So, you're trying to lose bodyfat? And my guess is that it's not going as smoothly or quickly as you would like?
It's probably due to one, or a few, of the reasons listed below. You're not in a Calorie Deficit
There's no way around it, you must be in a calorie deficit in order to lose weight - whether that's muscle or fat.
So, you either have to burn more calories, consume fewer calories, or both.
Here are the ways I do it:
1. Walk more: Buy a FitBit or other wearable device, set a daily steps goal (6k is a good starting point) and hit that goal every day. Increase the goal every 1-2 weeks (I'm currently on a 117 day streak of 10k steps or more per day). Having a little treadmill in the house helps a lot - I bought mine on Amazon for under $400.
Notice I didn't say jog for hours or do crazy boot camps. You can if you want to, but thye're not necessary. You don't have to even break a sweat. Just walk more. Ideally after every meal. Especially after dinner.
Park at the back of parking lots. Take the stairs. Sit only when eating, commuting, or when winding down for bed. Stay on your feet and always be moving!
2. Eliminate liquid calories: This includes basically anything other than protein shakes and very low-calorie sodas (I love Spindrifts, which are about 10-15 calories each).
Think alcohol, coffee creamers, sweet teas, sodas, sauces, dressings, and even juices. Save them for special occasions, not everyday use (I still drink whiskey, tequila, and beer every few weeks).
They don't do anything to satiate your hunger - in fact, they may make you hungrier. They may be tasty, but in the end they're just extra calories that likely get added to your waistline.
3. Stay full on water, meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables: These are the staples of my diet when cutting bodyfat. They provide me with all of the nutrients my body needs, keep me feeling full (I eat a LOT of veggies), and allow me to sustain a significant (1000+) daily caloric deficit - and since I'm still lifting heavy weights 4x per week I am only losing bodyfat while retaining all my muscle.
NOTE: I said stay full! You shouldn't go hungry in a caloric deficit.
4. Earn your starches: You don't need to eat breads, rice, cereals, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes, or other starches at most meals. When cutting, I only eat them before and after lifting weights: NOT after cardio sessions. Let your body learn to run on the 100k of calories stored in your bodyfat (3500 calories per lb of fat, assuming you have 30 lb of excess bodyfat).
In fact, when I want to bulk up and build muscle I increase my starches. They're great for building muscle! I eat about 500 g more carbs (2000 calories) from starches during a bulk than during a cut. That's about all I change - training stays the same.
Essentially, I'm advocating a lower carb diet for cutting bodyfat. Not one that's extreme like Keto, but still less than you're normally used to eating. It will take a few days to get used to, but you will feel so much better once your body & gut adapt, and you'll finally start to see a drop in bodyfat.
5. Don't eat after dinner: You don't need snacks in the evening. You're not doing anything physically demanding - probably laying around watching Netflix before bed - so those extra snack calories are just being stored as bodyfat while you're sleeping.
If you feel like you need a snack, then make it water, meat, eggs, fruits, or veggies. Not chips, cookies, candies, etc. Speaking of...
6. Get snacks and other junk out of your house: If you can't resist it, then get it out. You'll eat it if it's there, but you're probably not going to drive to the store to buy it due to cravings.
Your kids don't need it either. They should be eating pretty much the same thing as you, just with starches at every meal (kids burn a lot of energy).
Your kids may cry about it, but they'll be much happier and healthier eating this way most of the time (they'll still get sweets and other crap at school, parties, and other events).
You're Overly Stressed
This one surprised me. If I'm stressed or get poor sleep, then I won't burn bodyfat as much as I would otherwise.
How do I know this?
I used Lumen for a year (https://www.lumen.me).
Lumen is a little breathalyzer that tells you if your body is getting energy from burning bodyfat (score 1), carbs (score 5), or both.
I found it to be pretty reliable: if I had a big pasta dinner, I'd score a 5 the next morning.
Most of the time I would score a 3.
What surprised me is that even when I was in a caloric deficit for extended periods, if my sleep was poor or I was stressed (like I was when moving to a new house), I would not score a 1 or 2 as expected.
Stress will make it harder for your body to use fat stores as energy.
So if you want to optimize your body's ability to use fat stores, it will likely take an adjustment in your sleep habits and stress management in addition to maintaining a caloric deficit.
Now keep in mind, you may be able to lose weight through a caloric deficit even with poor sleep and high stress, but that weight is going to be more much muscle than bodyfat.
And that's what leads to a skinny-fat body and eventual weight re-gain.
Remember, the goal is fat loss and muscle retention. That's how you get a lean, muscular physique.
Side note: Lumen costs around $300 and probably won't reveal anything other than what I shared above, so don't go running to purchase one.
Like most weight loss tools, it can be helpful but is completely unnecessary.
Summing it all up...
The longer you follow me the more you'll hear the same message: you must take control of your habits if you want to change your life. Pick one or two and get to work making small changes that you stick to daily.
You must work on improving your strength training, cardiovascular health, mobility, sleep, stress management, daily activity, nutrition, and emotional health to become the best version of yourself.
No one can do it for you. No amount of money will make it happen.
You don't need more information. You need more action.
You must change your identity. Become a new person. A person of action who makes logical choices rather than emotional ones - give yourself what you need more than what you want.
Be a person who makes a plan, commits to it, and executes it with at least 90% adherence for weeks and months. A person who becomes obsessed with the process and only looks at the results in order to adjust and optimize their plan.
You'll find that who you become along the way matters waaaay more than the eventual body you'll achieve in time (which will be lean, muscular, pain free, and a sight to behold if done correctly).
There will never be a perfect time, so quit procrastinating and get started TODAY. Best, Coach Paul
PS - I help people shed bodyfat, build muscle, and feel their best by coaching them to be self-sufficient in fitness. If you'd like help changing your life and body, then book a call and let's chat!
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