One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to fat loss is jumping in head first and changing too much, too soon.
You want the changes you make to be sustainable and long-term. More than likely, it has taken a number of years to get to where you are and so like-wise the changes you want to make cannot be done over night.
You need to create and ingrain new habits. These habits must be small and effective if they are to be sustainable.
Fat loss is a science; there MUST be a caloric deficit in order to drop body fat.
If you over-eat healthy foods and you have a calorie surplus you will not lose body-fat.
Equally, if you eat a lot of high sugar, processed food but you create a caloric deficit you should drop body fat.
So if it’s that simple why do people struggle to drop body fat? Well, what I usually find is that people either try to change too much, too soon or they need more knowledge and information about the nutrition basics.
Counting macros has become a popular way of tracking calories with a focus on the breakdown between the macronutrients (that is carbs, fats and protein).
In my opinion, for anyone who is starting out on a fat loss plan there is no need to jump in and start counting macros. Generally, it is too much, too soon. Master the basic first and then progress.
Changing is a process. In the same way that I would not ask a beginner to squat 100kg, I would equally not ask a beginner to alter their food habits too drastically.
Make small simple changes and implement each change for three to four weeks. After this time, you have created a habit and you no longer need to think about it.
Once you are at this stage you can then progress and implement the next change. So by starting slowly and building each block properly you are creating a solid foundation for maintaining your healthy lifestyle.
The stages that most of my clients would move through when their goal is at loss stages are as follows:
- Eat real food – aim to remove processed food from your diet as much as possible
- Create a caloric deficit
- Track macro nutrients
- Food timings
- Supplements
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