5 Signs You Are Losing Body Fat
Efforts to lose excess body fat are a common objective for many gym-goers, with 46% of men and 55% of women aiming to shed weight monthly.
However, many individuals falter on their fat loss journey for various reasons. One of the most prevalent causes is feeling disheartened when weight loss progress suddenly stops. While tracking your weight on the scale is a useful gauge for monitoring reductions in body weight, it does not necessarily indicate a decrease in body fat.
People who desire to lose weight typically want to reduce body fat. This is because losing body fat improves body composition and a fitter appearance. The same cannot be said for weight loss, where initial reductions are often due to the shedding of water weight resulting from changes in diet, such as reducing consumption of unhealthy foods. Weight loss occurs rapidly, but fat loss takes longer and necessitates consistency in diet and exercise.
In this article, I will detail signs that indicate you are losing fat, even if the number on the scale remains the same!
1. You Experience Cravings
When trying to lose fat, it’s common to experience cravings. Various factors can influence these cravings, but it’s important not to give in to them and revert to unhealthy eating habits. Instead, opt for high-protein and high-fiber foods, and consider incorporating cinnamon into your morning routine to help regulate blood sugar levels and manage cravings. This brings me to the next important point: eating to fuel your training.
2. You Are Eating to Support Your Training
When it comes to supporting your training, eating in a way that aligns with your fitness goals is crucial. For example, maintaining a calorie deficit is key if you’re looking to lose fat. Additionally, prioritize consuming adequate protein and fiber and aim to drink close to a gallon of water each day. Incorporate carbs from whole foods, such as fruits and rice, and pair them with protein for sustained energy release. By eating to support your training, you’ll stay on track with your diet and minimize the risk of overeating. Below is a formula to help you determine how many calories/protein you should consume daily to reach your goals.
Formula:
desired body weight x 12 = calories you should consume daily
200 x 12 = 2400 calories daily
desired body weight x 0.8-1.0 = daily protien intake.
200 x 0.8-1.0 = 160-200 grams of protein
The following advice is similar to our previous topic but focuses on a different aspect.
3. You Are Training in a Way That Supports Your Goals
When training, it’s crucial to align your workouts with your objectives. Even if you don’t see a decrease on the scale, rigorous training, including 90 minutes of cardio each week, weight training 2-4 times a week, and targeting each muscle group twice a week, can help maintain muscle mass even when in a calorie deficit. This, in turn, can enhance your overall physique. Aim for 10-20 weekly sets for each muscle group, keeping roughly 90% challenging but manageable (leaving 1-3 reps in the tank). Consistency in your diet and training is key, and the desired reduction in the scale weight will happen before you know it. Additionally, changes in how your clothes fit can also indicate fat loss.
4. Notice the Change in Your Clothing Fit
After consistently eating in a calorie deficit and training hard, you will start to observe a change in how your clothes fit. This change is not just due to losing water weight; it indicates successful muscle development, even if the scale doesn’t show a significant change. Another indicator of muscle development is improving your strength during weightlifting sessions.
5. Increasing Strength in Your Lifts
You are actively getting stronger if you find yourself progressing in your weekly lifting routine, whether by lifting heavier weights, adding more reps, maintaining better form, or reducing rest time. This progress signifies muscle gain and fat loss, a reliable performance metric for tracking your fitness journey.
Bonus:
Please be mindful that displaying signs of fat loss may not occur if you do not get sufficient sleep, consume nutritious foods, and manage stress effectively. It’s important to consider these factors in order to burn fat effectively, lose weight, and achieve your desired physique.
