Hey there! 

Talking nutrition for fat loss in this week’s post, and I’m gonna try to keep it short and sweet. Truth be told, though it may be on the short side, it may not feel quite so sweet. 

But before we dig into a few “simple” principles….

The point isn’t to say fat loss should be your goal. Maybe you’re happy with your current body composition and just want to maintain it while making improvements to our health and enjoying life. Rock on! I love to work with folks in that part of their journey as well, and think these basic principles still apply. Honestly, it’s my goal to help all my clients achieve and eventually maintain their own ideal level of fitness and badassitude! Over the years though, the desire to lose some excess body fat – aka lean out, get more toned, feel more comfortable without a shirt by the water – is by far the #1 goal people want help with. So here we are. 

And just to be clear, by simple I don’t mean easy! Habits can be frustratingly difficult to change. When we’ve got deeply grooved, negative ones, it’ll take time, practice, and patience. There will be setbacks. Those setbacks however, when they happen, are NOT indicative of failure. Which leads to a difficult truth…

It’s gonna take some time…

Too many folks get excited, jumping headlong into a diet and exercise routine while underestimating how long it’ll take to get where they’re going. This is especially true if you want the weight you do lose to come mostly from fat (not just scale weight), and even more so if you want the changes to be sustainable. You don’t wanna be starting all over again six months from now, do you? Remember, there will be setbacks. Every year, thousands of people abandon ship after a few weeks because it gets difficult, or it feels like they’re not getting anywhere, or they just had a bad day. They blame the plan or worse, themselves for not having enough will power. Don’t fall into that fixed mindset. The excitement and motivation you feel at the onset will not sustain you, so don’t rely on it. Having a plan for when you feel like crap, practicing patience and expecting the process to take a while, are key.

“Jacked Axl” clearly used to practice patience

Jeez, how much time?
Healthy, sustainable rates of fat loss range from 1/2 pound per week, up to 2 on the top end. Anything faster than that can get you in shape for an event, but will likely involve more muscle loss than is ideal and will almost certainly lead to a rebound when the diet is over or you lose that motivation you had in the beginning. What that means is that if you think losing 10 pounds will get you where you want to be, expect it to take 20 weeks. 

Principle #1 – You’ll have to be in a calorie deficit. 

You can aim for a daily deficit but I prefer looking at a weekly average. This allows for a little wiggle room on the weekends or in social situations where you might have less control over food choices. I’m a practicing “diet agnostic” and believe a deficit can be accomplished with a few different styles of eating, though some are arguably more enjoyable and sustainable than others. Paleo or plant-based? IF or IIFYM? Mediterranean or Weight Watchers? They can all work, when you’re in a deficit. The key is consistently using the method you can sustain.

Principle #2 – Get enough protein
(ideally from lean(er) food sources)

Protein helps to maintain lean muscle mass while in a calorie deficit and when combined with strength training. It also creates a feeling of satiety. That means you’ll feel fuller sooner, thus be less likely to overeat. I recommend that, unlike the dude above, most of your protein intake comes from food and you let supplements be supplemental. Why leaner sources? Leaner = lower in calories, which helps with principle #1. How much? The old standard of a gram per pound of body weight is okay and easy to remember. I generally start with .7g/lb of bodyweight, a little less if someone has a lot of fat to lose and a little more if someone is already pretty lean. 

Principle #3 – Get enough fiber. 

Beans, beans, good for your heart…

Fiber helps keep your gut healthy while also creating a feeling of satiety. There’s a compounding effect, because the fiber you eat literally expands inside you (aka you feel full), AND fibrous foods generally take more time to eat, slowing you down and allowing for fullness signals to get from your belly to your brain. How much? According to Precision Nutrition, a good goal to aim for is around 35-40 grams per day for men, and 25-30 grams per day for women. And it should come from food, not supplements. If you’re currently nowhere near that, start slowly and build your way up over time to avoid any potentially unpleasant and/or impolite side effects 😉

But wait, there’s more!
The same foods that are high in fiber also tend to be more nutrient dense, which is a fancy way to say they contain more nutrients per calorie than calorie dense foods. And what’s even better, lentils and beans come packaged with “bonus protein”! To visualize the nutrient density concept, imagine a spectrum with nutrient dense lentils, kale, and broccoli on one end, and calorie dense oils, pastries, and other highly processed foods on the other.

Principle #4 – Eat plenty of produce. 

Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense, as opposed to calorie dense. We already know this means they provide a good amount of volume per calorie. Which is good, because again, this slows you down and increases satiety so you end up eating fewer calories while feeling less restricted. A variety of fruits and veggies should be part of any healthy diet, but are especially important when maintaining a calorie deficit for this very reason. Any and all fruits and veggies you enjoy should be on the menu. Yes, bananas and the good old white potato too! Aim for the full rainbow of colors and, more often than not, enjoy them simply prepared. Choose steamed, sautéed, roasted, grilled, or raw, over deep fried or doused with a high calorie sauce or dressing.  

So to wrap up, while fat loss isn’t easy, it also doesn’t have to be complicated. If your goal is to lose fat you’ll help yourself out by:

1. Creating a calorie deficit

2. Eating enough protein 

3. Getting enough fiber

4. Filling your plate with plenty of vegetables and fruits