What does it take for Fat Loss?

Fat loss and Weight loss are two different terms. Fat loss is losing fat mass from our body alone whereas weight loss can be either of or sum of fat loss, water loss, and muscle loss. The goal should be to preserve as much muscle mass as possible while losing fat.

Usually on Crash diets or people who claim to help you lose lots of weight in a few days/weeks time, are a result of water + fat + muscle. Unfortunately for them, due to muscle loss, their metabolism also goes down very quickly. Now when they get back to their original eating habits, they gain back their previous weight if not more.

To avoid this,

1. It is recommended to create small caloric deficit (200–300 below our TDEE) and not going below BMR for longer period of time. This will ensure sustainability with your fat loss journey and ensure not a lot of muscle is being lost.

2. To preserve muscle mass, along with a small deficit, resistance training is necessary. Not cardio, but any form of resistance training (bands, dumbbells, bars or household equipment). Additional step counts and movements will also aid in burning energy.

3. The above two things coupled with adequate protein (anywhere from a minimum of 1.4–2.2 grams / Kg of your Bodyweight depending on your goal (out of scope for this topic)

4. Sleep plays another vital role for fat loss. Studies suggest reduced sleep directly hampers your progress to a large extent. Recommended sleep duration is 7–9 hours for an adult.

Please note that every individual is different. What works for me, may not work for someone else. But the simple science of Caloric Deficit is the baseline. Rate of fat loss, Total calorie intake is highly variable and subjective. Certain individuals may lose weight/fat faster some may lose slowly. Some can drop weight at 2500 calories and others may find it difficult at even 1500. So focus on what works best for you and not someone else.

The following research articles may help you read the above mentioned points in further detail.

1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.07.013 (Sleep and Obesity)
2. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.10093 (Sleep and Obesity)
3. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/31.5.619 (Sleep and Obesity)
4. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2004.10719435 (Protein intake during Caloric Deficit)
5. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.119339 (Protein intake during Caloric Deficit)
6. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2016/fo/c5fo01530h (Protein intake during Caloric Deficit)