That's right the secret to fat loss is simple all you need to do is to consume less calories than you need to maintain your current weight.
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It surprises me how many people don't believe this and instead think they need to start on some crazy diet such as 'Keto' or start some 'Intermediate Fasting' thing.
What about that new Fad diet?
You can honestly be forgiven for thinking there is more to fat loss than just keeping track of your calories, after all there are so many different diet books, fitness influencers and charlatans trying to sell you something, but notice that they're not really selling the same thing ... or are they?
The truth is that all effective diets work on one single principle and that is:
Calorie Deficit
You see 'fat' is essentially storage, over the many many years of humans evolving the body has needed to keep nutrients just in case something bad happens, such as a bad hunting expedition. We as humans have only in recent history become domesticated, originally we were hunter gatherers, which meant we moved our bodies often and were always looking for where the next meal is coming from.
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It is natural for humans to store energy in the form of fat in order for it to be used later, but this can only happen if we consume extra calories. It's a lot like money, if you have more money coming in than you spend, then you're going to become richer as time goes by, but if you have less money coming in than you spend, then you're going to be poor and in debt.
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Spend more than you earn = bank balance shrinks
Earn more than you spend = bank balance grows
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Eat more calories than you use = your waist grows
Use more calories than you consume = your waist shrinks
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That is the secret to fat loss!
Are fitness Influencers Liars?
You may be thinking "if it's that simple to lose weight then why are all these fitness influencers and celebrities pushing all this crap?"
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Unfortunately the answer to this is usually money. You see there are literally millions of people out in the world who are willing to spend billions on the latest fitness gadgets (no vibrating AB belts wont give you a Six Pack) and every celebrity can make coin and even revive a dying career by releasing a diet book (or if you remember the 90's then a weight loss VHS tape lol.)
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Don't get me wrong there are many fitness coaches, PT's and influencers who are being very honest with the public about Health, Fitness, Fat lose and Body Transformations; but there is so much money to be made that choosing between, helping people by releasing evidence based, logical advice vs selling you a supplement which won't really do anything is to difficult for many. We could name so many brands which knowingly push bad advice and dangerous products that it's not even funny.
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So who do your trust then?
Who can you Trust?
Truth be told there are many people out there who know far more about Health, Fitness & Life than the Team behind the 'Some Health & Fitness Company' website (although of course you can trust us ;) and we do have a 'Hall of Role Models' on the site which you may want to check out with the link below, but just to wet your appetite then how many of the following people have you heard of?
Kilted Coaches
Stephen & Rab
Jeff Nippard
jeffnippard.com
Stephanie Buttermore
stephaniebuttermore.com
James Smith
jamessmithacademy.com
Our Health & Fitness Role Models
Click the link below for a full list of the people we definitely believe are giving advice worth listening to, out there in the sea of misinformation known as the internet lol.
But I was told You shouldn't count calories, because you'll get addicted and there was this study that said it's bad or something!
Name, Title
Lets be Logical About this!
This page is all about explaining the basics of how humans lose weight, humans lose weight by not consuming more calories than they expend, now there are some who say using calories counting apps (such as MyFitnessPal) is bad but if there is one thing that we can get behind it's
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All things in moderation
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That doesn't just go for food but also daily habits, so we are not saying you need to turn into some kind of crazed calorie counting addict, but it is important to understand the basic principle of weight loss before we start tackling methods, for remaining in a calorie deficit.
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Many people are under the impression that the best thing to do to lose weight is to join a gym and sweat on a cardio machine and go home and throw all the nice food out and replace it with cardboard (rice cake wafers) and boiled vegetables. Well luckily for you this isn't necessary (unless you really want to).
Weight loss FAQ
01
GYM
02
DIET
03
GADGETS
04
MOTIVATION
GYM
Q: Should I join a Gym and spend an hour on a cardio machine each day?
A: Cardio is great for your cardiovascular health but spending hours on that X-Trainer isn't really doing much for your waist, you see cardio training may make you sweaty but it really doesn't burn that many calories.
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Q: Resistance Training (Weight Training) will burn more calories than cardio, so should I skip the cardio and just use weights?
A: No, Cardio has it's place for overall health so don't skip it. Again, much like cardio weight training may burn more calories but it still doesn't burn as much as committing to taking the stairs instead of the escalator or choosing to park in the furthest car parking space away from your office.
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Q: Do I need to join a GYM to lose weight?
A: No, all that required for you to lose weight is for you to remain in a calorie deficit, but going to the gym is about more than losing weight, it's about getting stronger, improving cardiovascular health and helping you offset or push back some of the issues which old age brings
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(Check out our article on WHY SHOULD I GO TO THE GYM)
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Q: Are there any specific exercises that I can do to lose weight?
A: There isn't even such a thing as a weight loss exercise? Many people sell training plans, gadgets and exercise videos marketing them as 'Fat Lose' or 'Weight lose' exercises but exercises just work body parts so there are no specific exercises that target body fat. Exercise of any kind will burn calories so intensive workouts at the gym will help you burn calories because you're using up energy to do them.
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Q: Is Spot Reduction a Real Thing?
A: No it is definitely not a real thing, for those who aren't familiar with the term spot reduction it is the theory that training a specific body part by doing an exercise for that body part will reduce weight in that are trained, for example some people might think that doing 'Situps' which target the Abs (abdominal muscles) will 'burn the fat in that area' and we must stress that this is simply not true. Training a specific body part or area of the body will not just mean you lose fat from that area.
DIET
Q: Do I need to throw out all the 'junk food' and just start eating rabbit food (salad)?
A: No, it's important to remember the rule of 'Everything in Moderation' you technically can eat whatever food you want and providing you remain in a calorie deficit you will loose weight, but just eating processed food from McDonald's all day will have a negative effect on the body regardless of your weight and that's due to your body not getting the right nutrition.
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Q: Should I switch to a Vegetarian diet or maybe switch to a Mediterranean diet to lose weight?
A: It's up to you, if you like Mediterranean food then go for it, if you want to be vegetarian for ethical reasons then do it but just remember it's not what you eat that determines how much weight you lose, it's the quantity that determines how much weight you lose.
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Q: Do Men & Woman lose weight the same way?
A: Yes & No, both Males & Females lose weight from a calories deficit, but there is some very interesting research being done currently in regards to Woman and more specifically how menstruation plays a role in Weight loss and Resistance Training, You can find out more about this on the FEMALE FITNESS page.
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Q: Should I skip Breakfast and just have one or two meals per day?
A: It's up to you but I would personally recommend sticking to three meals per day, after all, do you really want to be hungry first thing in the morning? I personally would rather spread my calories out throughout the day (I start my day with porridge with dark chocolate, dried fruit and nuts, but you don't have too.)
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Q: Should I drink more Water?
A: Yes, for some reason the average person these days doesn't drink enough water, will this help me lose weight though? No it will help you be more healthy but remember the only way to lose weight is to stay at a calories deficit.
GADGETS
Q: Do I need to go and buy that band thingy that shocks your stomach and gives you a six pack?
A: No, it's crap and doesn't work!
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Q: Should I use one of those fancy smart watches to count my steps and show me what I'm burning?
A: Step counting is good only to help you compare what you have done on average. You can wear multiple watches and they will all give different readings so if you are looking to check exactly how many calories you have lost then these watches are crap and will all give different readings. If you are looking for proof of an overall trend then these watches can help (I did twice as many steps this week, than last week.)
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Q: Is there any specific fitness equipment I can buy for 'Fat Lose' ?
A: No not really, in fact did you know there isn't even such a thing as a weight loss exercise? Many people sell training plans, gadgets and exercise videos marketing them as 'Fat Lose' or 'Weight lose' exercises but exercises just work body parts so there are no specific exercises that target body fat. Exercise of any kind will burn calories so intensive workouts at the gym will help you burn calories because you're using up energy to do them.
MOTIVATION
Q: Should I follow a bunch of Fitness People on Social Media so I'm more motivated to keep on my weight loss journey?
A: Why do you find them motivating? Are you looking at them hoping and wishing to look like them? Are you perving on them but just using the excuse that you're following them because they 'motivate you' lol?
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We are all on our own individual fitness journey and there is a very fine line between watching someone else with a similar story to you do what you yourself are currently trying to do and a very big difference to fake liars who are using Performance enhancing drugs and filters to make themselves appear better than you will ever be no matter what genetics or help you have. Please, please be careful when filling your Instagram, Facebook and other social media feeds up with the top elite of fitness models because if you see pic after pic of perfection day after day, this can lead to the complete opposite of motivation and can actually make you feel crap about the progress you've made
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I have met many clients who really have achieved great body transformations, but they don't feel good about them simply because they are comparing their achievement with the many pics they are being bombarded with by fake fitness influences on social media.
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You are in a race with yourself and know-one else!
Compare your body with the one you had last month and if there is progress then celebrate it, if there is no progress then work harder lol.
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Q: Should I take Progress Pictures?
A: Yes, Yes, Yes, Remember they never need to see the light of day but, we see ourselves every day in the mirror and often fail to see the small changes we make week to week. A progress picture may make you feel like a vain idiot like the ones you see on social media but you're not posting it to social media so who is ever going to know.
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On a serious note progress pictures tend to make people feel uncomfortable because when you take one you see an unflattering version of yourself, the version of yourself you currently are lol. Think about how much better you will feel when you compare what you look like to in a year or so and then tell me you wish you never took that picture.
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Q: Should I Measure myself?
A: I once had a client who told me they didn't care about measurements because if 'I can't see the change in the mirror then it's not happening' but big changes in the mirror take time and if you really want to check how you're getting on then measure yourself every month. If you're doing it every day then you are probably developing a problem but once or twice a month is fine.
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Q: Should I stay Slim or YOYO! ?
A: There is a difference between staying the same weight year round (when you do get to you're target weight) and moving with the seasons. If you are actively trying to lose weight then you should do it slowly, the YOYO diet thing happens when people commit to a mega crazy diet and workout plan for a short amount of time, hate it, get the results they want and gorge themselves making up for lost time. They put the weight back on because they hated the process, staying at an ideal size (ideal for you) all year round is probably not going to happen because of things such as Xmas and Holidays where we put on a little but people who put on a little can lose it again easily by getting back into a slight calorie deficit.
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The ones who YOYO end up hating the process of losing weight because they don't adopt a lifestyle and diet that is sustainable, whenever you hear someone say they are 'going on a diet this month' be weary of the fact them see it as a short term change
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Don't YOYO diet, instead remain at a slight calorie deficit until you reach the weight you want then maintain it by only consuming your 'maintenance calories.'
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Eat the foods you want to eat, just don't eat them in the quantities that mean your body is storing all of that food as FAT!
Most important things to know about weight loss!
I take it by now you understand the whole calorie deficit thing, but here is the real important information you need to know in order to implement it properly.
don't over do it!
It's important to remain at a slight calorie deficit, this means not cutting half your calories for that big wedding coming up! Many people was to lose weight for a specific even and there are two main problems with loosing weight too quickly;
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1.) Make a permanent lifestyle change!
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If you make to drastic a change then you wont be able to make this a permanent lifestyle change and stopping yourself from buying takeout food and just sticking to having bowls of salad will probably make get you into a calorie deficit but your not going to want to do this for the rest of your life, instead get used to understanding your calories in and out in general and that way you can decide how many portions of takeout Chinese food you can eat each week. You don, instead you need to understand each meals overall contribution.
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2.) Don't loose weight too fast!
( No Crash Diets! )
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When we loose weight too quickly our bodies get scared!
Yes this is actually true when we starve ourselves (which is what your doing when going on a massive calorie cutting diet), your body breaks down muscle in order to give your body energy, you don't want to start burning your muscle to fuel your body, instead you want to burn the fat (adipose tissue) to fuel your body.
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Changing your diet so you go on a slight caloric deficit will mean you will lose the weight slowly but that your body will opt for slowly reducing fat and using fat tissue stores instead of your muscle (which your body will destroy in an emergency such as when it's being starved).
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You may also be missing out on essential nutrients as 'crash diets' can be limited in the variety of food consumed. Your body will be low on energy, and may cause you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods. This can lead to eating those foods and more calories than you need, causing weight gain.
Beware Foods labeled 'low fat' or 'reduced fat' !
Be cautious. Foods labelled "low fat" have to contain no more than a specific amount of fat to legally use that label. If a food is labelled as "low-fat" or "reduced fat", it should contain less fat than the full-fat version, but that doesn't automatically make it a healthy choice: Check the label to see how much fat it contains. Some low-fat foods may also contain high levels of sugar.
Don't Cut CArbs !
Eaten in the right quantities and as part of a balanced diet, carbohydrates will not, on their own (that is, without butter, creamy sauces and so on added to them) lead to weight gain. Eat whole grain and wholemeal carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, and potatoes with the skins on to increase your intake of fiber and don't fry starchy foods when trying to lose weight.
Skipping Meals !
Skipping meals is not a good idea. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to reduce the amount of calories you consume and increase the calories you burn through exercise. But skipping meals altogether can result in tiredness and may mean you miss out on essential nutrients. You will also be more likely to snack on high-fat and high-sugar foods, which could result in weight gain.
Cutting certain foods !
Do not ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There's no reason you cannot enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance.
Keep Track Of Calories !
Find out what your maintenance calories are and keep an eye on them using a food diary or app (such a My Fitness Pal), we're not saying you need to keep track every week but maybe for one week of every month you might like to record exactly what you're eating.
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If you haven't learned by now that losing weight is all about making sure you consume more calories than you take in by eating and drinking then maybe you need to Hire Us to help as I really don't think you're going to make it on your own lol.
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Yes there are calories in Alcohol so log that in your Food Diary too lol!
Keep Track Of Progress!
It's important to keep track of our progress, a food diary will show you what you're eating and calories consumed and such but what about the physical changes.
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Take before pictures (no you don't need to post them on social media if you don't want to), and measure yourself on the scales once to twice per month and keep an eye on it. Yes you will notice when you go down a waist size, but the measurements will show you more than just how much you have lost, they will also show patterns (such as that you put on a few pounds over December) and this will help you plan and make allowances. It's ok to put on weight every now and then but if it's consistently over the course of an entire year then that might be a problem.
Do More than Last TIme !
We know that what we put in our mouths is the main thing which determines if we loose weight or not but if you are consistently working on ways to increase the amount of calories burned then this will greatly help.
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You should go to the Gym to get stronger with Resistance training to make your stronger and you should do some form of cardio training but these are for overall health and for longevity. In terms of burning calories these gym training sessions might not burn all that many calories compared to general lifestyle changes you make to the way you move and live.
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If your lucky enough to have one of these fancy smart watches or phones which track your steps then why not try and do consistently more steps each week. Walk up the escalator (or even better take the stairs) park further away from work or get off the bus a stop of two early. All this extra effort really does add up, you would he surprised.
But I have a Chronic Condition !
There are people in the world who have serious health conditions, there are some who need help adapting exercises and plans in order to be able to do them due to their conditions which is fair enough, they require the knowledge and can get there with the help.
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There are more people who use a medical condition as an excuse as to why they cannot lose weight, than there are who actually have medical conditions which mean they cannot loose weight.
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YOU LOOSE WEIGHT BY BEING IN A CALORIE DEFICIT
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If you have a medical condition you may struggle to do certain exercises at a gym, but lucky for you it's possible to lose weight by just changing diet alone. If you have a condition such as Hypothyroidism, Chronic stress & depression, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Syndrome X, Cushing’s syndrome, etc then you can lose weight.
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It will be more difficult for you than the average person, but don't let people tell you that it cannot be done. I have met so many people who have struggled because of their illnesses and yes life is tough and life is unfair but WITH THE RIGHT GUIDANCE YOU CAN DO IT!
yOUR PERIOD EFFECTS WEIGHT LOSS !
This one only effects the Ladies reading but there are more and more studies being conducted with regards to Women's Health & Fitness. It may seem strange, but for a long time most fitness studies in the past were only conducted with Men and and studies which showed 'strange' or 'irregular' data sets would often be ignored or at best would make it into a footnote.
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I cannot fully explain the full differences in regards to Men and Women when it comes to training and weight loss here but we do have a page dedicated to this called WOMEN'S FITNESS which you might be interested in.
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You may also wish to listen to the TED talk given by JAMES SMITH (PT) which I will link to here: (A perspective on fat loss | James Smith | TEDxBundaberg)
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Skinny isn't always healthy !
I know this page is full of information about losing weight but please remember skinny isn't always healthy. Skinny bodies are often glorified but a skinny low fat body isn't necessarily a healthy one! The more scientists study the science of Health & Fitness the more we are understanding about the things our bodies need.
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A Morbidly Obese body is unhealthy, A Chronically Underweight body is unhealthy, some of the Fitness models you see on the cover of 'Mens Health' that are glorified for their perfect Adonis style physiques are actually unhealthy.
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What looks healthy on the outside is not necessarily healthy on the inside. I have met a number of people with that 'perfect ideal body' who actually got that body in an unhealthy way. Whether it's bodybuilders taking steroids and performance enhancing drugs or the skinny person who's slim but shovels processed cardboard burgers from McDonalds down their throat.
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Please don't glorify 'skinny' or glorify 'Fat' and that model you see on Instagram might not be as healthy as you think!
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Health is about being strong and resilient, so a healthy person is someone who actively tries to improve their health and will not put strength, aesthetics or anything above longevity.
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If you want to learn about what we think a healthy body truly looks like then check out our HEALTHY BODY page and if you want help on your journey then why not consider hiring us.
