Thread by @Rob_NBF

Do you need a plan to lose fat?

Look no further than this thread!

Follow these instructions and you can't fail to lose fat in 2021!

(no gimmicks or fad diets)

👇 👇 👇

Most people are probably aware that calories govern weight loss and gain.

Calories are simply a unit to measure energy, much like lbs/kgs are units to measure mass and miles measure distance.

"calories don't matter" is like saying "miles don't matter"

Your body has a certain amount of energy it needs to maintain its weight.

This is largely governed by how heavy you are and how active you are.

Having more mass means you require more energy to maintain it. All movement also requires energy.

Therefore, the heavier you are and the more active you are, the more energy you can still eat and lose weight.

If you're a smaller person and not very active, you'll have to eat even less than a larger, more active person to lose weight.

Eat more than your "maintenance" amount of energy and you'll gain weight.

Eat less and you'll lose it.

You can get a good ballpark figure for how many calories you should be eating here 👇

musclehacking.com/calorie-calcul…

You need to shoot for a deficit of about 500 calories per day to see meaningful weight loss each week.

Don't go for more than a 30% deficit. You'll upset hormone balances in your body and eventually crash, get sick, lose lean mass, have cravings, snap and undo all your hard work

You can eat anything you like, within your daily calories and you'll still lose weight.

However, there are some very big caveats to make here 👇

Firstly, even though TECHNICALLY you could lose weight just eating chocolate in a calorie deficit, in reality it won't really work.

Obvious problem: Junk food is empty calories with little nutritional value.

You'll eventually get unhealthy and sick, even while losing weight.

You need to prioritise nourishing foods that deliver essential vitamins and minerals.

For example, make sure you're not skimping on meat, eggs, fish and certain vegetables.

This will keep you from having nutrient deficiencies that impact your training, wellbeing & immune system

Second problem:

Foods of equal calories are not equal in terms of the amount they satiate you (fill you up).

Eating an abundance of junk in a calorie deficit WILL result in you being very hungry.

It's also addictive and moreish. Can you really stop when you hit your calories?

Protein is highly satiating AND has a higher thermic effect.

Up to 30% of calories in protein are used in digestion! Compared to 5-15% for fat/carbs.

Eating 1g of protein per lb of your lean mass = feeling full while losing fat!

It also spares muscle mass as you lose weight.

Processed foods also have a lower thermic effect than unprocessed.

Therefore you should prioritise single ingredient foods and high protein to burn more calories through digestion.

Eat as much lean protein as possible, in a calorie deficit = fat loss made easy.

Your fat and carb intake don't matter as long as calories are in the right range and protein is high.

You do need a minimum of 0.3g fat per lb of bodyweight. Most will find it hard not to hit this.

Now, onto "activity"

You DO NOT need to do horrible workouts that leave you drenched in sweat.

NOR do you need to do cardio to lose fat.

You just need a calorie deficit, which you can get through your diet.

Any movement helps, of course, as it burns calories.

Walking is actually great for fat loss.

You can expend quite a bit of extra energy by doubling the amount you walk.

If you've already got a calorie deficit through your diet, this will give a nice extra boost, or buy some calories for a (small) treat.

However, what you should absolutely be doing is resistance training.

Being in a calorie deficit means your body is looking to its own stores of energy.

Fat is one. Muscle is another.

You don't want your body to break down muscle for energy.

Resistance training prevents this.

Resistance training will also build muscle, and more muscle means your body burns more calories at rest, making it easier to keep the weight off after you lose it.

More muscle also means more places your body can store excess carbs before they get converted to fat!

You don't have to do a crazily complex or scary routine.

It can be very simple. Just 3 workouts per week of 30-45 minutes.

I've got 7 free resistance training programs with a brief guide you can download here 👇

Learn.nothingbarredfitness.com/free-workout-p…

It's going to take time if you're starting from scratch and you might not notice anything in the first few months.

But keep at it, be consistent, and stick with it for months (and years) and you'll really surprise yourself with what you can achieve.

If you found this thread useful, please RT it so people planning on getting healthier in 2021 can use it to help them.

If you want a PDF of the thread, tag @threadreaderapp in the replies and say "unroll"

If you'd like to be guided through a free 14 day process where I help you get things moving in the right direction, sign up here 👇

Learn.nothingbarredfitness.com/new-year-kicks…

(starts Monday)

Want some high protein recipe ideas which you can fit into your calories and macros?

I've put together over 30 of my favourites in this book 👇

learn.nothingbarredfitness.com/eat-real