FACTS ABOUT FAT LOSS
HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT FAT?
Historically, the word “fat” had a number of positive meanings. However, over the years, the definition of “fat” became associated with negative traits such as lazy, unattractive and not disciplined. These perspectives are problematic because fat-shaming and weight-stigmatization can have adverse consequences on an individual’s physical and mental health.
Nevertheless, wanting to lose fat can be beneficial for your health. This is particularly true if the targeted fat loss is around your waistline. Studies have demonstrated that larger waist circumference (i.e. the distance around your abdomen) is correlated with a stronger prevalence of chronic disease as well as a decrease in life expectancy. (Read: Weight Loss Vs Fat Loss)
However, we need to be sure to take the holistic and healthy approach when starting our journey towards fat loss.
THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT
Fat is not evil.
Actually, fat is essential for your health and well being!
Not having a sufficient amount of fat can be just as dangerous as having too much. Fat is an essential nutrient that your body needs to function properly. Without healthy levels of fat, your body will have trouble growing and repairing itself, which can then lead to several health complications, including:
Heart problems;
Vitamin deficiencies;
Mood problems;
Weak immune system;
Nervous system damage; and
A decrease in energy.
WHAT IS A HEALTHY RANGE OF BODY?
The answer to this will vary depending on whether you are male or female.
For men a healthy range of body fat is approximately 8-19%.
For women a healthy range of body fat is approximately 21-33%.
Now that we have taken a second to understand the importance of fat for our well being, we can start learning about the ways in which we can lose healthy amounts of it.
AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING APPROACH TO FAT LOSS
1- CARDIO
When wanting to lose fat, most people will spend countless hours on the treadmill and elliptical.
Why? Because they believe that cardio is a magical exercise for fat loss.
However, if we look more closely at the research, we can see that when compared to other forms of exercise (e.g. HITT, strength training, etc.), continuous and lengthy periods of cardio at moderate intensity may not be the most effective strategy to lose fat. We will explore some reasons why throughout this blog.
Now, before you ditch the treadmill or stop going on your daily runs, there are some benefits to doing cardio that should be acknowledged.
Benefits of Cardio:
Improves your mood through the release of endorphins;
Regulates your appetite and helps with digestion;
Decreases pain and stiffness in joints due to the distribution of synovial fluid;
Better control your blood pressure and risk for heart disease; and
It helps you sleep better at night.
Cardio Basics 101
As mentioned, ditching cardio is not the solution to achieving more fat loss.
Instead, we need to be more strategic, realistic, and holistic with our approach to cardio.
Remember, more is not always better!
According to research, engaging in high levels of cardio can put our bodies into a catabolic state. This means that our body is not only breaking down fat, but also our muscle. Although you may be happy that the number on the scale is decreasing, remember, you don’t want to have muscle loss! It is also important to remind yourself that the number displayed on your scale incorporates several components (Refer: Weight Loss Vs Fat Loss).
Now before you get worried, as long as you are not engaging in extremely long periods of cardio without rest, coupled with restrictive diets, it is unlikely that you will become catabolic.
Where to Start?
Your weekly exercise routine will look different depending on your current fitness level and fat loss goal.
For the “average” person who is trying to lose fat, the National Institute of Health recommends:
At least 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise
3-5 days a week.
When?
For people with busy schedules, some exercise is always better than no exercise. However, if you have the luxury to spread out your workouts, then it may be beneficial to separate your cardio and weight training sessions. More specifically, it is recommended to wait at least six hours between both training regiments.
Interestingly, a study from “the journal of strength and conditioning research”, demonstrated that participants who performed a 20-minute cardio session prior to strength training experienced a significant decrease in their workout performance.
What Types?
Below are a few ideas as well as some general guidelines:
Treadmill: Try setting the incline to 2-3% at a moderate level for 20 minutes at a time. This will not only burn more calories but may be easier on your joints such as your knees and ankles.
Jump rope: Incorporate intervals of fast and slow jumps. For example, one minute of rapid to light jumping (i.e. on your toes paired with a 20 to 30-second rest in between).
Kettlebells: Find a size that is not too heavy or too light. Ensure your back is straight, and swing for a minute at a moderate intensity paired with a 20 to 30-second rest in between. This is a great exercise because it combines strength training and cardio.
Cycling: Ensure your bike is an appropriate size and adjusted to your body. Ride at a high-intensity level for a couple of minutes paired with a couple of minutes of lower to moderate intensity.
Swimming: If you are not an avid swimmer, treading water is a great way to burn calories. If you have more experience in the water, try to complete 5 laps non-stop or right before hitting your exhaustion point.
Rowing: Always keep your chest up and use your entire body. Set a goal of 200 meters at a moderate to high intensity, followed by a 1-minute rest. The total duration can be about 20-30 minutes.
What you need to keep in mind
Low Impact
Running and jogging can be great! However, if you have pre-existing medical issues such as arthritis and/or want to be proactive to limit cartilage deterioration, try engaging in some more low impact exercises. Some of these activities include cycling, swimming, and rowing as there is minimal force between your body and the ground. This helps to minimize levels of joint pain.
Fun
When it comes to choosing exercises, the options are endless. Even for adults, having fun is important and has been shown time and time again to be the most significant factor in the maintenance of physical activity.
Intensity
After going through some of the cardio examples above, you may notice that frequency and intensity vary. Basically, it combines bursts of both high and low efforts. This is the perfect segway into HITT.
2 -HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)
What is HIIT?
HITT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. This type of high energy workout combines short bursts of intense exercise with periods of lower intensity exercise or rest.
What is a typical high intensity interval session?
First, you would begin with a five-minute warmup of your choice. The HITT workout session consists of 20-30 second work periods followed by 40-60 second recovery periods. Usually, a session would include a set of six different exercises that are made to increase your heart rate and tone your whole body (i.e. legs, arms, core, etc.) simultaneously. Repeat the sets of 6 exercises 8-12 times and finish with a cool-down and stretch.
Exercises? Here are examples:
Knee ups
Jumping jacks
Burpees
Squats
High knees
How often?
Since HITT is an intense workout, it is recommended that you do not do it every day.
It can severely fatigue your body and can cause detrimental health issues.
Based on the ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription, 3 HITT workouts per week is more than enough to achieve your fat loss goals!
Also, try and space out the workout so that you are not completing HITT for 3 consecutive days.
3 - STRENGTH TRAINING
The benefits of strength training are limitless and essential to achieve your fat loss goals.
One amazing benefit is that increasing the amount of muscle in your body aids in increasing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or in other words, your “metabolism”.
Why is this important?
Well, let’s first take a look at the definition:
Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. Basically, it highlights the minimum amount of energy required for your body to function properly.
It is not surprising then, that studies have shown that 10 weeks of resistance training can increase your BMR.
PLUS...
Resistance training has been shown to lower visceral fat - AKA the bad fat around your organs (i.e. abdominal section).
HOW ABOUT TONE?
Yes, you can lose weight and more importantly, lose fat but without muscle, you won’t achieve a toned look--if that’s part of your fitness goals!
SO HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE A STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE INTO OUR WEEK?
Ideally, a strength training workout should include 8-10 exercises targeting the major muscle groups (e.g. chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms).
For a beginner, you can do 2-3 sets of 8 to 15 reps of each exercise (depending on your fitness level and goals).
How heavy?
If you are a beginner, two sets of dumbbells (they can vary from 3 to 5 pounds and 8 to 12 pounds) as well as a set of resistance bands.
How often?
2-3 times a week on alternate days should suffice! This will leave you room to get in your HITT workouts and cardio sessions.
Some ideas?
Any of these exercises can be done with or without weights. Start low and build up your tolerance to a higher weight.
Shoulder press
Squats
Lunges
Back flys
Chest press
Dynamic bicep curls
Tricep curls
REMEMBER!
Muscle weighs more than fat. Although most people don’t gain a significant amount of weight when strength training, be mindful that just because you don’t see the number on the scale going down, it does not mean that you are not losing fat. Remember the concept of body composition. (Refer to: Weight Loss Vs Fat Loss)
DON’T FORGET!
Work on your flexibility!
Stretching increases the range of motion in your joints and keeps your muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Without it, your muscles will become tight leading them to become weaker due to limits in extension.
Check out the next blog where we dive deeper into the benefits of yoga and pilates.
A healthy diet!
The phrase “Abs are made in the kitchen” means that you won't "get abs" (that is, you won't be able to see your abs and lose fat) unless a healthy diet is part of the equation.
If you’re looking for motivation to change your dietary habits, please read our guide to start eating healthy.
Stress management!
Cortisol which is "the stress hormone” is associated with the fight or flight response that can be detrimental to your health if you are in this state chronically. With respect to fat loss, cortisol can make you more prone to overeating as it lowers your blood sugar levels due to increased insulin production which consequently makes you crave sugary, fatty foods.
References:
Europe PMC: Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Research Gate: Is high-intensity interval training a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve health and fitness? Gillen, J. B., & Gibala, M. J. (2014). Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 39(3), 409-412.
National Library Of Medicine: Effects of High-Intensity Interval Exercise Versus Continuous Moderate-Intensity Exercise on Postprandial Glycemic Control Assessed by Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Obese Adults. Little, J. P., Jung, M. E., Wright, A. E., Wright, W., & Manders, R. J. (2014). Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 39(7), 835-841.
Semantic Scholar: Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Westcott, W. L. (2012). Current sports medicine reports, 11(4), 209-216.