How to Lose Body Fat: What I Wish I’d Known Before Attempting to Lose Weight

How to lose body fat, I wish that was the question I had asked myself instead of being so focused on the scale. Watching that number like a hawk, listening to my mom talk about her weight and thinking that number meant something...sigh.

I tend to buck the trends and do things my own way.

Maybe it’s being an only child, but I’ve always been a bit stubborn and in some cases that serves me really well! Like not following a diet plan and learning to how to lose body fat in a way that I’ve easily maintained for over 15 years (and yes I still have chocolate daily and pizza Friday).

People tend to look at me skeptically when I say all this running started because I was chubby and felt like nothing was working to drop that “baby fat”. Because most people who know me now, don’t believe I ever looked any different…but I did and I felt different.

It actually started before that first run, instead of gaining the Freshman 15, I lost it.

Like I said, I do things MY way.Of course, I lost the weight using the limited knowledge of a college kid…eat whatever you want as long as your end of day calories are less than what you burn. Lunch time meals of ice cream, cereal and nut butter….so many sandwiches….rarely a veggie.

What helps to lose body fat, all of these things and I wish I’d known that.

How to Lose Body Fat

Over the years, my body has continued to change as I’ve reduced my body fat percentage and found ways to easily maintain the 10 inches I lost off my waist. I have no idea what my body fat was back then, but I know 35lbs is just a small marker, those 10 inches are far more representative of how my body changed.

I’ve still got body goals because my personality trends towards always improving, but mostly I’m so proud of finding techniques that make it easy to maintain!

I’ve learned from so many amazing teachers what really matters when it comes to a weight loss program. Looking back, if I’d known many of these on day 1 fat loss would have happened a lot easier and without so much stress.

#1 A Lose Body Fat Diet Isn’t Just Calories

Of course calories matter, but once my focus shifted to eating the gold standard of 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies daily my relationship to food changed!

• It wasn’t bad food or off limits, it was a focus on what I could eat.
• It also gave me more energy and made me feel full!! Who the heck likes to feel hungry all the time?!
• It also helped me shift to a focus of eating more protein.
• Protein helped me to feel full, improved my run recovery and prevented me from losing muscle with lots of distance running.

Instead of an overhaul to my eating, which I couldn’t sustain I made baby steps and those steps continued to add up to a new way of eating and a lifestyle.

•  Tips on how to easily eat more vegetables >>
• Ideas for high protein breakfasts >>
• Ideas for high protein lunch bowls >>
• Why protein matters for weight loss >>

Circa 1998 when I was probably at my highest weight…but also had the best hair ever, why is it under that ugly hat?!

If you are UNDER EATING that can cause your body to hold on to fat.

So don’t believe that continually cutting calories is sustainable or the long term goal. No one wants to live that way and your body will rebel compromising your health and your ability to enjoy life.

A few good resources:

• How to fix your metabolism
• Understanding the female athlete triad – if you think you are under eating read this

#2 How to Lose Belly Fat – Better Digestion

Listen, I’m not a prude, but we didn’t talk about bathroom habits growing up and it’s not really a major discussion now. However, if you aren’t going regularly that could be part of why you aren’t losing weight and body fat!

Most of us don’t realize that our digestion could be sluggish from:

• years of low fiber
• too much processed food
• dehydration
• food sensitivities we don’t know about (this was my major issue)

Working with a functional medicine doctor, I added in a high quality Probiotic and Digestive Enzyme.

Immediately, I noticed a difference in how my stomach felt, which went towards reducing bloating that was making me look heavier than I was! Yup taking out some foods that bugged me and adding in those two things didn’t change my weight, but made me LOOK 10LBS lighter in my belly.

Crazy.

Studies have shown us that our digestion not only impacts our weight, but our mood, our skin, our energy and so much more. It’s simply not something you can ignore on this journey.

Read more: How digestion impacts our total health >>

A few other tips to help your digestion:

• Add in fermented foods – kimichi, kombucha or even apple cider vinegar in a smoothie
• Chew your food – seriously you all eat too fast
• Drink plenty of water to help food move through the system
• Cook your food – test this out, for me cooked veggies work so much better in my system

After maintaining 35lb #weightloss for 10 years, the tips she wished she knew sooner! Click To Tweet

#3 Burn Fat Workouts

Calories in and calories out, like I said that’s all I knew as a teenager.

When I started losing weight, I lived and died by this rule…so of course if I wanted to hit that college party with late night pizza I needed to run an extra couple miles.

Does running help to lose body fat?

Yes. Of course, it can burn a lot of calories.

You can do long workouts that teach your body to use fat or you can do high intensity intervals to increase your total calorie burn….but running without strength training is a recipe for disaster. I would absolutely have hit my body fat goals sooner by adding in strength training.

Certain workouts can indeed help with fat loss, but you cannot outrun a bad diet. And if you think running MORE miles is the quickest way to get results, you might be surprised to find many first time marathon runners gain weight.

• Learn how to do long steady state fat burning exercises
• Include SHORT intense interval workouts
• Absolutely do NOT skip strength training
• Building muscle will help to shape your body

You cannot spot reduce. Fat loss exercises are going to reduce fat from your entire body, so don’t believe any hype around one specific area and we all lose it differently…unfortunately for women it’s often first from the boobs.

If you, like me, prefer running to the gym then check out this Secrets to running for weight loss >>Kelly is so spot on…especially during a marathon!!

Workout to Burn Fat?

Over time, numerous studies have shown that a combination of cardio and strength can be most effective if you are trying to lose body fat fast. As I said previously, my preference is to run and do strength training separately, but that may not be what you want to do!

Find a plan.
Follow it.
This works.

• BeachBody On Demand is an easy way to get a trainer in your home, many of the workouts are INTENSE, so please don’t over do it. Injuries slow down your progress.
• Les Mills On Demand also provides a TON of workouts that will give you a lot of  variety which keeps the body guessing and yup that too helps with body fat
• If you’re a runner looking for a plan, we create them as part of our customized online run coaching program.

#4 Body Fat, Not Weight

I really, really wish I’d known sooner to focus on measuring body fat and not the scale.

Because the scale was my go to measurement, I absolutely lost a lot of muscle mass during the years post college which would have helped me to create more of the body shape that I wanted and of course made me stronger, fitter and healthier..

I couldn’t understand my results compared to others when they would tell me their weight. It was frequently above mine, yet they looked so fit and strong. Ah ha…body fat.

Another tool which has been extremely helpful for me is to measure my waist size. It gives me an instant look at whether I’m eating something that disagrees with me because I’ll be a bit bloated. In other words, find a pair of jeans or pick a running speed, but measure progress in ways that aren’t scale related.

Read More:
Understanding body fat measurements and what it means >>
How to maintain muscle mass while marathon training >>

#5 Camera Angles to Appear Thinner

A lot of Instagram and magazine photos of fitness models are created through angles, lighting and editing.

• Have you seen the consistent outcry from more celebrities about photos being retouched? It’s been happening FOREVER and we didn’t realize just how intensely.
• Turning to the side is more flattering on everyone.
• The right lighting absolutely can eliminate shadows that make you look thinner.

Of course most of these people start out beautiful, but a little twist to the camera and tuck of the hips makes the waist look smaller or the butt rounder. No big deal, but important to know if you are judging yourself against others.

Shoot I’m not above learning those tricks myself! I know that I have a very straight body, no curves…so a little side turn and suddenly I feel thinner.

Nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward, but KNOW that everyone else is doing it too!!!Circa 2013 while living in Miami and having finally learned about food allergies causing my bloating. In all fairness, catch me on another day in the same suit, at the same weight and I’d likely delete any photo that appeared.

Body love is an ongoing process, but when I’m running and eating well I FEEL good no matter what the scale says!

#6 Body Comparison

While I might be looking at a friend’s six pack and thinking “ugh I can only wish“, she’s looking at my legs thinking “why the hell can’t I get that definition“. While I’m thinking “oh man her hair is so shiny and bouncy“, she’s thinking “how does she naturally have such perfect cupid lips?!”

In other words, we want what we don’t have.

It’s part of what drives us in good ways to better ourselves, but also a reminder that we need to celebrate the good in us and not try to force our bodies to do things they simply don’t want to. I have WANTED those perfect abs for years and maybe I’ll get them…but in the meantime, I’m spending more hours focusing on what’s already good about my body.

And just as importantly, what IT CAN DO!!!

Read More: Understanding Body Composition >>

# 7 What to eat to lose body fat?

One area I want to touch on again is eating protein at breakfast!

A piece in Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Body stuck with me when it came to morning routines.

Research shows that a protein-rich breakfast {he recommends 30 grams} – rather than a carb- and fat-filled one – will keep you fuller longer and helps promote weight loss.

I’m always up for testing things to see what works for me, as I believe we are all an experiment of 1!!

Initially I was eating a full breakfast upon waking, but that just never jived well with my need to run and preference to not hurl during the run. However, the protein was 100% kicking my sugar cravings and I wasn’t hungry later in the day.

Now I follow a light intermittent fasting protocol, which means I will have some protein powder withing 30 minute of waking, then more post working. This has been helpful for me as a distance runner trying to maintain muscle and not eat the entire kitchen.

Read more: 97 high protein breakfast ideas >>

#8 How do I feel?

Wait…food makes me feel a certain way?!

Once I realized that eggs were part of what was making my stomach hurt every day, I had no trouble clearing them out. Of course beyond the physical feelings are the more common emotional feelings!!! We have so much emotion tied to food because it’s used for celebrations throughout our lives!

That’s ok!

But what I know for a fact is I will slip in to saying things like “I feel fat” after a few days of eating foods that are heavy, processed or yup filled with that dairy which makes me so bloated. Knowing now that much of my body image is related to how I feel about what I’m feeding myself, makes it super easy to stay focused on veggies, quality proteins and healthy snacks.

#9 Weight Loss Maintenance Isn’t Hard

Everyone tells you that losing weight is the easy part and maintaining SOOOOOO hard.

I’ll be blunt, this is hogwash. The reason you’re friends are bemoaning maintenance is because they followed a STRICT diet, instead of creating a new lifestyle that they love.

It took me years, not months to lose the weight. BUT after that I’ve kept it off without any fuss for 10+ years. Even going through pre-mature ovarian failure, moving repeatedly to new cities, lots of travel round the world and well just not being 20 anymore, I haven’t struggled.Why doesn’t it work like this?!

And of course I hope at then end of the day, that even if years from now the scale does start to creep back up, I can look at myself and still feel confident because I’m choosing to run, to eat well and to surround myself with awesome friends.

Anything you’ve learned from losing weight?

Have you easily maintained weight?

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