Fat loss training kept simple

Principles regarding fat loss training are simple and have stood the test of time, fundamentally they are ;

1. Make sure you create a daily calorie deficit
2. Ensure adequate protein intake to preserve muscle tissue inside a calorie deficit
3. Do regular resistance training to preserve muscle tissue
4. Drink enough water

Around these 3 principles there are many variables and ways of achieving them. Lets look at each one in turn

1. creating a daily calorie deficit – laws of thermodynamics dictate that we make ingest less calories then we expend to lose weight. They problem many face with this principle is getting the right macronutrients and micronutrients. Basically getting enough satiety and nutrient density whilst reducing overall calories. The best ways of achieving this is having at least one third to half plate of veggies at each meal time to provide fibre and fullness leaving the rest of the plate for protein ( priority ) and the rest from carbohydrates and fats. The standard calorie deficit traditionally used is 500 calories per day. This in simple terms means you have to take in 500 calories less than you burn each day. For simple maths for many people a good way of working out your calories is you bodyweight in pounds x 10 – 12. This will depend how active you are as less active people may need 10 x bodyweight vs someone more active who may need 12 x bodyweight. so for example a 14 stone person weighing roughly 200 pounds will need btwn 2000 and 2400 calories per day. This is only a starting point and if the weight drops too fast and you feel too lethargic to train increase calories accordingly. Likewise if the weight is coming off we can either increase output ( training, movement) or reduce calories further or a combination of both.
2. Ideally here we are looking for 2 – 2.2g protein per day per kg of bodyweight. This will seem like a lot of protein for most people and may take some getting used to. If you struggle to track protein then a good tool is the app myfitnesspal which makes tracking very easy. Dr Jose antonio has shown studies where people receiving enough protein can actually grow muscle tissue inside a calorie deficit alongside the right resistance training.
3. Resistance training is the glue that holds this together. It burns calories, tones, firms and grows lean tissue even whilst dieting. The aim here is for progression, either weight lifted, reps completed, time under tension and various other methods we can use to make resistance training as effective as possible
4. water has been proven time and time again to flush out toxins, increase feelings of fullness and increase overall health. Its simple but most people still dont hit the right water intake levels. Easy way to track this is fill a 2 litre bottle every morning, make sure you get through it each day and ideally get onto a second bottle before bed.

So to summarise,

• do resistance training 3 / 4 times per week with progressive overload
• work out your calories required and track them every day with myfitnesspal.
• balance your plate with enough veggies.
• hit that protein goal every day