Beginners Guide to Long Term Fat Loss

Did you know there is a difference between fat loss and weight loss?  You could ‘diet’ for months, keep checking the scales, and your weight may not change.  However, your body composition will.  Although scales are a great tool for monitoring progress, they should not be the only tool used or relied upon to determine how well you are doing.

The word ‘diet’ is often a daunting word used to refer to fads where people restrict themselves of certain foods, are told they need to take supplements, drink milkshakes instead of eating food, or are told to not eat other types of foods that are actually healthy and good for you.

So instead of dieting and restricting yourself for an amount of time, then binging and often ending up further away from your goal, it would be better to make just a few lifestyle / nutritional changes which would help maintain long term fat loss.

The basic principle of losing fat is simply calories in versus calories out, or otherwise put, being in a ‘calorie deficit’ by expending more calories than you are consuming.  You don’t need to starve yourself, just a slight deficit is enough to promote fat loss. Why not see what you could cut down or adjust in your diet? You don’t need to completely cut everything out that you enjoy, if you do, this could deter you from your long terms goals because you feel deprived and demotivated and lead to you giving up.  Just remember, even small adjustments can make big changes over time. 

Adding some physical exercise to your routine, in addition to getting your nutrition on point, could further help achieve a calorie deficit.  This doesn’t mean you need to punish yourself in the gym for 3 hours a day, 7 days a week, or get up at 5am every morning to go on a 10-mile run.  Light, regular exercise is enough to get started and this can include taking the dog for a walk, Yoga, cycling to work instead of taking the car or attending an exercise or dance class that you enjoy a couple of times a week.  If you wanted to take things further you could join a running club or sign up to your local gym.  The key is choosing which form of exercise works for you and your schedule.  As with choosing better food that you enjoy, choosing enjoyable exercise activities will help you keep on track to your long-term goals.  Eating well and exercising needs to be sustainable, and enjoying your new lifestyle is paramount. 

Just remember, there is no hidden secret to losing body fat, it all comes down to putting more calories out in the form of energy, than you’re taking in from eating and drinking.  

Written by Ash Martin

– Diet & Exercise Expert.

*This article is an expressed opinion by the author and is not intended to give medical advice.  For any special dietary information, we strongly advise you to seek advice from your GP.