Sustainable fat loss

Progress tracking

Personally I never use the scale to track my progress. I prefer to take progress photos once per month: same time, same day, one month apart. There are too many daily fluctuations to see results more often — your period, what you ate the day before, how intense the workout was, water retention. We want the big picture.

We tend to think progress is a straight line going upwards, but in fact it’s a roller coaster. Some days you go a step back, then two steps forward.

Measure your energy

Every week I rate my energy levels. If they are lower than 6 on a scale from 0 to 10 for more than three weeks, I need to make changes to the plan.

Slow and steady

Going too hard into your fat loss journey risks depressing biological processes like menstruation, bone density, immunity and digestion. Quick fat loss also increases the ratio of muscle to fat being lost, and muscle is exactly what keeps the fat off. A slow and steady approach is better long-term.

Calorie deficit

Aim for about a 10% deficit from your maintenance calories. Personally I’m on 2000 calorie maintenance and work out five times per week, so 10% is 200 calories: 1800 a day to lose fat sustainably. The deficit doesn’t only have to come from eating less, it can also come from moving more.

Protein intake

It is especially important to eat enough protein in a deficit. Depending on activity level, aim for 1.3 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day. For me: 60kg × 1.5g ≈ 90g of protein per day.

Eating enough

Reducing calories doesn’t mean reducing volume. You should not walk around hungry, as that usually causes cravings. Eat big portions of nutrient dense food: fruit, vegetables, lean meat and complex carbohydrates.

Workouts

I believe in building strength in the gym and reducing fat in the kitchen. The goal of the workout is to preserve muscle and strength, so the fatty tissue stays away. Four full body workouts per week, 45 to 60 minutes.

Start with hypertrophy: 8 to 20 reps of controlled movements with heavy weight, close to failure — squats, deadlifts, rowing. Rest 60 to 120 seconds between sets, three to four sets, three to six exercises. End with complex dynamic movements pushing resistance with speed: squat jumps, thrusters, wall balls.

No restrictions

No food is off limits. Focus on eating less energy dense food on an empty stomach, and eat it in moderation. First the nutrient dense meal, then the brownie, ice cream, chocolate or popcorn.

Mindset

Take small steps. There is no race to get to your goal. At some point you will go way off plan — plan for that. Life is unpredictable. Do your best, and don’t throw everything away when you derail. Move on, get back on track, and remember why you started. You’ve got this.