5 Fat Loss Tips Everyone Needs to Know

When participating in a Phoenix weight loss program, it is important to focus on the two main measurements: body fat percentage and lean muscle mass. To obtain a fit and lean physique, it is important to lower your body fat percentage while maintaining or increasing lean muscle mass. Here are the most important tips you need to follow to safely and effectively lose fat and maintain muscle mass.

5 Fat Loss Tips Everyone Needs to Know

1. Caloric Deficit the Healthy Way.

Creating a caloric deficit is the number one way to lose weight.  What does this mean for you and your weight loss program?  Your caloric deficit is the ratio of calories-in, calories-out.  Let’s say you consume 1,500 calories every day and 35% of your total caloric consumption comes from protein.  Throughout the day, you exercise and have enough physical activity through daily activities that equates to about 800 calories.  This would figure into your daily allowance of energy, which would equate to 700 calories, thus putting you in a caloric deficit for the day.  Keep on this pace for one full week and you will burn 800 calories multiplied by seven, or 5,600 calories. One pound of fat should be about 3,500 calories, which means you should be down 1.5 pounds for the week.  The key with creating a deficit is to continue to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables with little amounts of carbs and fats, and ample protein in order to make it work.

2. Don’t Obsess on the Scale.

Despite recent evidence that daily weigh-ins may help with weight loss, following along with your body weight does not tell you much about your actual results and could possibly set you up for failure.  In fact, it leads to an obsession that weighing less is better for your health, here you can find a good scale to figure out how much to eat respectively bellyproof.com/how-many-calories-to-lose-weight. Consider body fat measurements regularly rather than body weight scales to follow along with your progress and aim to lose a moderate fat percent in a reasonable amount of time for best results.

3. Maintain your muscle mass.

It is important to understand that not all weight lost is fat loss and when dieting, it is very possible to lose both muscle and fat if you’re not careful. Studies have shown that for individuals who lose weight, around 42 percent of the weight lost is muscle mass.  This means that if you lose 10 pounds, only about six of those pounds were from fat and four of those pounds were important muscle.  This is why it is crucial to maintain the muscle mass that you have while dieting to ensure that the weight you lose is body fat. To do this, it is important to consume adequate amounts of protein every day in order to nourish your muscles.  How much protein do you need to do this?  This will depend on your body weight and your fitness goals.  For a general rule of thumb, adults should aim to consume no more than 35 percent of the day’s worth of calories from protein and at least 56-75 grams depending on your goals.  Lastly, consuming more protein with every meal will help you to avoid overeating and will prevent fat and carbohydrate calories from being eaten in excess.

4. HIIT and Strength Training Programs.

The old adage is that one must do endless hours of cardio in order to see fat loss results. Through sound research; however, we now know that this is no the only option.  Your time is valuable, which means spending two hours per day walking on a treadmill is not the most effective way to spend your time.  Rather, consider a high-intensity interval training workout or Tabata-style class that lasts 20 minutes and works you hard in order to gain the same, if not better, results in your fat loss.  High-intensity interval training programs are ideal for breaking the fat bonds in your body and when you break the bonds, you release water as a byproduct.  In addition to a high-intensity program, strength training is the optimal way to maintain muscle mass levels during any weight loss program.  Aim for at least three times per week of moderate strength training at the gym focusing on all major muscle groups to keep your lean mass up while reducing your fat mass in an effective way.

5. More Steps and More Activity.

Activity trackers are popular nowadays and one of the most basic functions on these trackers is the step counts.  Step counting is a way to get your body more activity so that you can prevent fat storage.  In order to do this, you need to keep your body moving enough to where it is not at rest.  Aim for 10,000 steps every day for best results and if you are looking to lose more fat, aim for about 13,000 steps instead.  Remember, the key here is to avoid sitting and resting so that you do not store fat as easily.

More Activity, Better Results

If you are looking for to accomplish Phoenix weight loss goals, then consider following closely with your body composition for better results.  Losing weight can be much more efficient when you follow your body fat percent rather than your body weight total, so make sure to have regular measurements.

References

[2]https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201312/daily-weighing-may-help-manage-your-weight
[3]http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-minute-fat-burning-high-intensity-workout
[4]http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/protein