Make no mistake, fat loss is a way of life – NOT a short-term fix. And lifestyle change doesn’t happen overnight, It’s a process. A process that looks different for everyone. But a process that must be both planned & built upon solid foundations. Here’s my framework for success …
My 12-Week Fat-Loss Programme provides a methodical & personalised approach to take you from A to B – or from base camp to summit! ⬆️ A solid Nutrition Strategy will burn unwanted fat & promote health. A structured Training Strategy will make you stronger & reshape your body. And a bulletproof Fat-Loss Mindset will ensure that everything we do is sustainable. Here’s an overview of the process …
Before our first session at Buzz Gym, we’ll first take the time to gain a deep understanding of: 1️⃣ what you want to achieve, 2️⃣ why you want to achieve it, and 3️⃣ how we’re going to achieve it. Only then will we design our plan of attack. I take great pride in taking a 360-degree view of my clients’ wellbeing. The more I understand about their character, lifestyle & psychology, the better I can tailor my strategy to meet their needs. Here’s my on-boarding process …
Via a custom-tailored mindset, nutrition & training strategy, I will empower you to burn unwanted body fat, reshape your body & upgrade your health – permanently! No fads, no short-term solutions, no gimmicks, nothing extreme – just strategic, structured & sustainable lifestyle changes purpose designed to fit around YOU.
You see, contrary to popular belief, looking & feeling your best does NOT mean aggressive dieting, endless cardio, eliminating entire food groups, celebrity-endorsed fads, diet pills – nor any other form of quick fix for that matter! On the contrary, it’s MUCH simpler than that. Successful fat loss boils down to achieving consistency in five key areas …
1️⃣ SUSTAINING A MODERATE CALORIE DEFICIT – consuming fewer calories than our body requires forces it to burn internal fuel resources – typically body fat and muscle. A calorie deficit is our TOP priority for fat loss. No calorie deficit, no fat loss!
2️⃣ STRENGTH TRAINING x1-4 TIMES PER WEEK – to reshape your body & to encourage the burning of fat over muscle whilst in a calorie deficit. And not just ANY type of strength training, our goal is to get you progressively stronger.
3️⃣ ENSURING SUFFICIENT PROTEIN INTAKE – protein is our best friend. It encourages our body to burn fat over muscle whilst in a calorie deficit; it aid repair & recovery post training; digesting protein burns bonus calories; AND it keeps us full.
That’s because fat loss is yet to reach the mainstream adoption. Doubtless it will – the process has begun. But, for now, it remains one of the fitness industry’s biggest kept secrets. And perhaps even the reason why SO many of us feel like we don’t have control over our weight. So, what’s the secret?
I am, of course, referring to the widely unrecognised – but HIGHLY significant – distinction between fat loss & weight loss. To best explain, here’s a short story about Emma. Emma is 35 and weighs 80kg. She wants to lose weight and “tone up”. Here are two scenarios …
Emma’s friends tell her that getting the body she wants means aggressively cutting calories and doing lots of cardio. She finds cardio boring but, since she’s feeling motivated, she uses sheer willpower to force herself to run every night after work. Having heard that carbs are the enemy, she decides to eliminate them from her diet. No more pasta, rice, bread, or potato – all food she loves! She also restricts herself from eating any of the “pleasure” foods that she normally enjoys – the odd night of pizza and ice cream for example. This extreme or “crash” dieting often leaves Emma feeling hungry, tired and grumpy, but, since she believes it’s necessary, she decides it’s a sacrifice worth making! After doing some research online, she also starts spending lots of money on expensive fat-loss supplements and skinny teas.
Over a period of three months, Emma loses 3kg. However, her journey has been far from enjoyable. She decides she can’t keep going like this. But she’s still not happy with how she looks. She still has more fat than she’d like, and there’s certainly no sign of any muscle tone. She’s also concerned that she’s losing her bum – something she’s always liked about herself. Without the results she wants and with her quality of life at a low, Emma throws in the towel. Disheartened discouraged & demotivated, she abandons her fitness journey and returns to her old lifestyle & eating habits. Needless to say, within a few months, Emma regains all the weight she’s lost. Soon afterwards, once again unhappy how she looks and feels, Emma starts the cycle again.
Emma takes a different approach and gets professional help. Yes, she still cuts her calories, but this time the buzzword is moderation. She’s given a daily calorie budget, and she develops new knowledge & skills on how best to manage it. She learns that a surplus of calories is the only reason why she’ll gain fat, and so she feels confident spending her budget on any foods – pizza, ice-cream, alcohol … you name it! That said, since she knows that too many “pleasure” aren’t budget-friendly – plus the fact she’s keen to look & feel healthy – she eats healthy foods around 80% of the time … a balance she finds sustainable. Instead of cardio, Emma starts strength training a few times each week. Her focus becomes getting stronger on big lifts like squats, deadlifts, lunges, bridges, pushes & pulls – a process she finds both empowering and enjoyable. She he loves how it changes the shape of her body. She also learns the importance of protein for muscle preservation whilst in a calorie deficit – and ups her intake accordingly.
Over three months, Emma only loses 2kg. However, when she looks in the mirror, she’s beginning to see the shape she’s always wanted – less fat and more shape. Her body was changed way more than the scales have. Does she care about her weight? hell no! Is she on a steady & sustainable path towards long-term fat-loss success? ABSOLUTELY. What’s more, she’s developed loads of new goal-supportive & healthy eating habits – habits that will help keep her on track. Emma has a new lifestyle & feels in control
Fat loss & weight loss are NOT the same thing
➡️ Weight loss doesn’t discriminate on what’s lost – it burns body fat and muscle equally
➡️ Fat loss focuses on burning body fat whilst maintaining & shaping muscle
1️⃣ MUSCLE RESHAPES OUR BODY – in a calorie deficit, regular strength training & plenty of protein give our body a STRONG message to burn fat instead of muscle. This process reshapes our body. I’m talking toned, curvy, sculpted, healthy, lean and strong … NOT bulky
2️⃣ MUSCLE HELPS KEEP FAT UNDER CONTROL – the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. The more calories we burn, the greater our calorie needs. The greater our calorie needs, the less likely we are to consume more calories than we need. Having more muscle allows us to better manager our body-fat levels long term.
If you looked & felt awesome, would you really care about how much you weighed? Probably not!
You see, most people associate a “goal” weight with LOOKING & FEELING a certain way. There’s NO attachment to the number itself. The number on the scale is unimportant. Yet, weight loss is obsessed with a “target” weight ❌ Whereas fat loss is about looking & feeling your best
When people tell me they want to lose WEIGHT, after a brief discussion, it always transpires that they actually want to burn FAT – they just didn’t know the difference! And the benefits of fat loss over weight loss don’t stop there. There’s more …
You see, whilst weight loss might yield faster results, they’re almost always short lived. Why? Because the methods used are unsustainable. At best, weight loss is a SHORT-TERM SOLUTION. At worst, it means repeatedly losing and gaining weight a cycle of frustration.
On the other hand, fat loss targets LONG-TERM SUCCESS. It’s about lifestyle change, new habits & holistic health. Results can be slow & steady in comparison but, since they’re built on moderation & sustainability, they last. The future prognosis? Easily maintaining a shapely, strong & healthy body using new knowledge & habits – bossing it!
To look & feel your best, think fat loss – NOT weight loss
Whilst fat loss might be simple on paper, it’s not easy. And whilst the core components might be the same for everyone – that is, a calorie deficit, regular strength training & sufficient protein intake – implementing them enjoyably, effectively & sustainably into individual lives is, in my opinion, a challenge … fortunately, it’s one of the things I do best!
GymHippie
GymHippie
