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.

My Journey to Sustainable Weight and Fat-Loss

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.

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.

What Is Body Fat And Why Is It Important?

Moderation is the name of the game when it comes to body fat. Many of us are so obsessed with losing body fat, that we fail to realize how some body fat is actually good for us!

In order to have a healthy, properly functioning body we need to have a certain amount of body fat in our bodies.

Too much fat in the body is associated with a wide array of health problems such as an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and even cancer.

But at the same time, having too little body fat can be just as problematic.

The problems associated with having low body fat include:

• Weak immune system
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Nervous system damage
• Poor concentration
• Hair loss
• Low body pressure
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Dental and gum problems
• Muscle cramps while running
• Female Athlete Triad

Why Is Some Body Fat Healthy For Us?

Fat plays a key role in regulating our hormones, helping with our immune function, body temperature, reproduction, and even nutrient absorption.

As a result of this, some body fat is healthy for us for the following reasons:

• It helps balance our hormone levels
• It helps to regulate our body temperature
• It results in good reproductive health
• It helps with proper brain and nerve functioning
• It assists in having a healthy metabolic rate
• It helps us store vitamins and other nutrients from the food we eat

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

What Is The Different Between Essential Fat, Subcutaneous Fat, And Visceral Fat?

Not all types of fats in our body are the same. In general, body fat is a type of tissue in our bodies. There are three main types of them, namely essential fats, subcutaneous fats, and visceral fats.

Essential Fat

Essential fat, as the name suggests, is the type of fat that is absolutely necessary for our survival and health. It is found in the nerves, brain, bone marrow, and the membranes around our organs.

This type of fat helps provide insulation in our bodies to help keep us warm and protects and cushions our organs. It’s also the type of fat that allows us to absorb certain types of vitamins.

Subcutaneous Fat

Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat we talk about when we’re referring to losing body fat. It’s the fat that lies directly underneath our skin’s surface. This is the type of fat that’s visible to us and that we see jiggle when we move.

When we lose this type of body fat, it helps us get leaner and more fit. As a result, we drop dress sizes, look firmer, and get slimmer.

Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is a deep type of fat that is stored around our major organs such as the liver, heart, and pancreas. It’s also the fat stored inside our abdomens.

While most of us probably want to focus on reducing subcutaneous fat, this fat poses a far bigger problem to our health. This is what leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancers.

What’s troubling about this type of fat is that it’s biologically active, and so can produce hormones and other types of substances that affect our health. It’s also linked to insulin resistance and metabolic diseases. For all these reasons, it can shorter our lifespan.

What Is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?

So now that we know that not all types of fat are bad for us, we know that our bodies need a certain percentage of fat to stay healthy and maintain proper functioning.

The health fat percentage ranges for men and women vary greatly due to the difference in both the sexes. Let’s look at what these ranges are

Healthy Body Fat Range for Women: 21 to 35%

Healthy Body Fat for Men: 8 to 24%

Now, these are the healthy body fat ranges. Every person’s body is different, and these ranges will differ depending on your body type and age.

However, there are certain percentages that are considered ‘essential’ body fat ranges. For men, 2 to 5% body fat is considered essential while for women it’s 10 to 13%.

Athletes tend to have lower body fat, while still remaining quite healthy. But for the average person, these are good ranges to start off with and to keep in mind.

Body Fat Percentage vs. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Many people confuse BMI (Body Mass Index) with body fat percentage and use this interchangeably.

There’s actually a big difference between the two, and how it will affect your fat loss journey. Especially as it appears to be less and less accurate the more muscle mass that you have.

BMI is a pretty well-known concept that has been around for a while. It’s mainly a way to figure out if you’re at a healthy weight for your height. Therefore, BMI takes into account your sex, height, and weight to determine if you’re at a healthy weight.

This, however, does not give you a complete picture of your body composition.

A good way to look at this would be to consider bodybuilders – they often weigh more, but have a great body composition.

This is because muscle is denser and takes us less space than fat. So, although your weight might be low, having a high body fat will not give you that lean appearance you’re after.

So, in order to be lean and look your best you have to focus on your body fat percentage.

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

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, not weight.

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 >>

Sustainable Approach to Fat Loss: The Three Most Important Things

Losing fat is not just about the calories or the workouts. In the past decade of coaching, I’ve learned that sustainable fat loss is a combination of three things:

1. What you eat
2. The types of physical activities you partake in
3. Your lifestyle and mindset

Exclude any of these three things and it just won’t be sustainable or healthy for you in the long run.

15 Tips to Lose Fat Sustainably

Concentrating on each of these three areas is essential to fat loss that stays off! Follow my top 15 tips and that fat should melt right away from your body.

I’ve broken down all these tips into these three major areas so you know exactly how it’ll affect you and what to focus on:

#1 A True Lose Body Fat Diet Is About More than 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 >>

#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)
• understand the value of probiotics for women

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

Probiotics are a type of good and beneficial bacteria found in your digestive tract. They help improve our digestive system in many ways.

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 Have a High Protein 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!! So yes, you need to figure out how to fuel pre-run and get in good protein after the workout.

In general, try and eat a high-protein diet. This will help boost your body’s overall metabolism and help you retain muscle mass.

What’s even better is that it increases diet-induced thermogenesis, which is the burning of calories from digestion.

And like I said, it’ll help you stay full for longer which will result in overall less calorie intake!

Read more:
97 high protein breakfast ideas >>

#4 Incorporate More Fiber

Fiber helps us feel full since it moves slowly through our digestive system. It takes longer for it to digest than protein, carbs, and sugars.

It’s also great at reducing stubborn fat around the belly and leads to a healthy gut.

Foods that are high in fiber include:

• fruits
• veggies
• nuts and seeds
• beans and lentils
• whole grains such as whole wheat, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, and oats

#5 Timing of Refined Carbs

Refined carbs are heavily processed foods that have been stripped of their nutrients and fibers.

They tend to be foods that digest quickly and, as a result, often encourage us to eat more. I mean who doesn’t want more brownie after that last bite of brownie…just me?!

These types of foods also tend to be high on the glycemic index, resulting in high sugar levels in the body.

When excess glucose enters the blood, it provokes the hormone insulin. This promotes fat storage in the adipose tissue in our bodies and contributes to weight gain by increasing visceral fat in our bodies!

Refined carbs like white bread and rice are NOT EVIL.

• They are really great tools as runners to fuel your workouts
• Try to use them as pre-workout or post workout foods
• During those times your body is primed to utilize the carbs for fuel in your muscles
• And during those times it will prevent stomach upset

I don’t believe in having foods that are off limits, it’s not sustainable.

I enjoy pizza Friday EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

It’s just a meal that I love, not an every single meal kind of thing.

#6 Give Up the Sodas

If you want to lose fat in your body, you have to say bye-bye to all the sugary drinks!

Regularly having sodas, frappuccinos, fruit juices etc you’re adding a ton of empty calories to your body. Sorry, yes even the green juices we like to think are healthy, many Registered Dietians avoid due to high sugar.

These calories just keep piling on without giving your body any nutrients – hence why they’re called empty calories!

Alcohol is another drink that’s high in calories. Unfortunately, all these types of drinks are also linked to increased belly fat.

What to drink instead?

• Water with a slice of lemon
• Iced green tea
• Hot tea
• Black coffee
• The occasional stevia sweetened drink

If you feel that it’s difficult to give them up, I totally get it.

Sugar is addictive and can affect our brain pathways just like addictive drugs do! Start slowly by switching out one drink a day for a healthier alternative instead.

Slowly, but surely, your habits will start changing and your body will adjust.

#7 Check to See How You 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.

#8 Stop Under-Eating

If you tend to undereat, stop right now!

Undereating can cause your body to hold on to fat. This is because if you keep eating very little calories, your body enters ‘starvation mode’ which makes it hold onto the fat as a source of energy because your body feels it won’t know when it’ll next get its source of energy (i.e. food!).

It will also slow down your metabolism and lead to many health issues in the long run!

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

#9 Do Strength Training

Strength training (also known as resistance training) can be anything from lifting weights to using your body weight in a yoga pose.

Weight-training leads to reduced visceral fat – remember that pesky internal belly fat? Yes, that one!

Some of the most significant fat loss occurs by combining strength training, nutrition and running.

• With strength training, you’ll build muscles that will change the shape of your body, making you look leaner
• Increasing the amount of muscle in your body will burn more calories at rest
• Muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass.
• Your metabolic rate increases after a strength-training session, meaning you’ll still be burning calories hours after a workout
• Building muscle helps decrease abdominal (visceral) fat
• Most importantly for runners it lowers your risk of injury, which means consistently training for lasting results

And be prepared for a better overall mood and self-esteem!!

#10 Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training is a form of exercise that combines quick bursts of activity with short recovery periods of low-intensity periods to keep your heart rate elevated.

HIIT is an incredible way of losing fat in your body and expends more calories in shorter periods of time, compared to other forms of exercise.

Running is option to incorporate HIIT.

• Warm up for 10 minutes with easy jogging
• Sprint for 30 seconds (recommend running uphill for new runners to prevent straining)
• Recover with 1-2 minute walk
• Repeat 8 times
• Easy 10 minute cool down jog

11. Other Types of Workouts to Burn Fat

Over time, numerous studies have shown that a combination of cardio and strength is most effective if you’re trying to lose body fat fast.

As I said previously, my preference is to run and do strength training as separate workouts, but that may not be what you want to do! You can do a combo of the two at places like Orange Theory.

A few more ideas of where to find combo workouts:

• BeachBody On Demand is an easy way to get a trainer in your home, many of the workouts are INTENSE, so please don’t overdo 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.
  

12. Increase Your NEAT

NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis and means all the calories you burn just by doing every activities such as cooking, cleaning around the house, taking out the trash etc.

You might not think this matters at all, but it all adds up in the end!

In the same way, spending too much time on the couch or living a sedentary lifestyle can increase fat accumulation in your body.

Low levels of NEAT are widely associated with obesity.

And so, look for little lifestyle changes you can do to add more day-to-day physical activity into your life.

This could be taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator or parking your car at the far end of the parking lot – regardless, all these little activities add up in the end towards fat loss.

Lifestyle and Mindset

We’ve covered two really important things to consider during your fat-loss journey, i.e. what you eat and your physical activities.

But having the right mindset while creating a new lifestyle is essential to losing fat and keeping it off! Let’s look at my top tips for fat loss through lifestyle and mindset management:

13. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is incredibly important for not only your overall health, but also for your fat-loss goals!

Research shows that at least 7 hours of sleep is ideal for healthy weight management.

When we don’t sleep enough, it can alter our hunger hormones and lead to an increased risk of weight gain.

Stick to a regular sleeping schedule to promote better sleep! Try to avoid caffeine in the hours before hitting the sack and keep electronics away from yourself for a few hours before you plan on sleeping.

Read More:
Natural Sleep Aids >>

14. Find Ways to Manage Your Stress Levels

When we’re under stress, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol raises our blood pressure, negatively affects our immune system and can also lead to weight gain!

Stress is, unfortunately, inevitable at some point or the other. So it’s important to find ways to manage our levels of stress better.

Some great ways to manage stress:

• meditating
• doing yoga (restorative, not another intense workout)
• reading a book (to practice just sitting still!)
• talking with a friend
• indulging in your favorite hobbies

Find what’s right for you, and make sure to make it a part of your new lifestyle!

Read More:
Cortisol and Weight Gain >>

15. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

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!

Remember Social Media is Curated

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!

How to Maintain Your Weight Loss (Hint: It 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.

That is the key to maintaining your weight loss: create a new lifestyle for yourself! Incorporate all of my tips from this post and create new habits that fit you and the life you live.

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 around 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 the 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.

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

Other ways to connect with Amanda
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Facebook Community Chatter: RunToTheFinish

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