I recently embarked on a fat loss phase and it was a really eye opening experiencing. I thought I would share some of the things I learned.
Low calorie dense foods are king when trying to lose fat. They tend to be high in water and fiber and will leave you feeling full. Hunger is your worst enemy when dieting. Some of my staple foods during this diet were lean cuts of meat, Non-fat Greek Yogurt, Blueberries, Pickles, Air Popped Popcorn and Carrots.
Hydrating is key. I’ve always had a problem drinking enough water throughout the day, so during this fat loss phase I made it a priority. Water is awesome when trying to lose fat because it can act as a hunger suppressant. In one 2016 study, participants who drank two glasses of water immediately before a meal ate 22% less than those who did not drink water. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25893719/
Meal prep is a must. I learned the hard way that if you don’t already have food prepared, your chances of straying from your diet go way up! I dedicated every Sunday and Wednesday nights to meal prep.
Aim to lose 1-2lbs every week. I chose to lose fat at a slower pace so my goal each week was to lose one pound. I weighed my self three days a week and averaged that weight. YOUR WEIGHT WILL FLUCTUATE! DO NOT PANIC!
You’ve got to track your calories– For the first week of this phase I tracked everything I ate for a week using Myfitness Pal to find out exactly how many calories I needed to maintain my current weight. After finding out my maintenance calories I simply reduced them by 250 the following week. I lost consistently at this deficit for a few weeks, but then stalled out so I reduced calories by another 200 calories. Below is a visual example…
Keep protein high- There are a few reasons why you should keep protein high when losing fat. First, it is the most satiating macro-nutrient. Second, when losing fat we want to make sure we do not lose muscle, in order to ensure this protein must stay high. When reducing calories always reduce carbs and fats, never protein.
Try to avoid too much variety in you diet– I’m the type of person who likes to eat the same thing everyday so tracking my calories was super easy. This is what I have eaten almost everyday of my diet. Most people want variety so can you make some other suggestions?? Also suggestions for non-meat eaters?
Meal #1- Protein Shake (Almond Milk, Peanut Butter, Frozen Blueberries and Protein powder
Meal #2- Wrap- (1 Josephs lavish bread wrap, spinach, Lean ground turkey and Hot sauce)
Meal #3- Lean Sirloin steak with a giant kale salad.
Meal #4- Fat free
Greek yogurt, peanut butter and protein powder.
Be Patient- Fat loss does not happen overnight. It will take commitment and most importantly CONSISTENCY!