How to lose fat

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Burn Fat

The secret to weight loss backed by science

By now, you’ve probably heard of all the different weight loss diets. There is Keto, Atkins, carnivore, whole foods, vegan, vegetarian, plant based, animal based, and many more. What do these diets have in common? The elimination of processed or sugary foods. However, all diets have one thing in common, and that is the reduction of calories by eliminating more caloric dense foods.

It seems every couple of years the health industry cycles on diets based on trending topics. It’s unfortunate in the realm of fitness and health, the industry tries to sell so many products and plans. The truth behind weight loss is far more boring, and due to its boring and consistent nature, the industry works to start controversy. The good news for you is Science Based Fitness provides you with all the information, so you don’t have to buy anything! This is a complete guide to help you lose weight and keep it off without the promotion of fad diets that don’t work long term.

There’s a lot of “social media influencers” whose job is to sell products, so they make money. Now profit isn’t a bad thing if you’re truly helping people, but most people just want to help people buy a product or plan. At Science Based Fitness, we believe information should be FREE. We don’t want to profit from you. Instead, we want you to live your best life. We may recommend products, but our business model is to keep the mission running.

The Science behind weight loss

Are carbohydrates bad and make you fat?

Does fat make you fat?

Is red meat bad?

Is high LDL good or bad?

Is insulin spikes bad?

Should you reduce the time you eat meals?

Chances are you’ve heard these claims time and time again, and you might even listen to a medical professional make these exact claims. However, in the world of science, nothing it true until it can be proven.

The truth is any diet can work if you stick to it and it puts you in a caloric deficit. A lot of people will debate the calories in vs. calories out logic based on the thermodynamics of foods and energy balance. However, the truth is based on all scientific studies, Weight loss occurs regardless of what calories are reduced from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

The science Is clear

A caloric deficit is the most important factor for weight loss

Breaking Myths

The secret to weight loss backed by science

Science is clear…. The available evidence shows that weight loss occurs following a reduction in daily caloric intake, regardless of the macronutrient origin of those calories, although the magnitude of weight loss varies according to the type of macronutrient, and the effects on diet-induced thermogenesis.

This is a more simple and logical approach to weight loss. Enjoy the foods you like while focusing more on lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. However, it’s good to be aware of calories. For example, fat contains 9 calories per-gram, so foods with a lot of fat tend to be more calorically dense. This is where foods with fiber come into play because it helps keep you full and may prevent overeating. Foods that contain higher amounts of fiber will help reduce hunger, and therefore people tend to eat less. We’ll explain more about the importance of fiber and its relation to the gut microbiome in another article.

Diet and Trends

A lot of diets can be trendy and popular because they’re new and different. Ask anybody builder what they think of chicken, broccoli, and rice. It’s very bland and boring, but it works because you have lean protein, healthy vegetables with fiber, and a healthy carbohydrate source. The structure of that meal has proper proportion macronutrients. (Macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.) Many diets try to adjust caloric intake by reducing macronutrients. For example, keto, Atkins, Carnivore are all low-carbohydrate diets. In nearly all randomized control trials, there’s almost zero difference in weight loss when comparing low carbohydrate to low fat, so this raises the question, how do we lose weight? It’s truly simple when you focus on caloric restriction, then you can enjoy the foods you like while being at a healthy weight.

If it’s all about calories, then why eat healthy?

Heathy foods, meaning, whole foods are simply better by nature. Most whole foods are less processed, so they have more fiber and less refined sugar added. Let’s look at an apple, for example. An apple contains 95 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and is packed with phytonutrients like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Compare an apple to Coke that contains 150 calories with zero fiber, no vitamins and minerals, and you’ll notice the Coke product didn’t leave you feeling full. Some data suggest the Coke beverage may lead you to eating a surplus of calories due to the higher sugar content with zero fiber. A whole apple compared to apple juice is also different. Apple juice goes through a filter and pasteurization process that removes fiber and some vitamins and minerals. Also, sugar is added to sweeten the beverage, so apple juice contains more calories than an apple. This is how people get into a caloric surplus because it’s very simple to over consume calories.

Optimal Nutrition

So, now we understand the logic behind weight loss. However, what’s an optimal diet? Optimal nutrition is defined by the best foods to maximize healthy outcomes. In other words, optimal nutrition means to provide the body with the most nutrient dense foods to increase lifespan and performance. Metabolically, this means choosing foods with the most beneficial components will keep your body at optimal health to prevent disease. Regardless of some influencers claim, the data is clear.

Focus on lean meats, fish, healthy carbohydrates like rice, oatmeal, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. As we continue to learn about the gut microbiome and its complexity, it’s important to consume foods high in fiber as fiber helps feed good bacteria while eliminating bad. A lot of data concludes a Mediterranean diet would be the most beneficial diet for health and longevity. The Mediterranean Diet focuses on mostly lean meats, fish, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds while limiting red meats. The Mediterranean diet is one of the most studied and well-known dietary patterns.

Regarding optimal nutrition, it’s important to know that all foods have value. Wait, even Coke products have value? Regarding living, yes, any source of calories has value to sustain life. Humans didn’t always have an abundance of food available. So whatever foods were available was valuable. For example, red meat has value. Red meat contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, creatine, essential amino acids, and healthy fats. However, red meat also contains a lot of saturated fat, cholesterol, and no fiber. It would be wise to pair red meat with foods with fiber, low in fat and cholesterol, and other vitamins and minerals red meat doesn’t contain. This is the notion behind optimal nutrition. Optimally selecting foods to complement each other and what they’re lacking to promote better health.

It's still possible to enjoy the foods you like while being in a deficit. Energy balance is the key to weight loss.

Sports Nutrition

For athletes or even average gym participants, it’s important to balance protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Eliminating a macronutrient will put you at a disadvantage. The scientific literature is sound on this notion. Eliminating carbohydrates may result in muscle loss due to the depletion of muscle glycogen. As a result, the muscle will look flat. Also, muscle growth will be limited. The style of training will account for overall caloric intake, protein and carbohydrate requirements. For example, an endurance runner will require more carbohydrates due to the consistent running.

References

1. Ludwig DS, Willett WC, Volek JS, Neuhouser ML. Dietary fat: from foe to friend? Science. (2018) 362:764–70. doi: 10.1126/science.aau2096

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