We live in a society where losing bodyfat and dieting have become an obsession. All you hear about is the next celebrity who has lost shit loads of weight by doing some crazy arse diet, it’s all over magazines and of course, everyone always wants to look like everyone else on Instagram. The thing is, losing bodyfat is not as overcomplicated as everyone makes out. I do believe most people deliberately overcomplicate it. Have you ever wondered how you actually burn fat? Obviously, you have to be in a calorie deficit for this to happen (burn more calories than consuming). But when you lose weight and it becomes noticeable, where does it all go? Some crazy answers have included you sweat it out, you burn it off through heat, it magically vanishes when you exercise, you lose it every time you go to the bathroom, it automatically turns to muscle and many more. Believe it or not, it is much much simpler than this. Read on to find out the facts…
WHEN I GOT TO MY LOWEST EVER BODYWEIGHT
The thing with competing is, it is amazing how many people notice the changes in your body, more than you do yourself, probably because you look at yourself in the mirror every day. With stepping on stage, it is a fat loss phase to the extreme and I got to my leanest state. If I could take a guess, I was probably around 10-12% bodyfat. I was on my prep diet for a total of 26 weeks (more or less 6 months!) I lost a whopping 28lbs (that’s 13kg and a generous 2 stone) major for someone that wasn’t obese in the first place. The first week was inevitably water retention because from memory it was over a 2lbs loss. The first 4-6 weeks of a diet is when you start to burn bodyfat. In the second stage of the diet (6 weeks+) weight loss was is at a slower rate but it’s worth noting the weight lost is primarily from fat stores rather than stored carbs, protein and water like stage one. Consistency and adherence to a diet is the only determiner of effective fat loss. As hard as it was, it was crazy being able to fit in to size 4-6 clothes from my original healthy size 10-12. Transforming my body in this way was by far one of my greatest successes and one of the most amazing life experiences I will always remember.
BUT WHERE DOES IT GO?
You cannot choose the part of your body where you lose fat from. A lot of this is down to genetics of course. So many women are desperate to lose it from their belly or their arms, but the fact is you cannot choose where you drop the fat. Some people hold their fat more on their midriffs, some it’s their hips or quads. But wherever the fat goes when you do lose it, not many people know where it actually goes.
Believe it or not it is as simple as you exhale it out as carbon dioxide. Before I go deeper into this, it’s important to know how your body uses energy:
1. When you’re resting: (your heart pumps to keep you alive, lungs breathe and your brain functions to think)
2. When you’re active: your muscles need the energy to move
3. When you’re eating (your digestive system needs the energy to break down and store food)
So when you’re burning fat, you exhale out the carbon dioxide and in addition some is of water (through sweat from your skin and urination from kidneys)
SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I TRAIN?
Apparently, after about 30-60mins of aerobic exercise, your body burns through fat. Initially, your muscles burn through stored glycogen in the muscles. Weight training is even more important as the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn. Not to mention, weight training is the only form of exercise that burns calories even after you’ve finished exercise (the scientific term for it is Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).
The bodyfat cells are converted into carbon dioxide and water, the carbon dioxide you breathe out and the water that is lost through sweat or urine. Scientifically speaking, if you lose 10lbs of fat, 8.4lbs comes out through the lungs and the remaining 1.6lbs turns to water.
Therefore, the longer you’re in a deficit for, the more bodyfat cells are broken down and shrink, causing your body to become leaner.
IF I PRACTISE BREATHING WILL THAT QUICKEN THE PROCESS?
LOL. No, unfortunately not. If it was possible, then the whole world would be slim. You can’t cheat, that’s just hyperventilating, you have to MOVE.
SO HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT EFFECTIVELY?
1. Ditch all fad diets
2. Weight train
3. Hit 10k steps everyday
4. Get a weekly average of your weight (don’t just weigh yourself once a week as that’s not your true bodyweight)
5. Start your dieting calories high and only drop them if your weight starts to plateau and ensure you are in a CALORIE DEFICIT
6. Track your food either using My Fitness Pal or practise eating mindfully, the more accurate and consistent you are, the better and faster the results
7. Keep protein high with every meal and every snack
8. Get a Coach to be accountable to!
So many people truly believe they can keep trying to lose weight themselves, but the reality is, if you’ve already tried 2 or more times, then it’s time to stop being stingy and pay for a Coach who will get you there quicker!
Need help transforming your body?
DM me today on IG @natashakostalas
Check out or amazing body transformations at www.kostalaspt.com
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