This isn’t about the one secret to dieting or how to lose fat fast. Rather, it is about 3 principles that, if followed, will result in successful fat loss no matter how old you are, how active you are, or what your lifestyle is. 

ONE — A CALORIE DEFICIT

Understanding energy balance is such an important part of managing your nutrition. Energy balance refers to calories in vs. calories out. It may not be the most exciting topic, but it can be pretty darn cool once you realize that it’s the “why” behind any diet you’ve ever attempted in the past. Learning how our eating patterns affect energy balance allows us a deeper understanding of how our body composition, performance, and energy are affected by our diet.

When you cut out entire food groups (Paleo, keto, Atkins, vegan/vegetarian), reduce your eating window (intermittent fasting), cut down intake (cleanses, meal replacement shakes), or track your food (WW, macros, meal plans), you are creating a calorie deficit. It is this calorie deficit that results in weight loss. 

Tailoring your nutrition to your specific goals all boils down to energy balance: good ol’ calories in vs. calories out. Yes, it is more complex than it sounds as there are many ways we expend energy and our expenditure is dependent on so many factors, but it does not change the fact that energy balance determines the changes we see in our body composition and that specific goals determine whether you should be eating in a calorie deficit, at maintenance calories, or in a calorie surplus.

CALORIE DEFICIT | A calorie deficit is when you are burning more calories than you are eating on average. If you have aesthetic goals geared towards losing body fat, a calorie deficit is absolutely essential. Being in a calorie deficit should be a temporary phase; because you are eating less, energy and performance may not be optimal and you may experience some hunger or fatigue.

MAINTENANCE CALORIES | You are at maintenance calories when you are burning as many calories as you are consuming on average. If you want to maintain your weight and focus more on overall health and energy, this is where your focus should be.

CALORIE SURPLUS | A calorie surplus is when you are burning fewer calories than you are eating. Eating in a calorie surplus is absolutely essential if you want to put on any weight, especially if you want to build muscle mass. If you have goals geared towards improving performance you should be eating at maintenance calories or in a surplus depending on your training.

You cannot lose body fat without being in a calorie deficit. If think you are in a deficit and aren’t seeing progress, chances are high that you are actually overestimating your intake or underestimating your movement. In our live class we went through the process of calculating a target calorie range given lifestyle factors and activity level. If you want to take a stab at it, you can grab the replay here.

TWO — ADEQUATE PROTEIN INTAKE

If you have goals tailored towards weight loss, a calorie deficit is all that is necessary. But if your diet is insufficient in protein, that may mean that some of that weight loss is a product of losing lean body mass.

Let’s break that down: 

You can be in a calorie deficit and see the number on the scale decrease, but without eating an adequate amount of protein, your weight loss may be a result of losing muscle mass and bone density in addition to body fat. To maximize fat loss and maintain your lean body mass, you need protein, And this isn’t just important for anyone who wants to look lean or cut, it’s important to your long-term health and longevity (bone density is important, I promise!).

We also took some time to calculate calculate a target protein range for you and your goals so you can check out the replay for direction on how to do that.

THREE — CONSISTENCY

This is it; the big one.

A calorie deficit and adequate protein are essential for fat loss, but they mean pretty much nothing if you are not consistent, and I don’t mean consistent Monday through Thursday with some “cheat meals’ thrown in on the weekends. I mean consistent day to day, week to week,

But here’s the thing:

CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN PERFECTION

You don’t have to nail your calorie deficit or protein target spot on every single day to be consistent. There will be hard days and you will inevitably mess up at points. Consistency is more about minimizing damage by not throwing in the towel and eating the whole pack of Oreos after you already had one too many. It’s about getting back to it the next day with a clean slate rather than waiting for Monday to roll around again. It’s about finding the balance between enjoying your vacation and still working towards your goals. Not perfection, but flexibility and balance and sustainability.

Consistency becomes easier as you create good habits rather than just relying on following a set of rules or restrictions.

The big key to successful fat loss does not come with restrictive diets help you shed 10 pounds in 30 days. The biggest key is creating habits you practice consistently that will allow you to lose body fat and, more importantly, keep it off.

Four — TIMING

I included a fourth key (surprise!) because I believe that timing is so important to any goals we are working towards, but specifically fat loss goals

 A consistent calorie deficit and adequate protein intake will always lead to fat loss. The concept is simple, but that does not mean that the execution is always simple. 

We cannot always be in fat loss mode and always striving to get leaner is detrimental to both our physical and mental health.

Athletes periodize their training - with periods built in for peaking, tapering, recovering, etc. The same should ring true for our nutrition. Fat loss mode is temporary and should be alternated with peiods of maintenance, or even periods of being in a calorie surplus in order to gain strength and fuel performance. 

Timing is important, and successful fat loss is contingent upon knowing that your timing is right. When it is the right time, you can stick to your calorie deficit and protein target and do so consistently so that you can see your hard work pay off. Rather than wavering through a fat loss phase - trying to stay in a calorie deficit but overeating on the weekends and always starting over come Monday - commit to consistency for a period of time (usually 6-12 weeks for a fat loss phase), hit it hard, and then move on focusing on maintaining the progress you’ve made.

 We believe that the best way to achieve your fat loss goals is working with a coach who creates a plan specific to you - your needs, your preferences, and your goals. A sustainable approach to our nutrition is essential to long-term habits and success. For high support coaching and guidance, apply for our 1:1 Nutrition Coaching here.