I am always asked “How do I lose weight?” . My standard answer is that you need to manipulate the following formula –
Food Intake – This determines your calorie intake and usually fat loss focuses on reducing intake from current values. There are different ways to reduce food intake. It could be that you simply remove obvious junk. Another way is to stop snacking between meals. Some people go from 4 meals a day own to 3 meals. Others focus on giving up a specific food or drink, e.g. no chocolate, no dairy, no soft drinks. For many the process of tracking their food using a food diary or counting calories results in reduced food intake.
Exercise – This refers to stressing the body through physical activity. The amount and type of exercise sessions you do can of course vary greatly. This could mean jogging for you or perhaps weight training. For fat loss the focus is usually on increasing this component. This can be increased by doing more sessions per week, longer duration per session or by going harder within the session (an increase in work performed).
Activity – This is how much you move your body in life outside of exercise. This usually refers to the amount of walking we do but would also include activities such as gardening, comfortable paced cycling to work, dance and other low intensity activity that you would not count as exercise. While exercise has a limit in how much you can do because your body gets tired general activity is almost unlimited in how much you can do. Your movement can be tracked using a wrist pedometer or similar devices as discussed previously. When looking to lose fat you would normally try to increase activity. This can be done by walking when you would normally use transport, doing activities instead of passive hobbies or pastimes.
Manipulating the Fat Loss equation – There are no rights or wrongs on how to create the fat loss you desire. The only thing you need to know is if you are getting results or not. If progress has stalled then you will need to change one of the three elements to reignite the fat loss.
How I lose Fat
Personally when dieting I reduce my food intake from 3100 calories to around 2000 calories while keeping the actual food content much the same as before but less of it. I take my movement up from a 17 km/day to average up to 23 km minimum, but sometimes up to 30 km plus a day. I do one token weight lifting session a day. The higher my km in daily movement the worse and more pointless the weights session becomes. This is my preferred method at the moment. In times gone past when dieting I have simply cut out all dairy to reduce my calorie intake, I have lost fat doing cardio exercise but it is one of my least preferred methods. I prefer to cut food low which takes away my cardio energy and instead use what I have to move the body in general activity.
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You need to consider what is the preferred balance of the equation for you which produces results.
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August 1 – August 21 (17/21 days measured)
Three weeks of dieting as I lead into my first two body building competitions. Each week I raised the bar in terms of fat loss through either increasing walking distance per day or reducing food intake. I lost fat nicely and it was only the last 10 days that were a real struggle when I dropped the calories below 2000 a day.
I am the lowest body fat I have been and really happy with the progress I made. I think with hindsight I needed to start my dieting two weeks earlier than I did I have learnt from the experience. I shall post pictures soon.
Diet – Protein – 190g, Carbs – 242g, fat – 40g, calories – 2086, P:36 % C :47% F: 17%
Exercise – 11 Weights sessions, 8 fitness sessions 14 off day
Weight – 71.2Kg Body fat – 20mm* Activity – 33500 steps – 25.8 km / Day**
Supplements – Vitamin D , Multivitamin, Creatine ***
*This is my own 10 point self measurement system, it does not correlate to body fat scores. At a guess 40mm – 8%, 50mm – 9.5%, 60mm – 11%, 70mm – 12.5%. I do not take it everyday if looking to gain muscle or maintain as it puts me off wanting to eat more. If on fat loss phase I take it daily. Like any body fat measurement system, as you get to low body fat levels the number become less accurate or reliable.
**Measured using Fit Bit Flex wrist band. Add me as a friend – Ben on fit-bit.com
*** Supplement not taken consistently
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Holland Park – For Personal Training London please contact me. I am available for sessions in homes, private gyms or parks across London. Ben Wilson – London Personal Trainer
