Fat Loss Basics: Four Things You Can Add to Your Life to LOSE It!
I can bet if you are reading this, you can recall any number of diets that you’ve tried over the years. Usually the focus of a diet is to cut out certain foods (or when you can eat your food) and there are plenty of diets to choose from - Whole 30, Paleo, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Mediterranean diet etc. Even though each diet may help you successfully lose weight initially, the question you have to ask is – will I be doing this same diet a year from now?
In reality, the best way to get long-term results is to adopt lifestyle changes that not only get you fat loss results but are changes you can live with for years to come. I’ve laid out some suggestions on what you can you add to lose fat, rather than focusing on eliminating certain foods or food groups. As I’ve worked with fat-loss clients I’ve found that working on one change at a time is the most successful approach. If I had to boil it down to 4 major elements to add alongside regular exercise…I would focus on sufficient protein, proper hydration, getting enough sleep, and taking a multi-vitamin.
Protein
Protein is like gold when it comes to fat loss. Of all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins), protein is THE macronutrient to focus on when talking about building muscle and burning fat. The reason why is that protein is made up of amino acids, the molecular building blocks that generate muscle. You need to provide your body enough amino acids to add muscle tissue. The more muscle you can generate, the higher your metabolism, and the more calories you burn.
When does your body use protein to build muscle? Strength training is the stimulus that will initiate the process for your body to use the amino acids that come from protein. A strength workout will cause damage to your muscle cells, which will stimulate your body to rebuild and add muscle fibers that make your muscle even stronger than it was before. The amino acids that come from protein in your diet are essential for this remodeling process. The only way to stimulate growth of new muscle tissue is through the resistant forces placed on the muscles by lifting weights. Cardio exercise doesn’t create the necessary resistance force to develop muscle. If you want fat loss - be sure to add strength training to your exercise program, which will build lean muscle and raise your metabolism.
Another way protein helps burn calories is its thermic value, which is the number of calories used to digest food. Protein has a much higher thermic value (20-30% of calories) compared to carbohydrates (5-10% of calories) and fat (0-3%), which means that when you eat protein your body has to expend more energy compared to fats or carbs to break it down for digestion (1). You burn more calories to digest protein than carbs or fats! Also, another benefit to protein is that it takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which will make you feel fuller longer. Eating protein will help you limit the total number of calories consumed because you feel satisfied longer, your body will be burning calories working hard to digest the protein, and the muscle you’re building will raise your metabolism and burn even more calories!
One important fact to note here is that not all proteins are created equal. Vegetable-based protein is not as easily absorbed and used by the body as animal-based protein. This is because the amino acids that make up animal-based protein is very similar to humans and easily absorbed by the body to develop muscle. If your protein source is largely plant-based protein you will need to consume additional protein to account for a lower absorption rate.
For my fat loss clients, getting sufficient protein to support building muscle is typically seen as a very big challenge. Research suggests that adequate protein to build muscle can be roughly estimated at 1g of protein per pound of body weight (2). For example, if you weigh 160 lbs, then you would need approximately 160 g protein per day. If you were to think of 160 g of protein in terms of a daily meal plan– you would need about 36 g of protein at each of your 3 meals and 2 snacks of 25 g of protein a piece. If that sounds high (or impossible!), then look at each meal and/or snack and see what food exchanges you can make. For example, if your normal breakfast is a serving of oatmeal (5g of protein for ½ cup), can you switch that to a cup of Greek yogurt (23g of protein for 1 cup)? Other examples of high protein items include seafood and meat, eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, string cheese, and protein powder.
Another way of looking at protein consumption is based on percent of calories. The American Dietary Guidelines published by the USDA recommends that 10-35% percent of daily calories come from protein. At a bare minimum I usually suggest trying to maintain at least 30% of the day’s calories as protein. How do you know what percentage of your daily calories come from protein? To understand what you are truly consuming each day you must track or log your food. There are mobile apps available to do this, such as MyFitnessPal and Lose It, which are very user-friendly and make the process as easy as possible.
Water
There are so many benefits to drinking plenty of water - aside from the fact that it is essential for almost every major function in the human body. Water helps rid the body of toxins, cushions and lubricates joints, helps the digestive system function and eliminate waste, and keeps you feeling energized and performing well during your workouts. Also, when water is consumed before eating a meal, studies have shown that you will eat less food, which is helpful when you are trying to keep your calories limited (3). It has even been shown that people who habitually drink water consume 9% fewer calories per day than non-water drinkers (4).
Another important role of water is that it optimizes your metabolism. Water is required for the breakdown of fat in the body, a process called lipolysis. When you ingest water, your body will use it for absolutely necessary functions, such as regulating temperature and blood pressure. However, whatever water you consume over what is needed for necessary functions can then be used for secondary purposes such as the breakdown of fat. When the body senses that it is not getting ample hydration, it will tend to hold on to fat and water for preservation and survival.
How much water is enough? Really the answer depends on several factors, including gender, activity level, and even where you live. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommend about 15.5 cups (3.7L) of fluids for men and 11.5 cups (2.7L) of fluid for women. This amount may come from water, other beverages and food. You’ll be able to tell if you’re getting enough by the color of your urine (should be colorless or light yellow) and if you rarely feel thirsty.
Sleep
One way to achieve fat loss that doesn’t have anything to do with what you eat, or drink is sleep! In a 2010 study by Chicago Medical Center, participants in the study who got adequate sleep (an average of 7 hours 25 minutes) lost more fat and were less hungry than when they had just over 5 hours of sleep (5). The number of calories they consumed were the same in each 14-day period, the only thing that changed was the number of hours they were allowed to sleep. In fact, during each trial period, the average weight loss was 6.6 lbs among both the short-sleep and long-sleep groups. However, the difference was remarkable in the amount of fat lost. When the volunteers spent 5.5 hours in bed, they lost an average of 1.3 lbs of fat, and when they spent 8.5 hours in bed, they lost an average of 3.1 lbs of fatin the 14-day period.
The study also tracked levels of the hormone ghrelin, a hormone that tells the brain you are hungry, to further understand the relationship between sleep and fat loss. The short-sleep group showed higher levels of ghrelin than the long-sleep group. Higher levels of ghrelin will make it harder to stick to a diet because you’ll be hungry and likely to eat more. When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it looks for an energy source to keep going, and food is fuel that is easily accessed. Additionally, higher levels of ghrelin have also been shown to slow down metabolism and retain fat, which is yet another reason why adequate sleep is so important for fat loss.
There are other hormones that play a part in the story of sleep. Another hormone that is elevated when you don’t get enough sleep is cortisol. A lack of sleep sends a message to the body that danger is imminent, and the body will store fat as a survival mechanism. An additional hormone that is affected by a lack of sleep is insulin, which becomes less sensitive to glucose when the body doesn’t get rest, and as a result, your body is less able to use fat and you will end up storing it.
Furthermore, when your energy levels are low, you’re less likely to make it to the gym for your workout. When it’s already difficult to make it to the gym due to a busy schedule - adding in fatigue makes getting to the gym all the more difficult. As you can see, a good night of sleep (7-9 hours) is imperative to fat loss.
Multi-Vitamin
I remember taking a multi-vitamin since the time I was kid. After developing that habit early on, it’s something I’ve always included in my diet. When I talk to people about multi-vitamins, I usually get feedback that sounds like this: “Yes, I know I should take one, but I never remember to”, or, “I heard that a multi-vitamin doesn’t have any real benefits.” This last reason may be based in some truth since many research studies have shown that taking a multi-vitamin doesn’t have any significant effect on preventing cancer or heart disease. However, very few studies have been done on how a multi-vitamin effects fat loss.
One study that was conducted showed that taking a multi-vitamin did in fact help with fat loss. In 2010 the International Journal of Obesity published a study where 96 participants were followed during a six-month period. There were three groups – a placebo group, a calcium supplement group, and a multi-vitamin group. All of the participants were told not to change anything with their diet or exercise. At the end of the six months, there was a significant difference in results depending on what pill you took (6). The group that took the multi-vitamin had significantly lower body weight, less body fat, and lower cholesterolthan the groups that took either the calcium supplement or placebo after 26 weeks. The researchers believe that the minerals and vitamins found in the multi-vitamin improved metabolismand helped the bodybreak down fat more effectively.
If you are dieting and cutting back on calories, this would be another reason to consider including a multi-vitamin in your diet. Cutting calories typically means that you are eliminating certain food groups and may be missing out on important nutrients and vitamins. When the body is low in a particular vitamin or nutrient, your brain will initiate a craving for the food that has that missing element. Taking a multi-vitamin has been shown to reduce hunger and the tendency to eat when you’re not hungry (7). When you are cutting calories, resisting food is already tough enough, and taking a vitamin is an easy thing to add to help with that challenge.
So, there you have it – four things you can focus on when you want to lose fat. As humans, we like results and we like to have them immediately. However, one thing to keep in mind, is if it’s taken you months or years to put on weight – well, it’s going to take time to take OFF the weight. Implementing lifestyle changes also takes time; however, you will get there. Pick one of the four items to start with – treat it like it was your job to make it a success! Then, master another one until you get what you want – and don’t stop until you get to your goal.
1. Westerterp, Klaas R. “Diet induced thermogenesis” Nutrition & metabolism vol. 1,1 5. 18 Aug. 2004, doi:10.1186/1743-7075-1-5
2. Jäger, Ralf, et al. “International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, BioMed Central, 20 June 2017, doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8.
3. Jeong, Ji Na. “Effect of Pre-meal Water Consumption on Energy Intake and Satiety in Non-obese Young Adults” Clinical nutrition research vol. 7,4 (2018): 291-296.
4. Popkin BM, Barclay DV, Nielsen SJ. Water and food consumption patterns of U.S. adults from 1999 to 2001. Obes Res. 2005;13:2146–2152. [PubMed]
5. University of Chicago Medical Center. (2010, October 5). Sleep loss limits fat loss. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 21, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004211637.htm
6. Li Y, Wang C, Zhu K, Feng RN, Sun CH. Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women. Int J Obes (Lond).
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7. Major, Geneviève C, et al. “Multivitamin and Dietary Supplements, Body Weight and Appetite: Results from a Cross-Sectional and a Randomised Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.” The British Journal of Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17977472.