Fat Loss: where sweaty endeavors and questionable choices like regrettable “30-day challenges” come into play. Let me take you on a secret journey where, suddenly, your body prefers mystery puzzles over straight answers.
I have always loved the escape and self-confidence that comes from working out. It allowed me the flexibility to eat anything I wanted and stay relatively healthy most of my life. Perimenopause changed all of that, and I felt like I was no longer in control of my body. What used to work suddenly didn’t work for me anymore.
Personal Odyssey into the Abyss of Fat Loss Diets
I also was over the whole being on a diet thing. I had tried literally every diet and workout plan ever created. Jenny Craig, yeah, I did it. Weight Watchers, yup. Beachbody, yes…I have all the CDs, HIIT training? I had the bruises to prove it.
I didn’t want some “lose 30 lbs in 30 days” bullsh!t challenge. I was so burned out on failing. I wanted something that worked! I needed the most efficient way to take off the weight. Although everyone can improve their lifestyle and tweak behaviors to make improvements, I wanted this to be the last damn time I had to go on a diet for fat loss.
I’m also over 50 and no longer have time or the patience to do things inefficiently. Time and gravity are already working against me, and I’d like to reach my goals before my kids have to change my diapers. I also want to be the “hot granny” in the nursing home. Winking at old men in my walker side mirrors as I pass them. Just call me Granny Guns!
The Million-Dollar Question: Where to Focus With Fat Loss?
Considering all that, how do I reach my goals sustainably but also efficiently? Do I focus on cardio, strength training, nutrition, or all three? Am I doomed in middle age to forever wear mom jeans (not the cool ones)? A mumu to cover my ever-expanding waistline?
I was overwhelmed and needed a direct path to feeling like myself again. Here’s what I did…
I hit the learning hard, looking at research and medical journals, studying, and getting certified in both nutrition and personal training so that you don’t have to.
Here’s what I learned:
You already know you should do all three, but what gives you the most efficient path to fat loss? The answer might surprise you.
What Cardio Does For Fat Loss
Cardio can help support changing your size or overall weight. It does, in fact, have the most calorie burn of all the training workouts, but it’s also a little nuanced.
Common Misconceptions About Fat Loss and Cardio
Most people hear that cardio burns more calories and think it’s common sense that the best way to lose weight is to hit the treadmill and burn the calories. They think cardio will help them get the body they desire.
The Nuance of Cardio and Fat Burn
Here’s where the nuance comes in. Cardio does, in fact, burn more calories than other forms of training, but it doesn’t teach your body to burn more fat. Before you get your panties all twisted and get ready to tie my arse to a treadmill for endless cardio, hear me out…
The Compound Interest Analogy: Maximizing Fat Loss Results
Here’s an analogy to help explain my point. When you first enter the job market, you think getting the highest hourly job means you will make more money. Technically, you will make more money per hour, but no matter how hard you work, 40 hours will always be 40 hours. There are only so many hours you can work.
If you want to make more money, a better strategy might be to invest your money so you earn compound interest on that income instead of trading time for dollars.
Overcoming Adaptation and Motivation Hurdles for Fat Loss
Cardio is similar in that you can get fantastic initial results, but you will plateau hard once your body adapts unless you continually increase intensity or time working out.
The issue is that most of us don’t have endless motivation or desire to work out more and more as our bodies continue to adapt. It’s why many women quit. They get frustrated when what they did last month no longer works this month. They think they have a broken metabolism or must reduce calories to obnoxiously low numbers, further slowing metabolism. The crazy answer to the fat loss solution evades most women because it’s counterintuitive, and why so many women get stuck riding the bullet train to frustration town. I know…I have a fully punched loyalty card.
Much like taking advantage of compound interest, you want to teach your body to burn fat for you rather than trying to outrun your calories.
The Hidden Pitfalls of Fat Loss and Calorie Overestimation
Another point…Most women overestimate the calories they burn during workouts. The bad news is your Apple Watch isn’t much better. In fact, it is surprisingly inaccurate when calculating calorie burn. Most devices are off by 20-50% in either direction. A few years ago, I tested my Apple Watch while walking on my treadmill to see how similar the “calorie burn” would be for the same workout on each device. They differed by hundreds of calories. So, which if either was accurate? What if I’m using my device to determine how many calories I can eat that day, but it’s inaccurate? See the issue?
Why Cardio Isn’t the Ultimate Fat-Burner
Not only are you burning substantially less than your cardio equipment tells you, but eventually, your body will adapt to the stressor (cardio) placed on it, and you will have to increase your training intensity to accommodate the change.
While I recommend cardio to all my clients, I don’t recommend it as the primary source of fat-burning. The process is inefficient at best. Instead, we focus on the right amount of cardio for your goals and strength training to teach your body to keep your metabolism running as efficiently as possible while eating as many calories as possible.
Think of it as the old parable of giving a fish vs. teaching someone to fish.
What Cardio Does for Fat Loss
- Boosts calorie burn: adds to calorie deficit
- Improves heart health: cardio strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases since the risk goes up for women, especially after menopause due to hormonal changes.
- Mood and Mental Health: Cardio releases endorphins, improving mood and reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.
- Some evidence suggests cardio can help manage appetite: Moderate-intensity cardio may help regulate hunger hormones, reducing overall eating. Note that overtraining or high-intensity cardio can do the reverse for some people, increasing hunger, especially if they have a poorly managed calorie deficit.
What Strength Training Does For Fat Loss
When it comes to really changing your body, you want to focus on strength training. Think of strength training as the tool to carve those lean, shapely curves into your form. Strength training helps to reshape your body by emphasizing areas that improve your overall body composition.
For example, developing the shoulder area can significantly transform your silhouette. Strengthening your shoulders begins with exercises that improve posture and presence, such as shoulder presses and lateral raises. Enhanced shoulder development not only implies physical strength but also conveys an impression of confidence and elegance. Strong shoulders draw the eye upward, elongating the neck and creating a balanced look that accentuates toned arms. This cohesive and athletic appearance is a testament to dedication and self-care. Moreover, well-developed shoulders can visually minimize the waist and hips, which often concern women, by balancing the body’s proportions.
Benefits Beyond Aesthetics
- Increased Muscle and Metabolism:
- Building muscle through strength training can increase your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. This boost in metabolism is crucial for sustainable fat loss.
- Mental Health and Well-being:
- Strength training has profound mental health benefits. It is known to reduce stress, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve overall mood. Regular strength training can lead to increased production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers. This mental fortitude can help curb emotional eating patterns, supporting healthier lifestyle choices.
- Enhanced Body Composition:
- Strength training builds muscle and improves body composition by increasing lean mass and reducing fat mass. This transformation leads to a leaner, more toned appearance. Unlike cardio alone, which primarily focuses on caloric expenditure, strength training reshapes the body by targeting fat loss and muscle gain.
Practical Tips for Effective Strength Training
- Progressive Overload:
- Continuously challenge your muscles by gradually increasing your workouts’ weight, reps, or intensity. This principle of progressive overload is key to ongoing muscle development and adaptation.
- Diverse Routine:
- Incorporate a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups to ensure balanced development. Compound movements, such as squats and deadlifts, should be staples as they engage multiple muscles simultaneously.
- Consistency is Key:
- Commit to a routine, aiming for strength training sessions at least 2-3 times weekly. Consistency builds momentum, leading to better results over time.
Crucial Role of Nutrition in Fat Loss
Nutrition is key to effective fat loss, often playing a more pivotal role than either cardio or strength training. Achieving fat loss fundamentally requires maintaining a calorie deficit, consuming fewer calories than your body burns. Nutrition is central to this process, allowing precise control over calorie intake. By optimizing your diet, you can reveal the results of your physical efforts, showcasing the lean muscle developed through consistent training.
Building and Preserving Muscle Through Nutrition
One of the most critical aspects of proper nutrition is ensuring adequate protein intake. Protein preserves lean muscle mass during weight loss, directing weight loss primarily towards fat rather than muscle. This distinction is essential because maintaining muscle not only supports a toned appearance but also aids in metabolism. For strength training to be truly effective, your diet must provide the necessary proteins to repair and build muscle tissue post-exercise.
The Simplicity of Dietary Adjustments and Fat Loss
Managing your diet can be a more straightforward and often more efficient method of sustaining a calorie deficit. Consider the ease of skipping a high-calorie dessert: avoiding a 500-calorie treat is far easier than attempting to burn those same calories through rigorous exercise. To put this into perspective, burning around 500 calories would require approximately 10,000 steps—essentially a full day’s worth of walking—just to offset indulging in one dessert.
Enhancing Fat Loss with Balanced Nutrition
Incorporating balanced nutrition into your lifestyle not only aids in reducing body fat but also unveils the shape and tone sculpted through strength training. While exercise increases calorie expenditure and enhances metabolic efficiency, proper nutrition ensures that you’re not merely treading water in a constant struggle against caloric intake. Instead, it enables your body to maximize the benefits of strength and cardio training, teaching it to utilize calories more effectively during activity and at rest.
By aligning your nutrition strategy with your fitness goals, you can achieve sustainable fat loss and a healthier, more defined physique, demonstrating that true fitness success begins on your plate.
Conclusion
Prioritizing nutrition lays the essential foundation for successful fat loss. While cardio and strength training enhance and expedite your results, they cannot fully compensate for inadequate dietary habits. Establishing a solid nutritional framework ensures that your efforts in physical training are supported and maximized, leading to sustainable and effective fat loss. By aligning nutrition with exercise, you create a synergistic approach that amplifies your fitness achievements. Focusing on nutrition first ensures you establish the foundation for fat loss. Training (both cardio and strength training) enhances and accelerates results but cannot compensate for poor dietary habits.
Interested in losing some weight and better controlling your fat loss journey, grab our FREE Ultimate Guide to Fat Loss in Menopause. If you’re interested in personal online coaching for nutrition and training, check us out here.
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