We know to lose body fat you must expend more energy (calories out) than you consume (calories in) from food on a daily basis over the course of time in order to create a calorie deficit. So is there a way we can work it from both sides? Absolutely! By focusing on the 3 components of metabolism listed in the article, and here’s how:
1) Your resting metabolic rate is mostly determined by your fat free mass, so how can you keep that number from dropping too low? Simple…don’t slash your calories by a ton and lift weights! Both of which help build/keep muscle while you attempt to lose fat.
2) Thermic effect of food refers to the energy used by your body to break down and use food for energy, so how can we keep that number high? Protein! It has the highest thermic rate AND helps maintain/build muscle mass when calories are low. Make sure you START your meals with lean protein and build AROUND it.
3) Activity energy expenditure covers both conscious exercise (personal training, bootcamp, cardio) and subconscious acts of daily life (standing, walking to and from your car). So try to be active EVERYDAY or at least close to it because EVERYTHING COUNTS! If you can’t do some form of formal exercise that day, that’s ok, fitting in some walking with a loved one/friend/pet, parking further away at work/school, or even making an effort to stand more than you sit can torch 100-700 extra calories per day! That really adds up over time!
So if your fat loss has stalled, working both sides of the calories in/calories out equation may be just what you need!
This is a post by Jeff Allen
