Sustainable Weight Loss Strategy For Busy Individuals/ A Science-Based Review + Tips!
Losing weight is one of the main challenges most busy individuals face! Balancing between family & work can sometimes leave very little time for dieting & exercising. However, this doesn’t mean you should give up your weight-loss goals!
This blog will provide a blueprint for sustainable weight loss that does not require you to turn your life upside down! So, without further ado, let's dive deep into the topic!
What does sustainable weight loss really mean?
The best definition of sustainable weight loss would be:"A successfully accomplished weight loss target done in such a manner that allows you to lose the most amount of fat while preserving the most amount of muscle tissue while keeping your basal metabolic rate as high as possible".
Now let me break this definition down for you. When you lose weight with every couple of kilograms you lose your basal metabolic rate also drops. Roughly with every 5-10 kilograms you can expect a 50 calorie drop in BMR. However that rate will vary from person to person depending the age, sex, body composition as well as how much of the weight lost comes from fat and how much comes from lean mass!
To find out more about how weight loss affects BMR click here!
That is why it is essential to maximize fat loss while preserving as much muscle tissue in the process. You might be a bit surprised that I am not talking about muscle gain? Well during weight loss when the body is in a caloric deficit it is highly unlikely that a individual can build muscle unless in very rare cases when that individual is a complete beginner, or someone who has not been exposed to the right stimulus for a long time. So to conclude from a physiological standpoint a caloric deficit is not a favorable state in which you can build muscle efficiently.
Therefore the main objective should be to lose body fat and preserve as much muscle tissue as possible. That you will achieve by giving your body 2 things:
Proper Training Stimulus
Ensuring that you are participating in resistance based training that will give your muscle the needed stimulus that will help you preserve your muscle tissue. A couple of tips to adhere to during your training:
If you are a beginner try to increase training intensity week over week with the objective of getting stronger over time (lifting heavier weights)
If you are an intermediate or advanced lifter during a weight loss phase aim to preserve your strength levels for as long as possible. (realistically you won't be able to get stronger while in a caloric deficit)
Combine resistance based sessions with steady state cardio and make sure that when you train you are putting in a good amount of effort while combining compound movements with isolation exercises!
Be careful with the training volume as you might be tired so having 2 hour sessions would not make sense. Keep intensity high for about 3-4 60min sessions per week, while having a high step count (7-10k steps) on your days off.
Do not attempt any PRs during a weight loss phase (no personal best attempts with 1-2 reps on injury risky compound movements)
Adequate Macronutrient Distribution
You need to ensure that your body is getting all the essential nutrients it needs in adequate amounts.
Protein Intake 1.8-2.2gm per kilogram of your bodyweight
Fat Intake 0.6-0.9gm per kilogram of your bodyweight
Carbohydrate intake, fill up the remainder of your calories
To find out what is protein and what are the best protein sources for you click here!
How to avoid a plateau and keep losing weight?
To lose weight successfully requires a good set of skills and a well distributed utilization of various weight loss tools. Let's put it this way if you use all the tools in your toolbox from day 1 you might initially see exemplary results when it comes to losing weight however in the long run you might hit a dead end. This is because your body has the ability to adjust itself to a certain set of stimuli, that is called homeostasis. That is why working with a fitness professional is always better in the long run as they can curate a long term plan that will account for the slowdown in the BMR, that will allow the utilization of certain tool from the toolbox at an appropriate time to ensure long term success when it comes to weight loss!
Unless you have an important even such as your wedding or you are planning to celebrate your 30,40 or 50 birthday in the best shape of your life there is no need for an extreme approach to weight loss!
So the way I propose you to set your plan is to start with the smallest number of weekly resistance based sessions (2-3 in most cases) and set a target of 5000 steps daily. Based on that calculate your basal metabolic rate add a conservative estimate of the calories you burn during your activities and create a 500 calorie deficit. Prep your own food, or opt for a meal prep company. Stick to the above strictly for 2 weeks, not your weight every morning and after 2 weeks draw the average!
Based on the info you get, the percentage of weight loss achieved you either continue with the same, or you take a look into the toolbox and decide to opt for one of the following tools to intensify your weight loss:
increase daily step count by 1000 steps
increase intensity during your weight sessions + add 15 min cardio post workout
add in a extra session per week
increase your deficit form 500 to 700 calories daily
Now bear in mind that you can utilize all the tools above at the same time, however that would not be advisable if your want to lose weight sustainably over a longer period of time. I would attempt to increase my daily step count first, also I would ensure that I am tracking my calories as precisely as possible, as studies have shown great underreporting in calories by individuals participating in them. I would give myself a week or two to assess my weekly weight loss average and only then proceed adding an additional session and adding in extra cardio, and as last resort I would proceed with reducing my daily calories even further.
Utilize carb/calorie loading days, reverse diets and dieting breaks!
Carb/Calorie Loading Days or Cheat Days
After 2-4 weeks of strict dieting, you might want to increase your calorie intake for 1-2 days in order to provide your body with the needed energy to push through and also keep hunger levels under control while stimulating your metabolism. That absolutely does not mean that you should go all out and consume 5 times more calories than you would do on a normal day, and it also does not necessarily mean that you have to consume fast food like pizza, burgers and ice cream. You can increase calories and carb load by eating clean food by simply doubling your rice intake, having a good healthy pasta or any other healthy and clean meal. If your body really craves some fast food or your favorite dessert no big deal, simply go for it, but still no need to go higher than 2x your usual daily calories.
Reverse diets
There is not clear answer when one must apply a reverse diet. It can happen after 12,16 or 20 weeks of dieting. Most people in the fitness industry recommend it after 12-14 weeks, however that will depend on how your weight loss rate is going, how you feel and what is the long term objective!
A reverse diet basically means a progressive increase in calories over a longer period of time with the objective of bringing up your metabolism with the objective of maintaining your current weight and not gaining back the lost weight, or to prep your body for another 12-14 weight loss plan that will allow you to lose another 6-12 kilograms depending on your objective!
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Dieting breaks
Dieting breaks simply represent a complete break from any type of a specific diet, calorie and macro tracking and is usually utilized to give your body and brain the rest it needs. It is kind of a mental reset and is an important part of a healthy diet that can help your weight loss efforts in the long run. During diet breaks you should indulge a bit in your favorite foods, get a bit naughty without feeling guilty! I recommend dieting breaks during holidays as your daily step count is usually quite high, or if not during holidays during time periods when you can intensify your training activity as you will be getting a lot of fuel for your workouts! Dieting breaks can last from one to two weeks, but be careful if you go all out a lot of damage can be done in just a couple of days, especially if you are planning to be inactive during that period.
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What is a sustainable rate at which you should lose weight?
Successful weight loss journey will highly depend on the rate at which you are losing weight, and to lose weight fast can sometimes be detrimental in the long run. Remember you want to optimize fat loss over muscle loss, you also want to keep your basal metabolic rate as high as possible, you want to have enough fuel to fuel your workouts and day to day activities. When you take that into account I would say that for most bigger individuals, specifically men above 100 kilograms a weight loss rate of 500-1000gm might be good for the first 10-12 weeks, and if looked at a 24 week time frame if it averages at about 500 grams is a pretty decent weight loss rate!
Now if we are talking about a petite female whose basal metabolic rate is only 1100-1200 calories a healthy weight loss rate would be somewhere at around 200-250gm per week. Getting more than that would require extreme weight loss efforts with might result in significant muscle loss and a quick drop in the resting metabolic rate!
To find out more about our clients success stories click here!
Common mistakes when trying to lose weight and how to fix them
Most frequent mistakes people make are that they don't have a clearly set course of action with set short and long term goals. Another mistake people make is that they are unaware of any of the science behind weight loss and therefore are unable to have tracking methods in place to assess their progress and adjust accordingly.
A fix for the first problem is to have a plan that will include both short (weekly or bi weekly) and long term goals (8-12 weeks). That will allow you to measure your success in the short term, while also keeping an eye on bigger picture.
For the second mistake, it would be best to have a consultation with a qualified fitness professional who can guide you in the right direction! There are so many different options out there from in person training to online training and everyone can find something that will fit their listeyle, exercise habits and budget! A professional can teach you the science behind weight loss. Working with a professional will allow to learn how and when to utilize all the strategies we spoke above, not use all your disposable tools at once and get fantastic long term results! To find out how we at Fortius Dubai can help you reach your fitness objectives click on the button below!
Conclusion
As you can see losing weight is possible with a combination of resistance training, solid amount of daily steps and a balanced diet! By following the steps we covered in this article you will be able to create a sustainable and safe rate of weight loss and you will have a higher change of maintaining your weight loss for a longer period of time. To learn more about the science behind training, nutrition and how we can help you at Fortius Dubai, have a look at our services and blog below!
