"WEIGHT-LOSS" and "FAT-LOSS" are two words that are frequently misunderstood. These two, however, are not the same. Weight loss refers to losing the weight of the body which mainly consists of muscle, water, and some amount of fat. But Fat loss refers to losing the fat stored in the body.
Between these two, you should focus on fat loss as it’s healthier for you. But sometimes we set some unrealistic body goals (e.g. six packs abs, round booty, etc.) which disappoint us when we start working on them. The fat loss journey is not a straight road but a hilly road. In this journey, you will face many ups and downs. All you need is patience and consistent effort to continue this journey.
You should always remember that your fat is not going to vanish in 30 days or 3 months. It’s a long journey in which sometimes you have to take some rest also to enjoy this whole process. But before this ask yourself why do you want to do it. If you get a clear picture of your ‘Why’, it will help you keep going on.
Then make a sustainable plan which will help you in the long run. When you start anything, making a plan always boosts your confidence and it doesn’t let you divert easily. In your plan, you should give equal importance to Nutrition and Exercise. These both will play a key role in the 1:1 ratio. We often hear that, in the fat loss journey, exercise bears a value of 30% and nutrition bears 70%. But let me tell you, you should focus on both of these equally i.e. 100%.
So, let’s see some key points to make your fat loss plan.
1. Consume less than your Maintenance Calories
- We know that calorie is the unit of energy. When you do any work, you burn certain calories. So, before starting a fat loss routine, you should know your maintenance calories. Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to maintain your body weight.
- So, it’s obvious that if you want to lose the extra fat, you need to consume fewer calories than your maintenance calories.
- To know this, you can refer to a calorie counter available on Google where you need to put your age, weight, gender, height, and daily activity level and then you will get your maintenance calories.
2. Avoid too much oily food
- Oily foods are generally high-calorie food. So, if you need to lose fat, you need to avoid greasy food.
- It’s impossible to know the exact calories in food but you can know approximate calories in a food from Google.
- Focus on healthy home-cooked food and try to make your meal, so that you will be able to count the approximate calories you are going to consume.
3. Make an Exercise Routine
- As we have already discussed both exercise and nutrition play great roles in your fat loss journey. So, you can join a gym or do exercises at home at your convenience.
- While making an exercise regime it’s important to have a balance between cardio and resistance training. Try to do exercise for 5 days and get 2 days of rest days.
- You can do resistance training by using external weights (e.g: Dumbbell, Kettlebell. Barbell, resistance band, etc.) or by using your bodyweight only.
- For cardio, try to go for a walk or run regularly. Try to complete 7,000 steps and gradually increase it to 10,000 steps.
4. Consume more water
- We know that water cleanses our bodies. Water also takes an important role in your fat loss journey. It boosts your metabolism.
- You should drink a glass of water before 30 minutes of having your meal so that it will restrict you from having more calories.
- If you drink more water it will give a signal to your brain that this person is full. So, your hunger will be controlled.
- It’s recommended to drink 2-3 liters of water daily.
5. Sleep for 7-8 hours peacefully
- When you do exercises, it will cause micro-tears in your muscles. So, if you sleep for 7-8 hours, in this duration muscles will be repaired and you will burn calories also.
- So, try not to use your mobile or laptop at least before 30 minutes of going to bed.
- Try to do meditation regularly which will help you get a peaceful sleep.
6. Consume Proteins according to your weight
- Every cell in our body contains protein. When you do exercises, to repair those wear and tears in your muscles, protein is required. Even if you don’t do exercises protein is a must for your body to do your daily routine.
- So, you can use protein powder or focus on natural food (e.g.: egg, lentil, soya bean, chicken breast, etc.) for protein.
- It’s recommended that an average adult should contain 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of his/her body weight.
- Try to consume your required amount of protein which will help you in your fat loss journey.
7. Avoid sugary drinks
- Sugary drinks(e.g: Soda, Soft drinks, etc) are just empty calories. These drinks just add calories to your daily calorie intake limit without giving you any nutrients.
- These just increase your sugar cravings which are not good for your body in the long run. If you drink tea or coffee, try to take only 1-2 times per day and try to add only 1-2 teaspoons of sugar per cup.
8. Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Fruits contain natural sugars, which are gifts from nature to us. These contain essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and a lot of fibres.
- If you are hungry, instead of binging on chips or any fried food, have an apple or a banana which will satisfy your hunger as and these will help you feel fuller for a long time also.
- Green vegetables are full of fibres and they take time to get digested. So, it will help you not to feel hungry after some time.
9. Set a realistic goal
- Always remember that fat in your body is not get stored overnight. So, you won’t be able to lose it in a few days by doing exercises or eating clean.
- Don’t set a goal to have six-pack abs in a month or get a defined chest in two months. You have to work on it regularly. You have taken your first step towards your fat loss journey.
- It will take time and you will learn a lot of things on this journey. You will fail sometimes also but you will get to learn from your failure also.
- Take a picture of your body before starting your fat loss journey and take another picture while continuing your journey and compare both the pictures. If you eat clean and do exercise regularly, you will notice some results.
10. Be proud of yourself
- Always remember that you are doing great. Try to reward yourself. Have a cheat day once in a while. It will help you continue your journey.
- Try to listen to yourself. Don’t be harsh on yourself. You won’t be able to avoid sugary drinks or oily foods instantly but try to decrease them gradually.
- Take rest when your body needs it but don’t let it stop your journey.
- You are unique and your body will also react differently when you try to lose fat. Don’t compare your progress with others as it will demotivate you. Just try to be consistent and everything will fall into place.
