, high blood pressure, and osteoarthritis.
What happens if you don't have enough body fat?
Katie Morris, Third Space's Head of Fitness, adds, "You should expect to feel sluggish and irritated, and your monthly cycle may cease." A body fat percentage of less than 15% in women is linked to low levels of the hormone leptin, which can cause problems with menstruation and the ability to conceive.
'Nutritional inadequacies are also a worry,' adds Rabess, referring to fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). 'Fat is required for transport and function throughout the body.'
Symptoms of having a low body fat percentage include:
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Swings in mood
- Blood pressure that is too low
- Concentration issues
- Skin that isn't as elastic as it should be
- Hair loss is a common problem.
- Gum and dental issues
- Bradycardia (slow heart rate) is a condition in which the heart beats abnormally slowly.
- Hypogonadism is a condition in which the ovaries do not function properly.
- Hypoglycemia is a condition induced by low blood sugar.
- Muscle spasms
There are several methods for determining your body fat percentage, some of which are more convenient to use at home than others. The good news is that most personal trainers can assist you in determining yours if you require assistance.
Calipers
Calipers are an old-school method of fat measurement that involves pinching the fat on certain body parts (triceps, chest, quads, waist, etc.) and measuring the thickness of the skinfold.
The caliper method can be beneficial as a prelude to identifying some problems since we all carry body fat differently, and genetics, lifestyle, and age can cause fat to spread unevenly.
The amount of fat we carry around our waist, for example, can raise our risk of major health problems including heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and high blood pressure.
However, because calipers are inherently prone to human mistakes, many health professionals avoid them, citing their inaccuracy as a reason.
Body scanners in three dimensions
Body composition measurement equipment, such as DEXA and other 3D scanners, are at the other extreme of the spectrum. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is used to power these devices, or the rate at which an electrical current may pass through your body.
By collecting millions of data points to digitally measure and track the circumferences of your entire body, 3D scanners can compute fat mass, lean mass, and bone mass in only 35 seconds in a simple, rapid, and non-invasive method,' explains Tracy Morrell, UK and Ireland sales director for Styku.
But don't worry, you won't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get your own. Members may utilize the high-tech gadgets at most national gym brands, including David Lloyd, F45, and Virgin Active.
Intelligent scales
Bathroom scales are more practical and accessible to the average individual. Smart scales, which typically cost approximately £20 and more, give weight readings as well as body fat, muscle mass, water, and bone percentages.
‘The reading will differ depending on whatever program you use,' explains Sarah Lindsay, owner of Roar Fitness. ‘Investing in a decent set of scales to measure any relevant changes is worthwhile, but don't expect the actual figure to be 100 percent precise.'
You don't want to be stepping on the scales every day, so keep that in mind. Use every week at the same time. This will assist you in maintaining consistency in your tracking.
What's the difference between losing weight and losing fat?
Any weight you've lost is taken into consideration when calculating your weight loss. This can include things like water weight and muscle mass, as well as whether or not you've used the restroom that day. It's a catchall word for a number on the scale that's moving down, regardless of where it came from.
Fat loss, on the other hand, focuses only on body fat. If you want to tone up without losing muscular mass, this method is more dependable. Who wants to reduce weight while simultaneously losing their power and functionality?
Is it possible to lose weight quickly?
We've attempted to thread this theme throughout our advice, but if you need to hear it plain and simple, it's not good to try to lose weight quickly (and by 'quick,' we don't mean swiftly; we mean unsustainable).
To begin with, reducing body fat too rapidly by crash dieting, restricted eating habits, or over-exercising can harm your hormonal and mental health, as well as trigger weight gain rebound. Not quite what you're looking for.
Second, long-term fat reduction is achieved by daily healthy behaviors such as correct diet, NEAT exercise (more on this later), a combination of aerobic and strength training, adequate rest, and stress management strategies. This will assist you in achieving long-term fat reduction rather than putting you on a rollercoaster fat loss and fat gain cycle.
Take a minute to check in with yourself if you're looking for the quickest approach to lose weight (or burn fat). When it comes to your best body and life yet, ask yourself why speed is taking precedence over sustainability. Friends, Rome wasn't constructed in a day.
Your complete guide to safely reducing body fat
Dropping your body fat percentage is a lot more complicated than just doing your 30-minute workout every day. In reality, all of the elements that make up your fat-loss strategy are critical. Everything you do, from what you eat to how you move, sleep, (not) stress, and where you are in your cycle, has an impact on your capacity to lose weight. Continue reading for a complete approach to permanently reducing body fat.
How to use food to help you lose weight
If you're attempting to lose weight, calculating and tracking your macros is one strategy that might help you have your cake and eat it too. Bodybuilders popularized macro counting as a dietary strategy, and millions of individuals now use apps like MyFitness Pal to track their daily meals.
What exactly are macros?
The term "macros" is an acronym for "macronutrients," which refers to the three major dietary categories that people require: protein, lipids, and carbs. You may reduce body fat rapidly by changing the amount and quantity of these meals you eat.
Are you unsure what each macro is for? Protein is the building ingredient for developing and repairing muscle mass, fat governs healthy hormone synthesis and release, and carbs give energy, in broad strokes.
How do you figure out how many macros you'll need?
The advantages of determining the optimal macros for fat reduction for you – everyone's macros will be different – are that no meals are off-limits in theory. All that remains is to account for and adapt to them. (Of course, food's nutritional worth should never be overlooked.)
I'm a newbie; is there a more straightforward approach?
If you want a more intuitive approach to fat reduction and don't want to calculate calories or log meals, Rabess recommends making minor changes gradually.
'I'd recommend increasing your intake of plant-based foods, such as dietary fibers, wheat and grains, fruit and vegetables, seeds and nuts, pulses, and legumes, and reducing your intake of processed foods and foods high in saturated fats,' says the expert. She also emphasizes the need to know portion proportions. To assist you, below is a portion control guide.
She goes on to say that, contrary to popular belief, eliminating whole food categories is a terrible idea. 'This will lead to an unsustainable restricted diet,' Rabess adds, predicting a yo-yo impact with weight loss and regaining. 'Don't demonize your food or categorize meals as good or bad, cheat days, or treats since this can lead to an unhealthy connection with food.'
If you're attempting to reduce weight, avoid these foods.
With "everything in moderation" in mind, there are a few universal suggestions for what not to eat when attempting to lose weight.
Alcohol
Alcohol's 'hidden' calories are difficult to avoid since they are associated with relaxing and unwinding, as well as celebrating and having a good time. However, if you drink on a regular basis, they may soon mount up to the equivalent of a few extra snacks or a small dinner. Furthermore, drinking can interfere with your sleep and your body's ability to restore itself. That's not the case.
Foods that have been processed
Processed foods, which are nutrient-poor and typically rather tasty, can pack a calorie punch without providing the same satiation as more nutrient-dense meals like lean protein, veggies, and indulgences like antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.
How to Lose Weight While Exercising
The argument over whether cardio or weight training is superior for fat reduction is still going strong.
Much research shows that the jury is still out on this subject, which has been a source of debate. Researchers from North Carolina discovered that those who conducted aerobic exercise shed more weight than those who strength trained in a 2013 study of 234 people. However, a Wake Forest University study published in 2017 showed that weight training outperforms cardio in terms of increasing muscle mass.
Other Harvard School of Public Health research revealed that, while strength training exercises are more effective than cardio sweat sessions, combining the two produced the highest fat-loss results.
The truth is that both offer advantages and should be included in your weekly exercise program.
Strengthening exercises
Regardless of your fitness objective, regular strength training should be a cornerstone of most workout regimens. Because, in addition to helping to develop muscle, strength training has other advantages such as lowering cholesterol, improving posture and bone density, reducing the chance of injury, and improving body composition.
Furthermore, adding muscular tissue to your body can assist to speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat more effectively.
‘Increasing your muscle mass - via constant and proper resistance training – will raise your metabolic rate,' Lindsay explains. This is because more muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories you burn in a day without moving.
‘To put it another way, the only way to build muscle is to overwork it' (commonly referred to as progressive overload). You'll need to add more weight than your own body weight to do this. These are long-term effects since you'll burn more calories at rest throughout the duration of your muscle maintenance.'
Cardio
That isn't to imply that cardio doesn't have fat-burning potential. ‘If you burn "x" calories in a cycle class, you're generating a calorie deficit, which might result in weight reduction if you don't consume over that threshold,' Lindsay explains.
However, working at a high cardiovascular effort might cause you to burn muscle or the body's protein reserves as an energy source rather than fat.
You've probably heard about heart rate zones. To utilize fat as a fuel source, your heart rate should be in this range. This is around 70% of your maximal heart rate (do 220 minus your age to calculate yours), and it favors low-intensity work.
EXERCISE WITH NEAT
NEAT workout is an activity that favors the low-intensity sweet spot. NEAT is a popular form of exercise among physical therapists for burning fat and keeping your efforts on track.
NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and refers to anything you do that isn't exercising. It accounts for a significant percentage of your daily calorie burn (aka your total daily energy expenditure or, TDEE). Keeping your body moving throughout the day is essential, from cleaning the car to walking the dog and racing upstairs.
Read our in-depth NEAT workout tutorial to learn how to raise your NEAT levels and why it's a fat loss hidden weapon.
Bottom line: combining regular weight training with cardio exercises and everyday activity is the most effective approach to decreasing body fat.
The impact of your menstrual cycle on weight reduction
There's no getting around it: that time of the month - and, for that matter, any time of the month – will affect your weight.
Mark Bohannon, head PT at Ultimate Performance Manchester, explains that hormones can impact your development, mood, and appetite. It's just a matter of learning how to use them to your advantage.
‘Oestrogen slowly begins to grow in your follicular phase [the first half of your menstrual cycle after your period],' explains Bohannon. ‘Ramp up your training because you'll have fewer cravings and more energy to burn fat during this period.' It's time to get a little heavier and push a little harder. If HIIT is your thing, go for it (making sure you get adequate recovery in between each session).
When you're in the luteal phase (the second half), your estrogen levels start to decline, which means you'll have more cravings and high-intensity exercise will be more difficult. So now is the time to give yourself a break.
The link between activity and menstruation is fascinating because everyone has a different experience with it. Whatever method you use, keep in mind that you'll need to be kinder to yourself sometimes, and that's perfectly OK.
Why is it important to de-stress if you want to lose weight?
You're stressed at times. It occurs all the time. It's only reasonable that you'd be stressed after a year of upheaval (thank you, coronavirus). Plus, without a commute or activities to attend to, your daily schedule will most likely have changed significantly.
Stress like this (especially chronic stress) might lead your body to store fat as a result of bothersome stress chemicals like cortisol. It's critical to maintain good sleep hygiene and create limits with work, downtime, and leisure time in order to keep your body in a position where it feels secure and comfortable enough to lose weight.
If you're experiencing stress, here are nine strategies to help you cope.
How to keep your body fat % stable
So you're satisfied with your body fat percentages, but you'd like to keep them the same.
Surprisingly, you may need to increase your calorie intake since you'll require more calories to maintain the muscular tissue you've developed. Healthy Eater and other such websites can assist you in calculating the optimal macros for maintenance.
Have you gotten all of that? Are you ready to crush your fitness, nutrition, and hydration goals at home? You are, of course. Tiger, go grab 'em.
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