If I Was Starting Over 20% BodyFat Here's What I'd Do...

Summary

The video outlines an effective strategy for dropping body fat while preserving muscle mass. The speaker shares their personal experiences with weight gain and loss, offering a step-by-step guide. They recommend starting with a calorie maintenance and increasing daily activity, such as walking, to burn fat slowly. As progress plateaus, increasing activity and gradually reducing calories is advised, while maintaining high protein intake. Strength training and cardio routines play vital roles. The speaker emphasizes discipline, tracking progress, and mindset shifts to achieve sustainable fat loss and muscle preservation, while avoiding extreme calorie cuts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start by eating at maintenance calories and increasing activity levels, like walking, before jumping into a calorie deficit.
• 😀 Aim for a sustainable fat loss approach, which prioritizes muscle retention and strength preservation over quick fixes.
• 😀 Gradually increase daily steps to 12,000 to enhance fat loss, as opposed to drastically cutting calories from the start.
• 😀 Once fat loss slows down, decrease calories slowly (around 2-300) to avoid losing muscle mass too quickly.
• 😀 Weight training 3-6 times per week is essential for maintaining muscle mass while losing fat.
• 😀 Protein intake should be prioritized, with a goal of consuming 1g of protein per pound of body weight daily.
• 😀 Do not drop calories drastically (e.g., 1,000 below maintenance), as this can result in muscle loss and fatigue.
• 😀 Add steady state cardio after hitting a plateau to further increase caloric expenditure, starting with moderate amounts and increasing over time.
• 😀 Aim to stay between 12-15% body fat for sustainability; dropping below that can lead to energy loss and mental health struggles.
• 😀 Focus on mindset and discipline—remove distractions, track progress, and stay consistent to achieve fat loss goals.
• 😀 Training should focus on higher rep ranges (10-15) to avoid injury, with moderate volume (8-16 sets per muscle group per week).

Q & A

What is the first step the author would take if starting over at 20% body fat?

The author would start by eating at maintenance calories and increasing physical activity, particularly by walking more each day, rather than jumping straight into a calorie deficit.

Why did the author gain fat in Dubai compared to other locations?

The author gained fat in Dubai because the weather is hot and humid, making outdoor activities, like walking, difficult. This led to reduced daily movement and increased fat gain.

What role does walking play in the fat loss strategy?

Walking helps increase calorie expenditure. The author suggests starting with an hour of walking per day, which can burn between 0.5 and 1 pound of body fat per week.

How should you adjust your activity if you hit a plateau during fat loss?

If a plateau is reached, the author recommends increasing daily steps to around 12,000 steps per day, which can help burn an additional 0.5 to 1 pound of body fat per week.

What should you do before dropping calories during a fat loss phase?

Before reducing calories, the author suggests increasing activity levels to ensure you are still in a calorie deficit due to increased expenditure, which helps preserve muscle mass.

What is the recommended calorie drop when starting a deficit?

The author recommends a small calorie drop of 200 to 300 calories from your maintenance intake, ensuring the deficit is sustainable and doesn't negatively affect performance or energy levels.

Why is protein intake important when cutting calories?

High protein intake helps preserve muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. The author recommends consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day to minimize muscle loss.

What does the author recommend after hitting a plateau and reducing calories?

Once the plateau is reached, the author suggests adding cardio in the form of incline walking, starting at 20 minutes per day and progressively increasing the duration and frequency of cardio sessions.

How does the author suggest maintaining lean muscle while cutting fat?

To preserve muscle while losing fat, the author recommends weight training 3 to 6 times a week, focusing on higher rep ranges (10-15 reps) and maintaining a moderate volume of training (8 to 16 sets per muscle group).

What mindset shift does the author recommend for achieving fat loss goals?

The author stresses the importance of discipline and removing distractions. They suggest eliminating toxic influences, tracking progress consistently, and adopting a mindset of consistency and focus to reach fat loss goals.