I frequently find posts on social media from people who are working out and eating healthy, yet struggle to lose body fat. For people entering the gym, it can be disheartening to be consistently showing up, without hitting your personal goals.
The not-so-secret recipe for losing body fat is a caloric deficit, exercise, and patience.
The truth is that you aren't in a caloric deficit
Yes, lifting and cardio make you feel like the fat is melting off your body, but if your daily caloric consumption exceeds your body's maintenance amount, you will continue to maintain or gain weight. While exercise is important, being in a caloric deficit is essential for weight loss.
A caloric deficit is a daily caloric intake amount less than what your body would need to maintain weight. The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a long-term study that determined any diet that reduces calories will lead to weight loss.
While strength can be gained in a caloric deficit, research suggests a lack of energy impairs lean mass gains. If you see yourself gaining muscle mass while trying to lose body fat, you are most likely in a surplus of calories.
How do I find out how many calories I should be consuming?
A good rule of thumb for calorie consumption is to use a calorie calculator. Using your height, weight, and activity level, you can determine how much you should be eating to maintain your weight, then decrease to a number that your body will begin losing.
Your health should be the priority here; it may seem tempting to "speed" up the process and make a drastic cut in calories. Remember that your body and organs need this energy to function. By making drastic cuts in energy, you will significantly damage your body and any weight loss won't be sustainable long term.
The goal is to find a caloric amount that allows your body to lose fat while maintaining energy and strength. Nutrition plays into this as well; a balanced diet is key for proper energy.
How do I know if it is working?
Tracking is one of the most underrated elements of weight loss. Without proper insight into your diet, you are playing a guessing game. Using apps like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt!, makes calorie tracking simple and provides insight on where to improve.
Don't just track, track correctly. Butter, oil, condiments, salad dressing, and all the other fat-packed ingredients we consume, can add sneaky calories to our meals. This doesn't mean cutting them off completely, but simply being aware of the consumption and reducing them as needed.
Now be patient and adapt as needed
You are in a caloric deficit and exercising; now be consistent and make changes as necessary.
For example: let's say you are consuming 1900 calories and losing weight, but in the third week you stop losing weight. Slowly decrease your daily intake until weight loss continues.
Or let's say you made a major cut and are eating 1500 calories; you're losing weight but you feel exhausted and it shows in your training. You can try increasing your caloric intake towards carbohydrates and see how your body responds.
The key here is trial and error with minimized risk. You want to find what works best for your body and goals while maintaining proper health. All of this can only be done through tracking and proper eating habits.
Conclusion
If you aren't losing body fat it's because you aren't in a caloric deficit. The not-so-secret recipe for weight loss is caloric deficit, exercise, and patience.
Find a healthy deficit and stick with it. Track your calories and be consistent; before you know it you will begin losing weight. Good luck!
