Edited by Felice Alfuso
Who wouldn't want to lose weight, and particularly body fat? (BF). The problem is that very often we do not know how to proceed; we read discordant opinions everywhere, diets of different kinds, everything and the opposite of everything. Thus, he pursues the one who - thanks to a certain diet - has lost 5% of body fat, without wondering how or why.
What works for one person does not always work for another.
However, there are three key factors for the loss of body fat, applicable to all:
- Definition of objectives
- Nutrition
- Exercise
Key 1: Definition of objectives
The first thing to do, before planning diet and exercise, is to set goals.
Look who you are now, and what you would like to be. The ultimate goal is what we would like to be; thus, setting a realistic date for our goal will make it possible to reach the final goal.
After setting the long-term goal, you need to set short-term goals, which in turn will help you reach the final goal. These objectives, in fact, should be modest and not very ambitious, precisely because the time to devote to their pursuit is small. However, whatever it is, a real goal must have some peculiarities:
- Specific: you must be specific in setting the real goal. Example: I want to lose 4% of body fat in 8 weeks.
- Measurable: you must be able to measure the progress of your goal. Example: the% of fat mass can be measured by 6-8 skin folds (plicometry), every week.
- Adjustable: you must have the possibility to review the set objective, and modify it in the event of an event that makes it unrealistic to reach it in the set period.
- Realistic: your goals must be realistic. Example: the loss of 4% BF in 8 weeks is realistic; instead losing 4% of body fat in 2 weeks is not.
- Time-Base: you need to set a date in which you want to reach your goal. Example: I want to lose 4% of BF from July 13th to September 6th.
Key 2: Nutrition
After setting the goal, study the diet. Diet is the most important component for fat loss; equals 80-90% of the final success.
The "diet" should be understood as a slow change in one's lifestyle. The new food program must indeed be easily implemented throughout the year.
Therefore, the "diet program" should include six principles:
- Adequacy: Your diet provides enough energy and nutrients to meet your needs (Wardlaw & Hampl, 2007).
- Character: do not consume more foods with the same characteristic (Wardlaw & Hampl, 2007).
- Energy control: be aware of your daily energy needs and establish how to get nutrients. Do not exceed in calories and use foods with high nutritional value. (Wardlaw & Hampl, 2007).
- Nutrient density: select foods that provide the most nutrients for the least amount of energy (Wardlaw & Hampl, 2007).
- Moderation: consume moderately fatty and sugary foods (Wardlaw and Hampl. 2007).
- Variety: varying foods day after day (Wardlaw & Hampl, 2007).
Here are some tips on the fat loss diet:
- First, it is necessary to establish the caloric requirement (there are various methods to calculate the daily requirement; it is necessary to examine the body mass, the height and the level of activity). A first approach to fat loss is to make sure you ingest up to 500 calories less per day. Depending on how quickly or slowly you lose fat, you can change and optimize your calorie intake week by week.
