THE 3 MOST SUCCESSFUL "DIETS" FOR FAT LOSS

It's very rare, here at our Personal Training Studio in Milton Keynes, that we're the first solution our client's have tried when they come through the door

More often that not? They already have a laundry list of frustrations when it comes to previous health kicks. Whether it was the stint of low-carbdom that left them feeling comatose by midday, the four weeks eating low fat, and having to hide their pain watching as their family ate Bacon Sarnies on a Sunday without them, or the half a day they attempted full on keto, and quickly bailed on the idea after putting half a stick of butter in their coffee caused the bulk of their morning to be spent in a toilet cubicle at work

The bulk of the "weight loss" industry, truth be told, is built on an unstable pattern of overpromising, and underdelivering

​You only have to quickly peruse the magazine shelves at your local supermarket to see claims that you're one diet trick away from having abs in a fortnight- and if you take a hard left and end up in the supplement isle you'll see equally eye-catching promises on the sides of fat-loss pills, with impossibly sculpted models proclaiming the only difference between you and them? Is that £67 bottle of tablets they're promoting

After over a decade in the industry, helping men and women to overcome these inaccurate messages (and, when I was younger, falling for that same marketing myself), I've come to understand one fundamental truth when it comes to ditching the love handles, and building a body that reflects effort put in at the gym...

WEIGHT LOSS IS SIMPLE. BUT IT ISN'T EASY.

Allow me to explain...

on the simplest level, fat loss is dictated by consuming fewer calories than you're expending. Putting less energy in, than you're putting out.

Which seems obvious right, I mean if you think of your body fat as money in the bank- if you make large deposits each month, but have budgeted well and spend very little? You bank balance will grow. On the flip side, if you go on an Amazon Prime binge every weekend, and are playing catch up to keep up with juggling credit cards, then your bank balance will shrink.

Body fat storage is the same. If you're spending (burning calories) more than you're saving (eating), then you'll lose money (weight)

Like I say- it's simple. But not easy.

Here's a quick chart that explains exactly how the most popular diets can cause this effect:

The truth is, anything that causes you to reduce calories sustainably will produce fat loss. There's even been a man that lost over 100lbs by eating just potatoes for a year. Once again- it's not complex, but it shouldn't be confused with being easy (I love spuds, but that'd be too much even for me...)

This blog post however, isn't about the science of fat loss. If you were interested in how it all happens you'd probably be reading a textbook. This blog post, is designed to keep you a snapshot overview of the three methods of calorie restriction (read: dieting), that we at The Armoury Coaching Studio, have seen be most successful.

method one: calorie tracking

If you're more data driven, and can happily navigate apps on your phone? This method can be a powerful driver for fat loss and physique changes.

Think of it like keeping a spreadsheet of your financial income and expenses. If you know (roughly) how much is coming in, then you can track the data to ensure you're moving in the right direction. We see three types of people when it comes to tracking: those that love it, those that can manage it for 6-10 weeks to get an education from the process, and those that hate it

Here's a look at the pros and cons of this method:

Pros

• The most accurate method of tracking calories we currently have
• Gives a lot more flexibility to fit cravings into total calories
• Makes it easy to monitor protein and specific macros to hit ideal ranges
• ​You'll learn a lot about how many calories are in each food (meaning you won't always have to track once you have a greater understanding of calories & your needs)

Cons

• Have to track all food into your phone
• ​Can be harder to use when eating out (although estimations are better than nothing)

If you'd like an in-depth video on how to track calories, and a look at the weekly spreadsheet we use with our clients to make this method even more effective, then head over to the Contact Page and send us across a message simple reading "I'd like to track calories", I'll personally send you the resources you need

METHOD TWO: INTERMITTENT FASTING

If tracking calories on your phone doesn't feel like it'll be sustainable, then intermittent fasting might be the approach for you.

This tactic for calories restriction is simple: you simply limit the hours you allow yourself to eat within (therefore, assuming you don't gorge yourself in your "feeding" window), you'll consume fewer total calories and trigger the fat loss you're after.

The most common method we use with our clients is the 16:8 approach, where for 16 hours you can't eat, and 8 hours you can (this would usually mean you eat between 12pm and 8pm, then fast from 8pm throughout the night, until the following day). You can also try more restrictive methods such as the 5:2 method, where 5 days a week you eat as normal, then 2 days a week you'll consume about 25% of your normal intake (so possibly only having one meal)

Pros

• Makes the process of eating in a deficit for fat loss a lot easier
  
• Saves time (& money)
  
• Means you can eat larger meals in your 'feeding' window (within reason)
  
• If your feeding window is in the evenings, can make social situations easier to navigate food wise
  
• Works really well with busier people (16:8 with tracking too is one of my favourite methods for body recomp/fat loss)
  
• ​Teaches you to deal with hunger (very useful for fat loss)

Cons

• The more 'extreme' methods can be restrictive
• If muscle growth is your goal, frequent protein feedings will be more optimal than fasting
• You can still eat in a surplus in your feeding window (if not tracking / listening to hunger/fullness cues)
• ​Hard to adjust to the hunger when first starting

If you'd like a chat about what method of intermittent fasting might be right for you, and more in-depth look at your options, then head over to the Contact Page and send us across a message simple reading "I'd like to try intermittent fasting", I'll personally send you the resources you need

METHOD THREE: HAND PORTIONS

This method takes the smart phone away from calorie tracking, and instead gives you a rougher guide of how much to consume at each meal.

The tactic prompts you to use your hand size as a guide for how much food to consume. Although it needs to be used in combination with food awareness, the general rules being that you must eat all meals with zero distractions (no TV or phones) and you should stop eating once you feel yourself around 80% full (an important skill to learn)

For a lot of people this is more achievable than tracking on a phone, or restricting eating windows, although can be more complex in certain situations (as we'll cover in the pros and cons list), but first here's a general guide on how exactly these hand portions work:

Pros

• Some people find it easier than putting information into their smart phones after every meal
  
• Might be more sustainable because of that very reason
  
• More socially accepted to do the maths in your head than take your phone out to track? (Questionable as to whether this should matter to anyone)
  
• ​Encourages a more mindful approach to nutrition

Cons

• Isn't as accurate as tracking on your phone
• Can become confusing when eating out for meals that aren't obviously separated (working out how many palms of protein & thumbs of fat in Spaghetti Bolognese for example)
• Most foods aren't exclusively one macronutrient (for example salmon would be fats & protein, and beans would be protein & carbs, so those need to be split up for your hand tracking)
• ​More room for user error

If you'd like a chat about how to implement hand portions as a calorie tracking tactic (and see a method we use to split your portions more realistically throughout your day) then head over to the Contact Page and send us across a message simple reading "I'd like to try hand tracking", I'll personally send you the resources you need

IN CONCLUSION...

The method you use for calorie restriction is only as effective as your ability to adhere to it, these are just the framework for the three we've seen be the most effective over the years

Here at our Personal Training Studio in Milton Keynes, all clients are given an in-depth one to one habit and nutrition coaching session with all packages, where we'll sit down and descent which method would be the most effective (including others not on this blog), customise it for your lifestyle, then set you up with an accountability app to stay on track, and for us to check in on as you proceed through your journey

If you'd like to have a chat about how we can use that method with you, then you can head to this page and grab yourself a free trial or phone consult. Because with the right coaching on your side? everything gets a whole lot easier.