Creating Calorie Deficits For Fat Loss
Common sense will tell us that the easiest way to create calorie deficits is to reduce food intake. Indeed, it is true but there are limitations as to how many calories we are supposed to slash from our daily calorie intake. Cutting large amounts of calories from our daily caloric intake slows down metabolism. It also promotes muscle loss which further decreases metabolic activity. Creating calorie deficits is simple enough. Nutritional strategies to create calorie deficits though have its limits. Going too low can cause problems which, surely, you’d rather do without.
Limiting food intake to create a calorie deficit is a strategy everyone can do to achieve fat loss. Almost everyone in their lifetime has gone on a calorie restricted diet to lose fat. Some, however, take it to the extreme. When this happens, it is called a crash diet. The correct way to implement calorie restriction to lose fat is to base it on your basal metabolic rate. This way you’ll be sure that you’re not messing up with your body’s basic functions. A 15 to 20% cut in your daily calorie requirement is reasonable. Some cases would demand a 25 to 30% cut before showing any improvement. However, increasing your activity levels to achieve it is the better option. The body may not immediately react to minimal calorie cuts but a larger dietary deficit can immediately slow down metabolic rate.
Caloric expenditure formulas, no matter how accurate they claim to be, are still approximations. The only reliable way of determining if your fat loss plan works is by observing your progress. The mirror is useful but it is like watching the grass grow. A more practical method is to measure your weight and body composition through skin fold measurements. Keep a weekly chart to assess your progress. Only through this will you be able to accurately determine if your fat loss plan is effective.
If you have tried to set goals for your fitness plan, you would have come across an advice that encourages you to be clear on what you want to achieve. It is sound advice because you cannot possibly lose large amounts of fat and at the same time develop huge muscles. It is not physiologically possible unless you have any of the following conditions. One is if you are on steroids or fat burning drugs. Another one is if you are a beginner and your body is just starting to adapt to the challenge of exercise. The next is if you are an advanced trainee whose muscles has lain dormant for a while. The fourth condition is having a genetically superior body which is extremely rare. For us who do not belong to these groups, a more reasonable expectation would be to lose a small amount of fat and develop big muscles or vice versa.
Creating calorie deficits to lose fat is a common practice among fitness enthusiasts. Just know how far you can go to avoid jeopardizing your fitness plan and your health.
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