The Scoop on Fat Loss

Clients come to me all the time with goals to "lose 10 lbs, 15 lbs" or to even weigh what they did in college. I try to explain to them that if they are wanting to look leaner and to feel better, then it is fat they are wanting to lose, not necessarily weight.

The number you see on the scale can be deceiving. Our weight can fluctuate due to many factors: water loss/retention, muscle loss/gain, it is hard to determine what we have "lost" when we focus solely on the number on the scale.  If you can lose 10lbs in one week on a detox or an extreme calorie restriction diet- you are losing water weight and/or even muscle. On the other hand, if you are eating a balanced diet and lifting weights you may not see a decrease in weight but you may notice your clothes are fitting a little less snug- you may be gaining muscle and losing fat. There are many benefits to the latter. 

 Building lean muscle or even maintaining the lean muscle you already have will help you to burn more calories at rest by keeping your metabolism running efficiently. This means your body is working WITH you to reach your goals, not against you while you are sitting at your desk at work. How do you accomplish this? Strength training. There are many benefits to strength training- it strengthens your joints and bones, helps improve your posture, helps prevent injuries, fights depression, gives you a sense of power and confidence, and helps with fat loss. So, a date with the weights at least 3x a week can help you reach those goals to look leaner, even curvier! But what else can you do to help your body lose fat?

-Add protein to every meal! Protein helps to build and maintain muscle. It has a high thermic effect too, which means your body burns more calories just to digest it. Win!

-Eat more healthy fats! Healthy fats promote fat loss- who knew?! They help keep you more satisfied and they slow down digestion so your body is hard at work at burning those calories! 

-Check your calories! Dont be fooled by calorie restriction diets and starve your body of the valuable nutrients it needs. The different nutrients in the foods we eat will determine whether we turn on those fat burning engines or we store fat for survival. If we dont eat enough, we will turn on those fat storing engines because our bodies will be worried about when it will get its next food source. You may damage your metabolism, lose precious muscle (which burns more calories to lose the fat!), and may be more susceptible to weight gain when you eat normally the next day!

-Add supersets to your weight lifting routine! Supersets are performing two exercises back to back with no rest in between. They are fast and efficient for fat burning results!

-Winning is everything! And YOU are a winner! Set one small, attainable daily goal and commit to it! This way you will feel successful. Successful people never give up! 

Best in health,

Carol Ann

Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group

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