How to lose body fat

HOW TO LOSE BODY FAT

Getting shredded, sliced, diced, or just a bit leaner… whatever you want to call it, knowing how to lose body fat is a delicate mix of the obvious (a caloric deficit) and the strategic (human behaviour).

The maths behind fat loss is pretty simple. If you get into a caloric deficit and stay there for long enough, you will get lean. A caloric deficit means taking in fewer calories (through food, drink, and supplements) than you expend.

Calorie expenditure is made up of a few factors. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy your body expends simply staying alive at a cellular level). Then there’s NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) which is all activity you do outside of formal exercise – walking the dog, standing up, doing chores, walking around at work or at lunch. Then you have the calories you burn during training. This all adds up to your TDEE: total daily energy expenditure.

Your calorie expenditure will never be a static number. As your body weight increases or decreases, you will burn fewer calories even at rest. This is an important fact about dieting that many people overlook. As you get lighter, you actually need to eat less even to maintain your weight, no matter how hard you are training.

And no two days are the same in terms of training calories, step count, and NEAT.

That’s why calculating your fat-loss calories can never be a precise science. The best approach is to use an online TEE calculator to assess your daily expenditure (but remember this is a best-guess) and then track your calorie intake, and note any changes in your calorie output.

If all that sounds too complicated, get started by multiplying your body weight (in lbs) by 15-18 depending on training frequency. Keep a note of changes to body weight for a month and adjust accordingly.

THE BEST FOODS FOR FAT LOSS

Remember, the main goal for a fat loss diet is creating and maintaining the all-important calorie deficit. The second rule is eating sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass and to help you stay satiated as your calories come down.

For these reasons, the best fat loss foods are high in protein and relatively low in fat. Lean poultry (chicken and turkey), tuna, prawns, eggs and egg whites, cottage cheese, and Greek yoghurt are fat loss favourites.

Vegans should eat more tofu, seitan, edamame, pulses, and legumes – all fantastic and healthy sources of protein with very little fat.

A good quality protein powder will be your diet saviour as you eat for fat loss. PhD’s Diet Whey is the perfect choice as it provides a protein hit with minimal calories (91 kcals per serving to be exact!) as well as containing additional ingredients proven to aid fat loss. Its smooth creamy consistency means you will feel fuller for longer and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to flavours!

MEAL TIMING & FREQUENCY

Many people find that eating more often helps keep hunger and cravings at bay whilst dieting. Others prefer to space their meals out, so they get to eat more food volume and spend less time prepping food.

The choice is yours: the only thing to consider is frequency of protein feedings. If you prefer to eat three larger meals a day whilst dieting, use the convenience of a quality protein shake as a protein-rich mini meal that won’t kick off cravings.