Losing body fat is very different to losing weight. Weight loss is a loss in your overall body weight, this could be from muscle, water and fat loss. Fat loss is what most people are aiming for, it’s more specific and healthier than a weight goal.
With that being said, it can be very difficult to know if you’re losing weight from fat, muscle or water.
Gym Nasty was founded after my significant weight loss journey of X stone, with a vision of inspiring other people to lose fat and inspiring fitness, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
Weight Loss Vs. Fat Loss: Best Way to Lose Body Fat.
How to tell if you’re losing fat
For most of us, starting out dieting and in the gym, it’s common to track your progress using a scale. It can help, for the most-part and it’s definitely what helped me. Sadly, not all scales are built to differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss.
The best way to do this is with a fat loss scale. I personally didn’t use one throughout my journey but if I knew about them back then I’d definitely use one.
Prioritise fat loss, not weight loss
With all of the guides, courses, YouTube videos out there it can be quite confusing. Think of your fitness journey as a lifestyle change rather than a diet that you do for three weeks, drop a couple of pounds and then start to revert back to old ways.
80% of your fitness journey is about what you eat and not how many hours you’re spending in the gym or running.
The best way to do this is to eat within a calorie deficit. You can still eat the foods that you’re familiar with and enjoy, it’s all about making conscious decisions. There’s no harm in getting a takeaway but if you’re getting one every weekend then maybe it’s time to start cutting back.
How to work out my calorie deficit
The way to work out your calorie deficit is to multiply your activity level with your BMR. From this, you’ll get your total daily energy expenditure or TDEE for short.
Take the TDEE from the total number of calories you’re consuming, if your number is negative then you are in a calorie deficit.
You can work out your calorie deficit through this TDEE calculator. This was the one I used when starting out and it’s worked wonders for me.
For those that don’t quite understand about calorie deficits yet and might just want a simpler option. MyFitnessPal is your saviour. Be sure to input your details such as your height, weight and any other information the setup asks for.
Scan, log and weigh everything in MyFitnessPal and before you know it, this handy little app is going to become your best friend. The great thing about it is that it will tell you when you’re not eating enough.
When most people set out on their fat/weight loss journey they decide to just strip right back and tend to be hungry all the time. The reality is you’ll drop weight very quickly, but it isn’t at all sustainable.
Despite how crazy it sounds, your body needs more food to lose body fat. That’s more of the good stuff and less of the snacks.
Find an activity you love
You only have to scroll on TikTok for five minutes to see a fitness guru selling a course who’s saying walk on a treadmill for an hour on an incline. Yeah, walking at a fast pace uphill will get your heart rate up, but let’s be honest, how long are you going to stick to that for?
If you’re really serious about your fitness journey and really want to make a positive impact on your health, it might be time for you to find a hobby.
There’s a very good reason for this. The human brain is very good at taking the easy route… Which is why the treadmill on an incline is one of the options that gets thrown around the weight loss community.
But what if you stepped outside of your comfort zone for just a day, maybe a week at most and started a new activity?
When I started at the gym I was running, lifting weights and honestly I loved my fitness journey up to that point. Very quickly it became a bit of a chore, it starts to get to the point where you’ll be having to talk yourself into going to the gym after work. Before you know it, you’re back to old habits, skipping sessions because you can’t be bothered and just grabbing a takeaway because ‘it’s Friday’.
My fitness and health really started to change when I started to learn martial arts. Muay Thai specifically but recently I’ve also started to train MMA to learn both stand up and ground combat. If martial arts is something you’ve been interested in I’ve created a guide on the best martial arts to learn here.
Fitness doesn’t have to be boring
That’s not to say martial arts is for you. In fact you might start weight lifting and fall in love. I still lift weights and run today, but to keep me on track I had to find something I really loved and wanted to learn.
Here are some of the best activities to burn body fat:
- Walking/jogging/running
- Cycling
- Weight Training
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Martial Arts
- Hiking
People’s bodies burn fat at different rates, metabolisms… We’re told from a very young age that we’re unique, that’s true, even down to fat loss.
Your body will react to different foods and exercises in different ways. That’s why there isn’t a one size fits all approach to losing body fat.
The key points to take away from this are:
- Start tracking your weight, food and progress pictures.
- Work out your calorie deficit and pay more attention to the foods that you’re eating.
- Find an activity that you love to do.
Don’t be discouraged if you’re not weighing less on the scales, your body is going through changes. Your metabolism is catching up, your body composition is changing and you’ll be starting to build muscle.
How’s your fitness journey going? Let us know in the comments below.
