Fat Loss 101: Part 1
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Today, we will do a relatively deep dive into the art of fat loss. We will cover the strategies and approaches we use on clients to achieve a sustainable and healthy fat loss journey. One critical distinction to make before we begin is the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss simply means the individual is losing mass, which correlates to a lower number on the scale. This weight loss is mainly coming from fat or muscle loss. Alternatively, fat loss, as the name implies, is a loss of fat mass. Most people strive for this but often correlate fat loss with weight loss, which is quite dangerous, as we'll see. Surprisingly, many trainers fail to consider this when formulating a weight loss plan.
Now let's go over the typical thought process when someone tells themselves when they want to lose fat and get in shape (notice the wording, LOSE FAT, not weight). Most people will follow the popular narrative of "eat less and move more."
It is as simple as this:
Weight Loss Formula – Calorie Intake (food) < Calorie Output (burn)
From our experience and observation of everyone we've trained, most people will see this standard formula and follow it to the letter. This is done by cutting their calories and increasing their movement, typically in the form of cardio. At first glance, this puts the person in a caloric deficit, almost always resulting in quick weight loss (notice the wording again). Everyone is happy; the weight is coming off, cardio is fun, the children are laughing, and the dogs are frolicking. This is the reality, and it is that simple (for weight loss). You might think, "This is too easy to be true." That's because it is, and it is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Depending on how much fat you want to lose, your journey could be a very long-term "problem."
What happens when your body metabolically adapts to the amount of cardio you are asking it to do (this happens often, and it's a very beneficial survival mechanism)? What happens when you get more efficient at running, leading to fewer calories burned on those runs than when you began your running journey? What happens when you inevitably plateau after a few months because your daily 45 minutes of cardio isn't budging the scale? These are only a few very real problems that no one wants to discuss. Again, we run into the consequences of choosing a short-term solution to a long-term problem. We need to step back and think about what kind of signals we send to our body when we increase our caloric output (move more) and decrease our caloric input (eat less). It doesn't take a 400-level college class on exercise physiology to see that this behavior clearly sends signals to your body telling it to survive. You can only cut calories and increase activity so much before you end up on a POW diet. Consequently, you will look like one too.
The body is a fantastic machine capable of adaptations that we still do not fully understand. Survival signals tell our bodies to conserve only the essentials. One of the major body parts that are absolutely not essential in times of survival is muscle. You can see this adaptation clearly if you go to any gym and compare the people spending endless hours on the elliptical to those who spend more time in the squat rack. This phenomenon is also seen by observing cultures that do not have access to an abundance of food. To the body, muscle is not a priority. This is because muscle tissue is very metabolically expensive, requiring a ton of calories to even maintain. When you send survival signals, your body slowly eliminates metabolically expensive tissues. In fact, if you have spent extended periods doing a lot of work with minimal calories being consumed, you will notice that you lose muscle very fast. The body can actually break down muscle and use it as a form of energy in these states. These survival signals are obviously louder in more extreme conditions, but again, think about the signals you want to send to your body.
If there is one thing we know about physiology, we know that muscle is essential in keeping our bodies healthy and resistant to diseases such as type II diabetes. The benefits of muscle can be complex, but if we look at it from the perspective of it being more metabolically expensive to keep, we can derive quite a lot. The main take-home point: Muscle is metabolically costly and burns a shit-ton of calories. This function can be a tremendous asset regarding our approach to fat loss. In the long term, having and maintaining more muscle will burn far more calories than your daily 30-minute stint on the stationary bike. Cardio satisfies your short-term need, but we are not in the business of providing short-term solutions. The return on investment with cardio is meager regarding long-term fat loss/management. Cardio offers many other benefits, and we are big proponents of implementing cardio for health. However, it is undeniable that cardio alone is a terrible option for losing fat and keeping it off.
Now, we have established that being a cardio bunny and eating in a caloric deficit is not the best way to lose fat. The next question you might have is, "Well, what is the best way to lose fat?". That answer is complex yet straightforward, and we will cover that in the following newsletter.
Stay tuned to get shredded.
