The 3 Truths of Fat Loss (that nobody wants to hear)
You don’t need flashy exercises or long cardio sessions.
You need to do the following movements consistently: Squat, deadlift, lunge, push, pull, and carry.
That’s really it.
Those are the fundamental movements that, when programmed strategically, WORK and will continue to work for you for years and years. So often we want to complicate things, but you don’t have to re-invent the wheel here to make progress. We already know what works.
But what about abs? All of those exercises require core strength and stability, so when we consistently increase the load used in those movements, we continue to challenge our core and therefore build strength and stability.
Not to mention, achieving more core definition comes from losing body fat through nutrition, not crunches.
But how do I target the back of my arms/inner thighs? By increasing the load used you will build muscle. The cool thing about muscle? It’s metabolically active. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest.
Muscle supports our fat loss goals by increasing our metabolism and helping us stay lean.
Muscle + the right nutrition = a great partnership in losing overall body fat. We can’t target fat loss in a specific area, but through lifting heavy and eating the right macronutrients for our goals, we can change our overall physique to increase muscle tone and decrease body fat all over.
That being said, being creative in the gym is genuinely fun for me and helps my clients adhere to a training program. So if you like mixing up your routine and it gets you excited to exercise - do it. Movement is medicine.
Just know that the basics work and you don’t need creativity or cardio to be successful in losing fat. You just need the discipline to stick to the basic movements consistently.
2. You probably need to eat more.
I know, I know, it’s counterintuitive and “you don’t want to”.
BUT years of chronic dieting and under-eating causes metabolic adaptation. AKA a plateau.
Your body stops burning fat because it has ADAPTED and learned to function on the 1,200 calories you consistently give it, which is nowhere near enough for most adults even in a dieting phase.
The truth is, if you’ve been severely under eating, it gets to a certain point where the only way to lose fat is to keep dropping calories LOWER than they already are, which just isn’t ideal.
We don’t want to negatively impact your long-term health, so there is no where to responsibly go with your calories but UP. This is called a reverse diet.
But I promise, more food is a magical thing, especially when you’ve been without it for so long. More food means more energy, better sleep, more regular digestion, mental clarity, less stress, better performance in the gym, and a happier, healthier life. & If you do it right, it should not cause weight gain +/- 2-3 lbs.
Sometimes the stress reduction that comes along with eating more is enough to cause weight loss in itself! You heard that right, losing weight by eating more than you’re used to - is possible.
With more energy (from more food) we often feel so much better that we are able to do the things that we struggled with before, like exercising and moving more! You’d be surprised how many of my clients have finally started to see the scale move as we gradually increase their calories.
Yes, it can be scary at first. But it’s often when stepping outside of your comfort zone that real change happens. Having an experienced coach to guide you can make all the difference.
3. A healthy rate of weight loss is .5 to 2 lbs per week…
But sometimes less and some weeks none and other weeks the scale will go up and you’ll be like what the actual F I’m working so hard?! 🙃
Progress is rarely perfect and linear.
There are ups and downs and you have to push past the point where you want to throw in the towel because consistency always wins and your consistent effort will eventually pay off.
Of course, you CAN lose weight faster, but at what cost? Do you really want to keep lowering your metabolism and hormones, impacting your gut health, and nurturing a toxic yo-yo dieting cycle?
The truth is, your LONG-TERM health is more important than your short-term aesthetic goals. Patience and consistency ARE critical.
The faster it comes off, the faster it’ll come back on.
So do you still want to lose 10 lbs in one week?
Slowing down progress not only gives you the time and space to develop healthy habits that will actually stick, but it ensures you are using a strategy that will help you keep the weight off for good - which should ALWAYS be the ultimate goal.
1-2 pounds per week seems painfully slow, until you imagine what that looks like for you 6 months from now. In 6 months you could be 25 - 50 lbs down if you commit to playing the “long game”. 😱 That’s insane progress!
So instead of getting caught up with where you want to be next week or even next month, start envisioning the life you want to be living a year from now. It starts with gradual, steady, healthy progress today.
You deserve that progress and commitment because your health, fitness, and wellness are important.
To learn more about macro nutrition and flexible eating, join my free Live the Fit Life Facebook group where you can participate in my free 3-Day Flexible Eating Workshop.
This workshop is pinned to the “announcements” at the top of the group and starts with “Unit 1”. This is a great place to start. I look forward to seeing you inside!
⭐️P.S. Do you know someone who needs to hear this? Hit that share button to spread the knowledge (& love)!
