In Part 1 of "How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off" series I introduced some basic knowledge of the human movement system. In part 2 we are going to explore other aspects of decreasing body fat despite the common social media and societal knowledge of [weight loss]. Just to reiterate weight loss is a marketing idea to entice the idea of body composition when we should simply call it what it is...decreasing body fat.
I also shared a [simple generic answer] "choose healthier nutritious real-foods and be in a calorie deficit" to hastily answer the question of "How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off" but, as previously stated, decreasing body fat is not a one size fits all type of thing. There are important factors to consider. Just to review, human movement plays a role in decreasing body fat as it takes calories from food nutrition to burn fat. Let's get into it a bit more.
We need some sort of physical activity for our bodies to use calories to turn food into usable energy. Clark et al. (2018) stated a calorie (lower case "c") is a unit of energy equivalent to the heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree celsius (p. 465). The question arises, how much physical activity do I need? The answer is [it depends on what your typical daily activity and nutritional intake is]. Each person requires a different amount of activity or energy expenditure, to decrease body fat. To decrease body fat, a person needs to expend more calories than what is being put into his or her body (eating). Any unused energy typically goes to the liver as stored energy.
I am a visual learner, so I created the chart above in hopes it helps you as well. In the chart, Clark et al. (2018) stated the Calories, uppercase "C", is used to refer to nutritional value, which is equal to 1000 calories or kilocalories (p. 465), indicated in blue, refers to Calories consumed and the calories used is indicated in green. The Calories consumed is 1700 and the Calories used is 2000. The difference is 300 (2000 - 1700 = 300). So essentially the chart shows the person used 300 more Calories than consumed. To keep it simplified this is a good thing and if the person can continue burning more calories than what is consumed, he or she will decrease body fat. I want to note that it is NOT that simple and my example is NOT entirely accurate. Please, let me explain why. I know this can be confusing, but it's important to know the basics of nutrition and what food does in the body.
The example above is generic, but it is an acceptable simplistic explanation. You may have noticed in this writing there is a difference in Calorie (upper case "C") and calorie (lowercase "c"). Often times Calorie, calorie, and kilocalorie are used interchangeably, which is not scientifically correct, thus it is why I stated it does not make my statement accurate and factual. However, although it's not correct, it is commonly accepted and used as a correct means of nutritional communication. Don't think too much into it and this is part of the reason why not all nutrition programs floating around your local gym or the latest diet fads may not be appropriate for all persons. So getting a nutrition program off the internet, whether it be a YouTube channel, Instagram, or a person claiming to be a nutrition expert, it should be done so with caution. Always check that person's credentials and verify if that information is from a creditable source. Otherwise, we can develop nutrition habits that will hinder us from reaching our goals. We will get into habits a little bit later throughout the series.
Nutrition is complicated and if you are concerned about your nutrition intake/value please contact your family doctor, who will refer you to a registered dietician (RD). I want to go a bit more in depth of the scope of practice between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietician. I hold credentials as a fitness nutrition specialist (FNS) and I teach people how to develop healthy habits with food. For example, if you were to hire me as your nutrition coach, one of the questions in your client intake will be do you have a registered dietician[?]. I will always follow the orders of your RD and stay in line with what has been prescribed. My job will be to help you get to that goal safely set forth by your RD and help you navigate through the challenges that may occur. You will learn simple ways to integrate healthy nutrition options into your life-style. Importantly, we will develop a plan that best suits your daily life activities. If you don't have a RD we will come up with a plan to safely develop healthy habits and a healthy relationship with foods.
A registered dietician (RD) has a broader range of expertise and he or she is a medical professional. "The RD/RDN is a health care professional educated in nutrition and foods who is able to translate scientific information into practical solutions to help individuals make positive lifestyle changes." (California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2023). The RD has significant more amount of training than a nutritionist. Essentially what I am getting at is a "dietitian" must have the proper credentials to use that title and the word "nutritionist" is not as regulated. In all transparency the local gym-goer who watched countless of hours of nutrition videos from a YouTube channel can call himself a "nutritionist." The question becomes is it ethical. To be more specific about who can call themselves a nutritionist, not even a certified personal trainer can ethically market themselves as a "nutritionist". Depending on the academic institution that was attended he or she may only give nutritional recommendation and guidance. Ethically, to be in his or her scope of practice as a "nutritionist", he or she should have a nutrition credential issued by an accredited academic institution.
I know you're probably thinking what does ethics and scope of practice have to do with decreasing body fat? Well, there is countless of great information on the World Wide Web and on the other hand there is countless of MISINFORMATION on the World Wide Web. There are different disciplines within fitness and just because one person is qualified for [this] doesn't mean they are qualified for [that]. Having an understanding of what people tell you may be from a regurgitated unreliable non-peer reviewed source and more than likely information to only satisfy your narrative versus factual scientific knowledge from an expert holding nutrition credentials. When it comes to fitness and changing your body composition one must be prepared to make life-changes. To change something you have to...change something. To decrease your body fat we have to explore the root of the problem and address it.
So the question still remains, "how to decrease body fat and keep it off?" I gave you a little insight of physical activity and nutrition. We have pieces of the puzzle and we will put it together soon enough. You will see the picture as we continue our journey together. In part 3 we will get into decreasing body fat and how to keep it off. Stay tuned for part 3 coming this Saturday!!
In the meantime, I challenge you to get up and do this simple, yet highly effective workout:
Important: Please discuss any workout with your doctor prior to attempting any physical activity. If you are on beta blockers please do not attempt any supine (facing upward) or prone (facing downward) exercise(s) without your doctor's approval and a fitness professional observing you. Perform each exercise in a controlled and safe manner.
Step 1.
Warm-up for about 5 minutes
Step 2.
Complete exercise using vertical loading; meaning starting at the first exercise, complete the prescribed action time (or repetitions) and once completed move to the next exercise working your way down the list.
Perform each exercise with 30 seconds action and rest 30 seconds in between exercises
Complete 3 rounds
Air Squats x 30 seconds; coach's note: perform slowly on the sit down (take about 2 - 3 seconds to get to your bottom of the movement
Push-ups x 30 seconds; coach's note: perform [full or on your knees position] slowly take about 2 -3 seconds to get to your bottom of the movement
Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds; coach's note: go as fast as with you are comfortable with
Prone Iso-abs to Alternating Knee Raises x 30 seconds (Get into a plank position , full or on your knees - - looks like the beginning of a full push-up and slowly raise one knee at a time and alternate to the other one; repeat until the time lapses); if this is difficult use a chair to support yourself on and slowly raise your knee to the height you are comfortable with
Romanian Deadlift (RDL) to Bent-Over Rows x 30 seconds; coach's note: to perform an RDL begin in the standing position and slowly hinge at your hips, keeping your spine straight in a neutral position, trying to touch the wall behind you with your glutes [butt] then bring your arms straight down touching your shins or toes and bend your arms, bringing your elbows to your side, lower your arms, stand up and repeat)
Hip Bridges x 30 seconds; coach's note: Begin laying on the floor, hands and feet extended, dram your knees in so your feet are comfortably close to your hips, squeeze your glutes and raise your hips off the floor without putting pressure on your neck. Drive your feet down and your hips up. Keep your belly pulled in and your glutes.
Rest 30 - 90 seconds and Repeat
Step 3.
Cooldown for about 5 minutes
Drink about 14 - 22 ounces of water post workout
Workout will take you approximately 21 minutes to 30 minutes to complete.
How did the workout go? Leave a comment in the blog post and let me know!
Reference
California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2023).California academy of nutrition and dietetics. https://dietitian.org
Clark, M. A., Lucett, S. C., McGill, E., Montel, I., & Sutton, B. (2018). NASM essentials of fitness training (6th ed.). Cathy L Esperti.