3 Key Strategies for Weight Loss

For whatever reason fat loss is desired there is no silver bullet and there are no quick fixes apart from having to go under the knife, however there are three key strategies which, if you can adhere to, will help you get that unwanted fat off permanently.

A fundamental and scientific reality about weight loss (or gain) has to do with the concept of energy balance. Generally weight loss happens when one is in a caloric deficit meaning the amount of energy you take in (through what you eat and drink over some period, say 24 hours) is less than what you expend (from all the activities you engage in including the related the bodily processes taking place which keep you alive and functioning, over that same period of time). Weight gain happens when one is in a caloric surplus - your intake of energy is in excess of what you expend over that period of time.

In other words, weight loss is due to the body tapping into internal stores of energy in order to function, when external sources (food and drink intake) are insufficient. Weight gain on the other hand is due to the body storing external energy when food and drink intake is in excess of what the body needs over that period of time. So given this somewhat straightforward concept let us identify the 3 key strategies for weight loss.

The first strategy is to reduce your current meal intake. The first important and perhaps obvious variable in this fat loss equation is your food and drink intake. There are important aspects of this including being accountable for everything that goes into your mouth... everything. This also means being aware of the amount of calories in everything you eat and drink. While for novices in this, counting calories is crucial, it is not absolutely necessary if you have a good sense of calorie estimates associated with portion sizes. If however the scale is not moving over a two-week period, you may need to explicitly count your calories - use an app like Myfitnesspal, get a scale to weigh your food, and read the labels on your food and drinks if prepackaged, to determine total calories being consumed.

Aim to reduce calories by about 300 - 500 below what would be considered your maintenance calories. For a moderately active individual maintenance calories can be estimated to be about 15 times your current body weight. So if you are moderately active and weigh 190 lbs, your maintenance calories would be about 15*190 = 2850 calories. So you want to start out by keeping total food and drink intake down to about 2350 - 2550 calories daily. If you are somewhat but not all that active multiply your bodyweight by 13 instead, e.g. 13 *190 = 2470 calories. Then reduce that by 300-500. Remember to adjust this number as your weight goes down, so you remain in a true caloric deficit until you reach your goal.

The second strategy is to increase your daily activities. That is, target the second part of the equation - the calories expenditure side. What you spend your day doing. Here is where we would encourage you to move more, this would include exercising (both cardiovascular and strength training), and other non-exercise activities like housekeeping activities and fidgeting. Accountability here would include having a scheduled time for exercising throughout the week.

Aim for 3-5 days a week for at least 45 minutes per session, which would include both cardiovascular and strength training of the entire body, and where you are pushing your body toward target goals safely and with proper exercise form. Get some type of activity tracker if you can, to give you reminders on set activity, workout goals, and strive to meet them. A key aspect of your training should include the principle of progressive overload - you keep challenging yourself as your body adapts to progressively higher training loads/ volumes/ duration.

The third strategy, which is often overlooked, is that of Precision. Sustained fat loss does require making creative and intentional adjustments to the first two strategies along several dimensions. This is where a good personal trainer should be able to help you out. Generally, precision means that while you would generally be following those two strategies, you may need to do things differently on some occasion, in addition to paying attention to crucial aspects associated with those two strategies. Keywords here are body recomposition, macronutrient composition, micronutrients, and supplementation (don't worry I am not going overboard or selling anything here).

A healthy part of weight loss is body recomposition where you are losing fat but also developing muscle (what is often called toning). Muscle hypertrophy (getting bigger) and maintenance increases metabolic processes that result in further energy expenditure, and also help in developing an aesthetic look, being firmer than fat. Building muscle generally requires being in a caloric surplus, which means that even while adhering to the first strategy more generally, it may be expedient occasionally to eat at maintenance or slightly surplus levels and still achieve fat loss in the medium to long run.

Also important is making sure that your total calories includes macronutrient ratios that promote weight loss goals. Macronutrients are proteins, carbs and fats that make up your energy intake. Various dietary fads tend to promote one or more of these and discount the other(s), but they are all important and the ratios that go into your daily intake should be dependent on your goals. Generally, within your daily total calories goal, you want your protein intake to be sufficient both for muscle hypertrophy/ maintenance, feelings of satiety, amongst other things. Choose lean proteins (chicken, sirloin steak, fish, beans etc.). For carbs, prioritize vegetables, fruits and whole grains, which are high in fiber. For fats, choose healthy fats - low in saturated fats but high in unsaturated fats (canola oil, avocados, fish, nuts etc.). Notice that I said to prioritize and this is for overall health benefits, occasional indulgence within the calories goals is fine, as well as eating high amounts of particular macronutrients, so long as that is medically cleared by one's doctor or health care provider.

Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are also important, as they help in many bodily functions including CNS recovery from strenuous activity, muscle protein synthesis, and other metabolic processes and immune system health. You should be able to get these from a good diet that includes lean proteins, vegetables and fruits, and healthy fats as discussed earlier, however you may need to supplement with a good multivitamin, to cover your bases here, just in case.

Ultimately beyond these three strategies, and for most populations, nothing more is needed. Special populations (including those with particular medical or congenital conditions) though may require additional strategies or extra care in following the strategies discussed due to possible contraindications, so it is best to review these with your healthcare provider before embarking on them. So to summarize the key to successful and sustainable desirable fat loss is to ensure the proper energy balance. This includes three key strategies: control (reduce) food and drink intake, increase daily activity (exercise and non-exercise), precision in manipulating the first two.

Abiye A

NASM-CPT, NASM-CNC

regalifts.com

IG: @regalifts