While everyone is talking about weight loss, losing weight is actually not necessarily what counts. Losing fat is all that matters. If we are talking about health benefits or better body shape, fat loss is what will help us get there.
Weight Loss is Easy, but is it Fat Loss?
Weight loss is easy to achieve. Simply go on a starvation diet and you will lose weight. This is the essence of every low calorie diet, but losing weight by starving yourself will not guarantee that weight loss will actually be achieved from fat loss. How can this be so? Well, when you lose weight following low calorie diet, most of the weight lost will actually come from lost muscle tissue. This will slow down your metabolism, and, in the long run actually lead you to gain more fat than you had at the beginning of your diet.
So What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight?
So, what is the best way to lose fat and preserve muscle tissue, achieving optimal health and ultimate shape? The real answer is in your use of weight training and diet, which is reached in muscle supporting macro-nutrients: high quality protein.
Weight training is the only way to preserve (or build new) muscle tissue and keep your metabolism fast and efficient. By keeping metabolism fast we burn body fat exclusively. In addition, after weight training, you retain a heightened metabolic demand (through muscle repair) for up to 24 hours during your rest period. Clearly, weight training is the best way to force the body to use body fat as an energy source during the time of recovery (rest).
The Answer:
So, when you think about weight loss again, it is best to think about actual fat loss. To maintain a lean physique in the long run, stick to between 4-5 weight training sessions per week and a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.
Nice post! I suppose the problem also is that everyone wants results N-O-W and based on my own experiences, achieving your goals requires a long term game plan.
May I offer one often overlooked observation when it comes to weight loss: Genuinely overweight people sometimes accumulate so much abdominal edema, that losing it alone can make for a noticeable weight loss and shape change, even before they have lost much fat. This is probably the only example where weight loss alone can make some positive difference. Not that people should ever stop at that, especially since reducing the swelling would require all of the above to be followed.
hi guys, i thought i would share my story with you. I speak to nash on twitter and he asked if i would come on here and share so here goes.
I’ve trained on and off since 1998. i used to train in a gym in my grandad’s basement. it was massive and we had made it my own gym. a couple of benches an a multi gym with free weights, i was in heaven.
when i first started to train in 98 i was nearly 19st in weight and a 50″ waist. I was awful and what made matters worse, was my nan who was blind cuddled me one day and as honest as she were she told me the truth. i was fat and would never find a lady ever!i had balloned so much, i had a major car crash (which still effects my knees to this day) eat junk and crap food and got more depressed. so i took action. i busted my ass off for nearly 2 years i had got down to nearly 11st and at one point had a 28″ waist but managed to settle my waist at 32″ i was very happy. then in 2000 my grandad and the ycle started again, i stopped training regular and eat more and more rubbish till i had balloned again. so 4 years ago i decided enough was enough.
i started to train again and kept working my ass off. i brought myself free weights, a bench, a lat pulldown station and i trained both cardio and weights. most likely over training in my eagerness to shed my excess fat.
i had once again gone from a 40/42″ waist down to a 30″ waist and was slim. Then my partner found out she was pregnant. My business was slowly going under, i was having longer nights with little rest and ending up eating the wrong foods again. i was proud that i was to become a dad for the first time,but ashamed that i had let myself go again and how would my my daughter charlie see me.
so in january this year i decided to sort my diet out, get the food ratio’s correct. The problem i have is im an extremely fussy eater im sick at a lot of foods and had gotten my ratio’s wrong in the way i ate protein,fat and carbs.
i started the year full on again 3-4 times a week weight training and doing cardio 5-6 times a week. i slowly started to lose the weight/fat i had gained over the last year.
this isn’t me being paid by him but if he wants to by all means get in touch lol but i brought Nash’s fat loss book to help me with my diet and it helped me no end. I do agree that an excess of carbs and the less i trained whilst waiting for charlie had helped me put on fat and i reduced my carb in take. I cut out all breads white (as i can’t stomach whole grain or brown bread) no bagels,
i switched to eating more egg whites, more fresh vegs and salads and fish aswell. I do tend to find i get bored of just chicken or turkey breast and i love the change fish has made.
I started the year weighing in at 14st 6 lbs with a 40″ waist but as of today (19 july 2011) i weight in at 12st 5lbs and my waist is down to 34 1/2″ i have lost nearly 9% body fat and i thank nash for the little tweek in my diet that is helping me out.