Fat loss is an easy equation, but that doesn’t mean that it’s simple. 

Fat loss = making sure that the energy in is lower than the energy out, therefore creating what is known as a “calorie deficit”.
Your body then needs to find stored energy in order to make sure you don’t fall over from fatigue.
Luckily, according to the health statistics, almost 66% of the population has more than enough energy to make sure we don’t die of starvation any time soon (I’m talking about #obesity) 

Broken down, “energy in” is obvious and easy. (the food that you eat and drink and can be tracked very easily via myfitnesspal.com or similar).

But “energy out” is more complicated. 

It involves: 

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR). The number of calories your body needs to undergo general daily metabolism and life 
• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): the calories you use for standing, walking, swimming, sexing, fidgeting etc 
• Thermic effect of food (TEF): the amount you burn by eating food (yes that’s a thing, but you can never outburn what you eat, so don’t think it’s a miracle) 
• Exercise: How much energy you use during and after exercise 

Ultimately resulting in what is known as TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) and the over arching side to the “energy out” equation.

The key thing to note is, you have 3 options when trying to lose body fat. 

You can either 

1. Decrease the amount you eat 
2. Increase your TDEE by manipulating those variables 
3. A combination of both 

Here’s what I wish I knew when I first started. 

Not everyone is made equal and the size of your body will determine the rate at which you can lose fat/diet. 

I.e. smaller people (smaller in size and also leaner people) have to lose fat slower than bigger people because their relative numbers don’t allow for giant deficits. 

I.e.

1. a small 55kg female with a TDEE of 2000 calories is going to find it very difficult to be on a 500 calorie net deficit every day because it is ¼ of her relative equation.
   
   Compare that to
2. A large 120kg person with a TDEE of 3900 calories a day, a 500 cal net deficit won’t seem as bad and won’t affect their energy levels nearly as much. 

Fat loss is in direct proportion to net energy balance (coupled with a few other factors) which means that if you are a smaller person, you do have to live with the fact that

1. You will lose at slower than someone who is bigger than you
2. If you try to lose fat at the same rate as someone else, it will be more uncomfortable 

Outcome:

• Do your numbers and decide what fits your goals and lifestyle best
• Long term consistency will trump short term intensity. Be prepared to do this for a while and don’t be discouraged with slow progress. Marginal gains are accumulated with daily wins. 

If you are interested in finding out more about our 1:1 nutrition programs (which can be done from anywhere in the world), send us a message and we will book you in for a quick chat.