THE SCIENCE OF WEIGHT LOSS SIMPLIFIED

THE SCIENCE OF WEIGHT LOSS SIMPLIFIED

How many of us work out every day to lose some extra pounds lying around in our bodies? I guess everyone who is reading this article! But only a few can reach their goals and a few take much less or more time than others. Why this happens? Let’s find it out!

First of all, I'd like to start by saying that there's a difference between 'Weight loss' and 'Fat loss'.

Here, I would like to give my own example.

In 2014, I weighed 220 lbs and just 16 at the time. I started working out at a nearby Gym. As was the conventional method, I just did Cardio (Running & Cycling) for nearly a year. I observed there was a decent change in my body, so I started doing more cardio and dieting even hard (At one point, I just took 1000 calories per day for a few weeks). Then my body stopped responding. So I surfed and browsed the Internet and found out various articles.

I realized my mistake #1, my body was accustomed to the monotony of my workouts (It had hit a Plateau).

Then I realized my mistake #2, I did not even enter the weights’ section in the gym. Because of this, while burning 'Fat', I also burnt my natural 'Muscle mass' along. I was devastated. I felt like the world has ended, and by then I had started to hate my body. But I gradually changed the pattern of my workouts and succeeded in having a 'modern physique'.

So here, I didn’t know the difference between Fat loss and Weight loss.

The muscles in our bodies should be considered as ‘engines’ of our body or ‘Fat burning machines’ of our body. The more muscle you have the more Calories you will spend and more fat would be burnt.

HOW DO WE GAIN WEIGHT?

Some would say because of Junk food, Sugar, candies, etc. Yes, certainly they are correct. But it's not the ‘food’ that’s making us fat (Technically it is), but the calories make us. There's a certain amount of calories our body needs according to the activities we do throughout the day. The excess calories will be stored as fat (the calories can come from protein, fat, carbohydrates, or any type of food).

An average male leading a sedentary lifestyle requires 1700 – 1800 calories per day, while an average female requires 1900 - 2100 calories per day.

Our bodies respond to fat differently, some would store them around the belly or thighs, hips, etc. Similarly, the fat burnt would also be from a random place and from all over the body (Spot Reduction is Impossible).

SO HOW CAN A PERSON LOSE ‘FAT’ AND PRESERVE THE ‘NATURAL MUSCLE MASS’?

This process would be slower (not necessarily) than the Weight loss aspect, but it would be the healthiest choice! The muscles we have are very important in our day to day functioning too.

For this, you would have to change the way you eat. You have to focus on what you eat, know how much calories that food has and you have to control your ‘Macronutrients’.

Oh! A new word.

Macronutrients are the three essential nutrients which are:-

1.     Protein

2.     Fat

3.     Carbohydrates

So your total calories should be divided into calories given by these three Macronutrients. Typically, it should be:-

1.     Protein – 40%

2.     Fat – 20%

3.     Carbs – 40%

This should be the typical dietary intake instead of the ‘Crash Dieting’ (the mistake I did!).

Another mistake which I did was that there was only cardio in my workout and no trace of Strength training. This way I forced my muscles to deplete along with fat.

Strength training trains your muscles, help them ‘withstand’ the effects of cardio.

So never think the ‘dumbbells’ are just for bodybuilders.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR WORKOUTS?

Cardio and Strength training, both are equally important. Strength training preserves/builds your muscle mass, while cardio does the job of burning fat.

Now, people generally indulge in LISS – Low-Intensity Steady State Cardio, such as running or cycling at a moderate or slow pace for long durations like one hour. This form of cardio typically causes the loss in muscles.

Instead, include the steaming hot HIIT – High-Intensity Interval Training. This form of cardio includes short bursts (usually 20 – 30 seconds) of Sprints or fast-paced cycling.

Studies have shown that people who did HIIT instead of LISS along with weight training, actually witnessed muscle growth instead of depletion, more amount of fat burnt and prolonged increase in metabolism even after 20 hours of rest.

A typical HIIT workout session goes like this,

1.     5 minutes: warm-up

2.     30 secs: Sprint

3.     30 secs: normal walking

4.     Repeat #2 and #3 five times

5.     5 minutes: Cooldown

HIIT basically keeps your heart rate peaked during low periods, helping you to burn fat

(After I was aware of HIIT, I started doing it. It really helped me shed those extra tires around my waist and hips).

Now about strength training. Keep your cardio sessions and lifting sessions on different (alternate days). In your strength workouts, work each muscle once a week, and two muscles per day. So it should go like this,

1.     Monday – Strength Training (Legs)

2.     Tuesday – Cardio (preferably HIIT) & Abs

3.     Wednesday – Strength Training (Chest & Back)

4.     Thursday – Cardio & Abs

5.     Friday – Strength Training (Shoulder & Arms)

6.     Saturday – Cardio

7.     Sunday – Rest

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT TO LOSE FAT?

When you burn 3500 calories, you burn one pound of fat. So if you are eating 2000 calories a day, gradually bring it down to 1500 per day. Follow the Macronutrients proportion (Protein – 40%, Fat – 20%, Carbs – 40%) and customize your diet. A king-sized breakfast is recommended, and a beggar sized dinner is recommended. Lunch should be moderately taken. NEVER SKIP MEALS!

Include boiled vegetables and milk (preferably skimmed) in your diet, they are very important.

On your rest days, it’s okay to have a cheat meal, but no overeating!

SHOULD YOU TAKE ANY SUPPLEMENTS?

Taking supplements is nothing wrong, but you should have enough activity in your day to compensate them. I personally recommend Whey Protein (Find out more about Whey protein in my earlier article).

CONCLUSION

With this, I guess I have simplified fat loss a little bit more. With proper Exercise, Diet, Dedication and Consistency, you can definitely reach your goals. 

Here's My Transformation Photo.