I can’t remember the amount of times I’ve discussed this topic, probably more times than I’ve gone for a run…. Yet it still rears it’s ugly head. Hopefully with this blog post I’m going to try and put it to bed and urge you ladies… and men, but more so females, to step away form the scales for good.
In simple terms a weight loss diet focusses on restricted calories to reduce the number shown on the scales. This type of weight loss is muscle tissue, body fat and bodily fluid.
A fat loss diet focuses on stimulating bodily hormones boosting metabolism into burning fat. For this to be successful you need to eat the right foods at the right time in the correct quantities. Getting the correct balance of fibre and protein means the body will work hard to process these nutrient dense, low calorie clean foods.
A weight loss diet often means cutting back on all types of food often triggering the body’s starvation mode causing your metabolism to slow down… The exact opposite of what you want for fat loss! You should only be dropping calories by 100-200 per day for fat loss. Anything that suggests rapidly cutting calories to near or below your resting metabolic rate (BMR) should be hugely avoided. You can work out your BMR by inputting your statistics into the most accurate formula I use for my clients. Click for the Harris Benedict Equation
In short, the key to fat loss and good body composition is to eat nutritious unprocessed foods, avoid too much dairy and gluten, try to eat a good portion of protein daily (ideally 40% of total calories consumed) exercise regularly and make sure your workouts include weight bearing exercises and strength training. Reducing your calorie intake will drain your energy levels making it near impossible to progress and benefit from your training programme.
