6 Fatal Fat Loss Errors You're Probably Making
Back in college, I put on way too much weight in my short-sighted desire to be as strong as possible. Eventually I decided enough was enough, and I lost 40 pounds of fat. I made some stupid mistakes along the way. Here are some things I don’t recommend that you do. I’ll talk diet first, then training.
Nutrition:
Eating “Low Fat” Foods
This is a scam. First, we’ve known for a long time that fat by itself does not make us fat or unhealthy, at least in a broad, linear way. There are healthy fats and extremely unhealthy fats. What “low fat” actually means is “high sugar.” Invariably, these foods are highly processed, sometimes even more processed than the full-fat versions, and have very little nutritional value. The harsh truth is that you can’t eat a “better” substitute when your goal is long-term fat loss. You have eat very differently.
Listening to Food Marketing
I have one simple point to make here. If a food is marketed on TV or with a fancy label, more than likely you don’t need to be eating it if your goal is fat loss. Spinach doesn’t market well. Neither do chicken breasts or lean steak. If you really should be eating it, you shouldn’t need much convincing. Everyone in America with a first grade education should know that green leafy vegetables are good for you. It might take a little more research to see whole eggs or grass-fed beef as good for you, but nonetheless, you don’t need to have your mindset drastically altered by a TV ad.
Thinking “Eating Healthy” is the Same as “Eating for Fat Loss”
I used to think that if people would only “eat healthy” they could lose massive amounts of weight. I no longer think this is the case. Fat loss requires a different mindset. I think Dr. Atkins said that you didn’t get overweight by eating a balanced diet, so you can’t lose the weight by eating in a balanced way either. I wouldn’t recommend the Atkins diet, but look at the point he’s making. You have to be unbalanced for a while in order to get back to where you should be.
There are some healthy foods that don’t really belong in a practical fat loss program. For example, foods like nuts and high-fat meats are extremely calorie dense. There’s nothing wrong with them, but they are very easy to over-eat. It doesn’t matter how “healthy” your diet looks on paper if you’re still consuming too many calories for your goal.
Training:
Doing Excessively Long Cardio Workouts
If your goal is long-term body composition change, long cardio workouts should only be one part of your plan. Large amounts of low to moderate intensity cardio have little to no effect on fat loss, not much more than dietary changes alone. Here’s an example. Over one year, researchers compared the difference between 2 groups. One group made dietary changes for fat loss. The other group also made dietary changes, but also performed 5 days per week of 45 minutes of moderate intensity cardio. The cardio group lost more weight, but the difference between the two groups after one year? An average of 4 pounds. That’s it. That’s a lot of work for very little result.
The hesitations I have about recommending that everyone eliminate long cardio completely are that 1. It does work for a few people and 2. It can help condition you for intense workouts. Building your aerobic fitness allows you to train more frequently and intensely. Long cardio is also less mentally and physically taxing than other forms of training, and can help you de-stress while keeping your activity level high.
So what should you do instead? Strength training and intervals of various types and durations, with a few long, slow workouts mixed in. When you do long cardio, keep your heart rate around 60% of your max, or at an easy conversational pace.
Not Training Frequently Enough
Scheduling is always an issue, but you must train frequently. Not twice a week, not even three times a week. If you’re not doing anything, this is a great starting point, but you should shoot for at least 4 hours a week of exercise as quickly as your body allows. This should be, in order of importance, strength training, intervals, and long cardio. This should be spread our over at least 4 days. You can also do shorter workouts every day if you don’t have time for a full hour. Just put the work in.
Not Strength Training
Strength training has been underrated as a fat loss workout, but the paradigm is thankfully changing. You must strength train in order to maintain and build muscle to be successful long-term. If you don’t, you will be losing a good amount of muscle mass along with fat. You will look “soft” at your lower weight, with very little tone or definition, and no one wants that.
Strength training doesn’t mean doing bodybuilding workouts, and you can even combine intervals into your workouts. String together multiple total-body exercise and some cardio drills like squat thrusts, battle ropes, or sprints, taking very little rest. Your heart rate will go through the roof, elevating your metabolism, building muscle mass, and releasing beneficial hormones that signal the body to break down fat.
So what did I do to lose 40 pounds of fat? Here’s what worked for me: frequent strength training (4 days per week) with 2-3 interval workouts per week and big dietary changes. I can’t emphasize this enough. You can’t out-train a less than optimal diet if your goal is fat loss. You are capable of incredible accomplishments, but you have to put in the work.
If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me
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