Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre

2 days ago

Is it better to lose weight quicker or slower?

Had a great question yesterday

"Is it better to lose weight quicker or slower?"

The key really is to move at a speed that you can sustain

For some...

this may be a little faster

for others a little slower

But that moving forward is the critical thing

So why do some people lose fat faster

Here is a few reasons for this:

1] They have more fat to lose

Think about it!

If a someone weights 130kg and another 75 kg the larger lady obviously has more to lose

If they both have a successful weeks and drop 1% body weight this will equal 1.3kg to 0.75kg

They've both lost EXACTLY the same % of the their weight

But us humans have a nasty habit of comparing ourselves to others

We really should try and stop doing that 😉

2] You've been dieting longer

Someone who has been trying to lose fat for 6-8 months will have slower weekly progress that someone just starting out

This is often due to adaptive thermogenesis

This is basically when your body down regulates to better cope with being deprived of energy (calorie deficits)

It's one reason why diet breaks are great for 4-5 days every 12-16 weeks to re-boost the metabolism

3] You're doing better than you think

One of our PT clients was down from 23.1% body fat to 16% in 6 weeks and he went to America on holiday for 2 of the weeks!

Yesterday his weight was 0.2 kg up over the last 7 days, but he lost 1.2kg of fat mass and added 1.4kg of skeletal muscle mass!

But yesterday he was annoyed at the scales having him heavier...

Once We explained he was delighted with his progress

Are you guilty of focusing on the wrong data?

^^^ There are 3 of about 33 reasons why fat loss may seem slower for you compared to someone else

We can cover the other 27 another time 😉

If you're frustrated with slower results my advice would be to :

• Focus on the basics

• Have realistic expectations

• Stop making the common pitfall mistakes

So what are the basics for most people:

1) Eating protein with each meal

2) Ensuring you are hydrated and your urine is always clear

3) Vegetables each meal

4) Eliminate alcohol and calorific drinks

5) Cut back on processed food

6) Cut back on sugar from the diet

7) Make sure you are eating adequate calories

😎 Eat good omega 3 fats daily

9) Lift weights and train in the anaerobic energy zone favouring big, multi joint movements.

10) Measure accurately to monitor progress

So if you are doing ALL of these and still aren't seeing progress...

What could be going on?

A few common pitfalls when trying to lose fat quickly include the following:

Training too hard - a low-carb diet is not one that should be used when training at a very high intensity, especially if you’re doing it daily or multiple times a day. Keep workouts intense but short - less than an hour is best for most

Lack of sleep - lack of sleep is the enemy of fat loss because it compromises insulin sensitivity and increases our drive for foods that are highly pleasurable such as high-fat, refined carbs. Solve poor sleep before you start on a low-carb, super fat loss diet with these tips:

• Get a bed time routine that works for you

• Avoid use of your phone or computer 90 minutes before bed

• Avoid caffeine after 1.00 pm

• Consider taking a sleep stack (magnesium, serenity and a high dose of vitamin C work wonders for me)

A bad gut - gut bacteria live on what you eat and certain foods spawn "bad" bacteria, whereas others lead to beneficial anti-inflammatory bacteria in the gut.

It just so happens that "bad" bacteria live off carbs, which increases the absorption of the carbs you eat, leading to an increase in body fat.

Of course, this is not such a problem when you are eliminating carbs other than vegetables, but it reinforces the importance of fixing your gut fast.

Solve a bad gut by eating tons of vegetables and probiotic foods (kim chi, sauerkraut, pickled foods). ... See MoreSee Less

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