Before I start, let's clear something up: losing weight and losing fat are not the same. Most of the time, when someone says they want to lose weight, they’re specifically talking about losing fat. Which makes sense—no one wants to lose muscle or remove their organs or bones to lower the number on the scale! So when I say “lose weight,” I mean working toward fat loss.

     Now that we’ve established that, let’s go over some factors that affect fat loss:

     1. Calories. If you haven’t heard the phrase “calories in versus calories out,” consider yourself lucky. It’s a gym-bro classic, often leaving beginners scratching their heads. What are “calories out”? How do I “out” calories? Simply put, “calories in” are the ones you eat. “Calories out” are what you burn—which brings me to the next point.

     2. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Ever notice that even on your laziest day, when all you've done is move from bed to the couch, your body is still working? Your heart is still pumping, your hair is still growing, and your body is burning calories just to keep you alive. That’s thanks to your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns doing nothing but existing. Even if you don’t eat (which you should—don’t skip meals without a solid reason), your body will find a way to get the energy it needs.

     You can easily find out your BMR by searching for a “basal metabolic rate calculator” and entering your measurements. This will show how many calories your body burns each day while at rest.

     3. Exercise. This one’s obvious: exercise helps you burn calories, which impacts how quickly you lose fat. Too often, I see women head straight for the cardio machines when they decide to lose weight, but they’re missing out on a powerful tool: resistance training.

     Resistance training (or “lifting,” as it’s commonly called) works hand-in-hand with your BMR. The more muscle fibers you tear during a workout (which is good, trust me), the more calories your body uses to repair them. This increases your BMR significantly. Resistance training helps you burn calories all day long—even while resting—unlike cardio, which burns calories mainly during the exercise itself.

     Cardio may burn more calories in the moment, but once you step off the treadmill, the energy burn stops. With lifting, your muscles continue synthesizing calories throughout the day. Over time, this adds up to more overall calorie burn than cardio alone!

     Now that we know the basics that impact fat loss, how do they play out in daily life? Let’s take a look at Bella’s journey:

          Bella is 5'5", 28 years old, and weighs 200 pounds. She’s not feeling great about her health, and her doctor has advised her to lose 50 pounds to reduce her risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues. She has a sedentary job, and although she’s motivated to lose weight, she’s not sure how to go about it. After years of yo-yo dieting, she’s fed up with gaining the weight back every time.

          When Bella reached out to me, we reviewed what she typically eats. On a normal day, she consumes around 3,000 calories, and on her diets, she drops to just 1,200 calories—two extreme ends of the spectrum. After using a BMR calculator, we found that Bella burns about 1,650 calories per day just by existing. Clearly, she’s been eating too much when not dieting and too little when dieting.

          With a goal of 150 pounds, we set her on a plan to eat the amount of calories her body would need at that weight, which comes out to around 2,400 calories per day. This allows her to have enough energy for four resistance training sessions each week while also promoting fat loss.

          As Bella progressed, not only did she feel more confident in her body, but she also learned how to maintain her results without extreme dieting.

     My goal as a trainer is to encourage women to do what makes them feel their best and to stay healthy for the long haul. While we could dive deeper into the science of BMR, training, and energy expenditure, these are the basics.

     For more information on how you can lose stubborn fat in a sustainable way, contact me at support@aplombtraining.com or book a consultation call. Let’s talk about how you can start—and continue—becoming the version of yourself that makes you proud.