How to Lose Weight (Body fat)
Understand this one equation to lose weight.
CI - CO = WL, WG, or M (explanation below)
Everyone, at some point, will want to or need to lose weight, more accurately body fat.
It’s a deep rabbit hole of why this is the case but considering:
7.7% of US adults are severely obese
39.6% are obese
31.6% are overweight
This is the reality we face.
Weight loss is a simple process most don’t understand.
Calories in(CI) - Calorie out(CO) = Weight loss(WL), Weight gain(WG), or Maintenance(M)
There are nuances but when you apply this scientific process, you can lose weight and keep it off.
So what is it?
Calories In Calories Out: Simple Science of Losing Weight
It’s a simple way to describe..
The amount of energy you consume, calories in..
And the amount of energy your body uses, calories out..
These are the ways your body uses energy:
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) 70% - most basic life sustaining functions (breathe, pump blood, grow and repair cells, maintain body temperature, etc…)
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) 15% - walking, doing chores, fidgeting, daily activity that’s not exercise
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) 10% - energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) 5%- intentional movement to improve your physical strength, stamina and endurance
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR) 70% - most basic life sustaining functions (breathe, pump blood, grow and repair cells, maintain body temperature, etc…)
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) 15% - walking, doing chores, fidgeting, daily activity that’s not exercise
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) 10% - energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food
- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) 5%- intentional movement to improve your physical strength, stamina and endurance
When you consume more calories than the calories your body uses…
You will gain weight from a calorie surplus.
When your body uses more calories than the calories you consume…
You will lose weight from a calorie deficit.
If calories in is 10 and calories out is 10 that equals 0, you maintain your weight.
If calories in is 10 and calories out is 5, that equals +5, you gain weight
If calories in is 10 and calories out is 15, that equals -5, you lose weight
The reason people gain weight is a combination of:
- Calories In - eat more calories than their body use, these calories usually come from food you can easily overeat (highly processed foods containing fat and carbs)
- BMR - poor sleep and less lean body mass leads to a dysfunctional or lower basal metabolic rate
- NEAT - not being active enough from sitting most of the day
- TEF - eating food that’s lower in TEF like highly processed carbs and fat
- Exercise - not exercising or exercising sporadically
How can you use this equation to start losing weight?
How to Lose Weight with Calories In, Calories Out
Simple, we’ll do the opposite of what people do to gain weight.
Calories In
- Gain weight - eat more calories than their bodies use, these calories usually come from food you can easily overeat (highly processed foods containing fat and carbs)
- Lose weight - eat less calories than your body uses. Start with one of the three: Calorie Restriction, Dietary Restriction, Time Restriction
- Calorie Restriction - limit how many calories you eat daily
- Dietary Restriction - limit highly processed, high calorie, low filling foods (likely leading to lower calories)
- Time Restriction - limit when you can eat within a day (likely leading to eating less food/calories)
BMR
- Gain weight - poor sleep and less lean body mass leads to a dysfunctional or lower basal metabolic rate
- Lose weight - 7-9 hours with similar sleep and wake time, increase lean body mass and muscle mass
NEAT
- Gain weight - not being active enough from sitting most of the day
- Lose weight - increase activity like walking throughout the day, start with 8,000-10,000 steps daily
TEF
- Gain weight - eating food that’s lower in TEF like highly processed carbs and fat
- Lose weight - prioritize food with higher TEF like protein and whole foods with fiber
Exercise
- Gain weight - not exercising or exercising sporadically
- Lose weight - exercise consistently to strengthen your body overtime, not as an attempt to ‘work off’ overconsuming calories
It’s as simple as making small changes in each category over time.
But people fail when they:
- Try to take shortcuts
- Try to do too much at once
- Focus mostly on one category
Common Mistakes When Trying To Lose Weight
Most mistakes happen when you only focus on one part of the equation.
1. Too few calories
This is where we add some nuance.
Some people see the equation above and think…
“If I eat very little to create a huge calorie deficit, I’ll lose weight even faster!”
Basically starve.
While technically true, you also lose weight your body needs.
You lose lean body mass(LBM) and muscle mass(MM) along with body fat.
LBM and MM make up your basal metabolic rate (basic life sustaining functions)
While these starving diets “work” short term, in the long term:
- It encourages the habit of overeating, then starving (yo-yo dieting)
- You have low energy and strength to function normally
- It stops working as your health declines
The goal is to lose body fat, not LBM and MM.
2. Too much exercise
Many people have a hard time changing what they eat so they try to “burn more calories” with exercise.
The problem is, either the exercise doesn’t use enough calories..
Or they workout so hard, frequently or for a long time that it’s not sustainable.
It’s true, athletes that workout intensely use up a lot of calories.
But they also dedicate their lives to:
- recovery
- excellent sleep
- high quality food
- massage & tissue care
- frequent doctor visits & supervision
- and countless other injury preventions
And they’re still likely to get injured!
The goal is to exercise safely and progress gradually to build your strength and health, not just burn calories.
3. CICO without focus on nutrients
Here’s another important nuance.
Simply reducing your calories is a good place to start, especially if you eat a lot of fast food and junk food.
But food is more than just calories, it also provides nutrients for your body to repair, rebuild and replenish.
You’ll soon need a balance of protein, carbs, fat and a variety of foods with vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy and strong.
For example, not eating enough protein leads to loss in lean body mass(LMB) and muscle mass(MM).
The goal is to reduce calories to lose weight, but eat enough protein to maintain/build LMB and MM.
This doesn’t mean you have to change everything all at once.
Change in small steps, as seen below.
Time for Action
So where do you start?
Making changes in all five categories can seem overwhelming..
So start with just one.
Level 1: Start with One Habit
“What is something simple you can start today?”
- Calories in (how much food you eat)
- BMR - Raise your Basal Metabolic Rate (better sleep + increase lean mass)
- NEAT (move or walk more)
- TEF (eat more protein and wholes foods with fiber)
- Exercise (start with something you already know how to do or find guidance like we provide at Dare Strength)
I recommend clients choose one that’s simple and will have a big impact.
Referring to this image, increasing BMR would have the biggest impact but this takes time.
So you can start with..
- Calories In - If you’re eating way too much junk and snacks, eating less
- Improving and increasing sleep to 7-9 daily would help with BMR function
- NEAT - If you’re walking under 3,000 steps per day, increasing your steps and overall activity
Track your daily actions but also track your progress with a few metrics.
Even if your body weight doesn’t drop quickly... you can measure other changes…
Like how you look in the mirror, how your clothes fit or how strong you feel.
Habits can form in 1-2 weeks for some, while it takes 1-2+ months for others.
You might need to try different approaches, but anyone can create habits
*(getting support from a coach can help apply different methods to create these habits)
When you’re consistent with your first habit, it’s time to add another.
Level 2: Stacking Habits
When you’re confident your first habit is 80% automatic…
Include the next two lowest hanging fruits mentioned in Level 1:
- Calories In
- BMR - Sleep
- NEAT - Daily Steps
Succeeding in simple habits like these can give you the confidence to continue pushing for the next habit.
But some people benefit from starting a new action to kickstart their motivation.
- TEF - eat more protein and wholes foods with fiber
- Exercise - start a strength training program
Don’t forget to continue the lowest hanging fruits with these new habits.
Whether it's an exercise program or dietary changes, making it manageable is key.
Level 3: Maintain and Optimize
You reach level 3 when you’re consistent with each category:
- Calories in - reach your goal body weight and body fat or you’re managing the process easily
- BMR - sleep 7-9 hours regularly and are increasing your LBM + MM
- NEAT - get 8-10 thousand steps daily
- TEF - regularly eat more protein and wholes foods with fiber throughout the day
- Exercise - train 2-4 days per week with a strength training program and are noticeably getting stronger with good technique
Once you reach your target body weight and body fat..
Find your maintenance calories and include better quality food with vitamins and minerals.
Your next step is to improve each category, again one at a time.
You can celebrate your achievements but until these actions become second nature…
Continue to build the strength of these habits to maintain all your hard work.
The difference between short term vs. long term weight loss is finding a program and guidelines that you can sustain.
RECAP
Calories in(CI) - Calorie out(CO) = Weight loss(WL), Weight gain(WG), or Maintenance(M)
Calories in(CI) = lower than your calorie out and include protein + fiber rich whole foods
Calorie out(CO) =
- BMR - sleep 7-9 hours regularly and increase your LBM + MM (exercise + protein)
- NEAT - get 8-10 thousand steps daily + move more
- TEF - eat more protein and wholes foods with fiber
- Exercise - train 2-4 days per week with a strength training program
Improve all five categories but take action starting with one or two to make it manageable.
If you feel hesitant to start on your own, you can benefit from the guidance of a coach.
And that’s exactly what we do at Dare Strength, check out our programs and contact us while your motivation is high.
If you’re not local to Dare Strength, I can help you remotely with online coaching.
