There are so many different ways you can workout. You can do a combo cardio and weights program, purely resistance training, circuit training, team or individual, and so much more. Every workout style has their benefit, especially if you enjoy it and you keep up with it because you enjoy it. A common question our attendants get in the Fitness Centre is what is the best way to lose weight, more specifically, fat? There are a few things that need to be remembered when it comes to fat loss.
1. There is no spot treatment cure: Just getting rid of fat tissue in a specific area is not possible. The body will pick and choose where and when it will take stored fat from an area. No matter how many core exercises you do, you will just get a six pack underneath the fat tissue unless you do the work required to lose fat.
2. You may or may not get rid of cellulite: even though it seems to affect females more than male, but anyone can develop cellulite and it may be related to genetics. Some people are more likely to develop cellulite, no matter what aesthetically fit they are and no matter what their body composition is. The reason females develop it more than a male is because females have a vertical pattern to their collagen while males have a more honeycomb pattern. The vertical pattern becomes pronounced when fat cells are pushed against the collagen, it is more likely to dimple through the spaces.
3. It is a marathon of consistency: fat loss is all about consistency and being able to stick to the plan that you create yourself or with a fitness professional. The important thing is picking activities or exercises that you enjoy and are more likely to do than committing to something you hate going to.
So, what is the "best recipe" for fat loss?
Calorie deficit + higher protein intake + resistance training = fat loss
There are a few ways you can tackle this. You can try changing everything at once; however, doing too much at once may force your body into a state of panic and are more likely to break your plan. You can try to get one thing consistent, or more consistent, and then move onto the next thing. This is what is most commonly done; someone will focus on working out first then move onto the nutritional side of things or vice versa. There is also a third option as well.
Work on the small steps to get to the better option. For example, a goal to achieve a calorie deficit isn’t just a reduction in the amount you intake. Reduce your intake by 200-300 calories then increase your energy expenditure through more than just working out. Walk more, add in a little bit of a cardio warm up with your sessions, and take walking breaks. These things will add up when considering your calorie deficit. Maybe you want to take a smaller or bigger step, and that’s fine! Decrease your intake by 100 calories and add the cardio, do those for a few weeks with consistency, then take an additional 100 calories out of your plan. This third option allows for a more individualized plan to approaching the very common goal of fat loss because it is based on what you are currently doing then modifying from there.
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