How Fat Loss Works - Episode 5: Setting up Your Fat Loss Diet

Summary

In this health and fitness video, the host delves into the intricacies of setting up an effective fat loss diet. Emphasizing the importance of determining maintenance calories, the discussion favors the Muir equation and the Cunningham formula for their inclusion of lean body mass. The video advises tracking nutrition and weight to find one's maintenance calories and suggests a calorie deficit for gradual, sustainable fat loss, aiming for less than 1% body weight loss per week. It also touches on the role of protein intake, macronutrient distribution, and the potential benefits of incorporating diet breaks or refeeds. The host's upcoming book promises an in-depth exploration of these topics, advocating for a patient and habit-based approach to long-term fat loss success.

Takeaways

• 📊 To set up a fat loss diet, first determine maintenance calories, which can be estimated using various calculators like the Mifflin-St Jeor equation or the Harris-Benedict equation.
• 🔍 Lean body mass is a crucial factor for calculating maintenance calories as it's the most significant determinant of metabolic rate.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Personalize your maintenance calorie calculation by tracking your nutrition intake and observing weight changes over time.
• ⏱️ For safe and sustainable fat loss, aim for a weight loss of less than 1% of body weight per week to minimize lean body mass loss.
• 📉 A faster rate of weight loss increases the risk of losing more lean body mass, which can negatively impact your metabolic rate and future weight maintenance.
• 🔢 Calculate your calorie deficit by subtracting desired deficit calories from your maintenance calories to achieve a targeted rate of fat loss.
• 🥩 Protein intake is vital, ranging from 1.8 to 2.8 grams per kilogram of lean body mass, with individual needs varying based on activity level and personal goals.
• 🍽️ Macronutrient distribution (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) should be adjusted based on personal preference and can be modified with strategies like refeeds or high-calorie days.
• 🔄 Incorporating diet breaks or refeeds can help maintain lean body mass and metabolic rate, but the optimal approach is still a subject of ongoing research.
• 📚 For comprehensive guidance on fat loss, consider resources like the speaker's upcoming book, which delves into detailed strategies and calculations.

Q & A

What is the first step in setting up a fat loss diet according to the video?

The first step in setting up a fat loss diet is to determine maintenance calories, which can be estimated using various calculators such as the Mifflin-St Jeor equation or the Harris-Benedict equation, with a preference for those that use lean body mass as an input.

Why does the video recommend using lean body mass in calorie maintenance calculations?

Lean body mass is recommended as an input in maintenance calorie calculations because it is the most significant determinant of metabolic rate, which is more accurate than just using height and weight.

How can one accurately determine their maintenance calories if calculators don't work for them?

If calculators don't work for an individual, the most accurate way to determine maintenance calories is by tracking nutrition intake and observing weight changes over a period of time, ensuring the tracking is consistent and accurate.

What is the recommended rate of body fat loss per week to minimize lean body mass loss?

To minimize lean body mass loss, it is recommended to lose no more than 1% of body weight per week, with a preference for a slower rate of about 0.4 to 0.8% body mass loss per week.

What is the significance of not losing lean body mass while on a fat loss diet?

Maintaining lean body mass is crucial because it is beneficial for metabolic rate and helps in keeping the fat loss achieved post-diet, reducing the likelihood of regaining body fat.

How does the video suggest calculating a calorie deficit for fat loss?

The video suggests calculating a calorie deficit by subtracting the desired deficit calories from the maintenance calories, taking into account factors like activity levels and the rate at which one wants to lose body fat.

What role does protein intake play in a fat loss diet and how is it calculated?

Protein intake is crucial in a fat loss diet as it helps preserve lean body mass. It is calculated based on lean body mass, with a range of 1.8 to 2.8 grams per kilogram of lean body mass, depending on individual goals and activity levels.

Can the distribution of carbohydrates and fats affect body composition when calories and protein are equated?

According to the video, the distribution of carbohydrates and fats does not significantly affect body composition when total calories and protein intake are controlled for.

What is the purpose of incorporating diet breaks or refeeds in a fat loss plan?

Incorporating diet breaks or refeeds can help maintain more lean body mass and metabolic rate, which can be psychologically beneficial and sustainable, although it may extend the time required to achieve fat loss goals.

How should one adjust their maintenance calories during a diet break?

During a diet break, one should return to their maintenance calories, but it's important to recalculate these based on the weight lost during the diet phase, as metabolism adapts to the lowered calorie intake.

What is the key takeaway from the video regarding long-term success in fat loss?

The key takeaway for long-term success in fat loss is to be patient, diligent, and to focus on sustainable habits rather than relying on willpower. The video emphasizes the importance of considering the diet after the diet to maintain the weight loss.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding Fat Loss Diets

The speaker introduces the topic of setting up a fat loss diet, emphasizing the importance of determining maintenance calories. They mention various calculators, with a preference for those using lean body mass as an input, such as the Muir equation. The speaker also suggests tracking nutrition intake and weight to find one's maintenance calories, and discusses the potential for individual variation from calculator estimates. They share personal experiences and recommend a cautious approach to setting up a fat loss plan.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Setting a Fat Loss Deficit

This section discusses how to calculate a calorie deficit for fat loss, taking into account the rate of weight loss and the risk of losing lean body mass. The speaker advises against losing more than 1% of body weight per week to minimize lean mass loss. They provide a personal example of calculating a weekly weight loss goal and how it translates into a daily calorie deficit. The speaker also touches on the concept of diet breaks or refeeds to maintain metabolic rate and lean body mass, suggesting a balance between aggressive fat loss and sustainable practices.

10:04

🥗 Macronutrient Distribution for Fat Loss

The paragraph delves into the distribution of macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats—during a fat loss diet. The speaker discusses protein intake based on lean body mass and provides a range of grams per kilogram. They also mention that the distribution of carbohydrates and fats can be adjusted based on personal preference, as long as the overall calorie and protein intake are met. The concept of refeeds and high-calorie days is introduced as a psychological aid and for maintaining training intensity, with examples of how to adjust macronutrients on these days.

15:05

📈 Long-Term Fat Loss Strategies

Here, the speaker focuses on long-term strategies for fat loss, including diet breaks and the importance of recalculating maintenance calories during these breaks. They discuss the potential benefits of a slower, more sustainable approach to fat loss, which may lead to better long-term maintenance of the lost weight. The speaker cites statistics on diet relapse and emphasizes the importance of patience, good habits, and a sustainable diet style. They also mention their upcoming book, which delves deeper into these topics.

20:05

📚 Conclusion and Book Promotion

In the final paragraph, the speaker summarizes the series on fat loss, highlighting the importance of understanding the long-term implications of dieting and the need for a sustainable approach. They promote their upcoming book, 'The Complete Guide to Contest Prep,' which they claim will provide in-depth knowledge and tools for fat loss and contest preparation. The speaker encourages viewers to sign up for a free chapter and to consider the information presented for their own fat loss journeys.

Keywords

💡Fat Loss

Fat loss refers to the process of reducing the amount of body fat while maintaining or building lean muscle mass. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses various methods for determining maintenance calories and setting up a diet to achieve fat loss. The video emphasizes the importance of a gradual and sustainable approach to fat loss to minimize the loss of lean body mass and ensure long-term success.

💡Maintenance Calories

Maintenance calories are the number of calories an individual needs to consume daily to maintain their current body weight. The video explains that determining one's maintenance calories is the first step in setting up a fat loss diet. The speaker suggests using equations like the Mifflin-St Jeor or the Harris-Benedict, which factor in variables such as lean body mass, to estimate maintenance calories.

💡Lean Body Mass

Lean body mass is the total body mass excluding fat, primarily consisting of muscle, bone, and water. The video highlights that lean body mass is a critical determinant of metabolic rate, which in turn affects how many calories an individual needs to maintain their weight. The speaker prefers equations that use lean body mass as an input for calculating maintenance calories.

💡Calorie Deficit

A calorie deficit occurs when an individual consumes fewer calories than they burn, leading to weight loss. The video discusses how to calculate a calorie deficit by subtracting desired deficit calories from maintenance calories. This deficit is crucial for fat loss, but the speaker cautions against setting the deficit too high to avoid losing lean body mass.

💡Protein Intake

Protein intake is discussed in the video as a vital macronutrient for preserving lean body mass during fat loss. The speaker suggests a range of 1.8 to 2.8 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass, emphasizing that higher protein intake can help spare muscle tissue during calorie restriction. The video also mentions that protein requirements may increase with age.

💡Macronutrients

Macronutrients are the primary nutrients required by the body in large amounts, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The video explains how to distribute macronutrients, particularly focusing on protein, carbohydrates, and fats, to support fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. The speaker provides examples of how to adjust macronutrient ratios based on personal preferences and goals.

💡Refeeds

Refeeds, also known as diet breaks, are periods of increased calorie and carbohydrate intake during a calorie-restricted diet. The video mentions that incorporating refeeds can help maintain metabolic rate and lean body mass. The speaker discusses different refeed strategies, such as high-calorie days, and how they can be adjusted to fit individual needs and goals.

💡Body Composition

Body composition refers to the proportion of fat, muscle, and other tissues in the body. The video's main theme revolves around improving body composition by losing fat while preserving or building lean muscle mass. The speaker provides strategies for achieving this through diet and exercise, emphasizing the importance of a balanced and sustainable approach.

💡Metabolic Rate

Metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories at rest. The video explains that lean body mass is a significant factor in determining metabolic rate. As individuals lose weight, their metabolic rate may decrease, necessitating adjustments in calorie intake and macronutrient distribution to continue losing fat effectively.

💡Sustainable Dieting

Sustainable dieting refers to long-term dietary habits that can be maintained over time without leading to significant weight regain. The video stresses the importance of creating sustainable eating patterns that align with an individual's lifestyle and preferences. The speaker argues that successful long-term weight management relies on habits rather than temporary willpower.

💡Diet Relapse

Diet relapse is the return to previous eating habits that led to weight gain after a period of weight loss. The video cites statistics showing high rates of diet relapse, emphasizing the need for a long-term, sustainable approach to weight management. The speaker suggests that focusing on creating good habits and considering the 'diet after the diet' can improve the chances of maintaining weight loss.

Highlights

Introduction to the health fat loss work series discussing the physiology and biochemistry of fat loss.

Emphasis on determining maintenance calories as the first step in setting up a fat loss diet.

Recommendation of the Muir equation and the Coudert-Cardinal for calculating maintenance calories due to their use of lean body mass.

Explanation that maintenance calorie calculators are only estimations and personal tracking is recommended for accuracy.

Advice on tracking nutrition intake and体重 to determine maintenance calories over a four-week period.

Discussion on the importance of not losing weight too quickly to avoid losing lean body mass.

Suggestion to aim for a weight loss of less than 1% of body weight per week to minimize lean body mass loss.

Calculating calorie deficit by subtracting desired deficit from maintenance calories for an average daily deficit.

Importance of protein intake in a fat loss diet, with a range of 1.8 to 2.8 grams per kilogram of lean body mass.

Recommendation to distribute carbohydrates and fats after accounting for protein intake in the diet.

Option to incorporate refeeds or high-calorie days for psychological benefits and to maintain metabolic rate.

Explanation that calorie cycling does not significantly impact fat loss if the weekly calorie total is consistent.

Discussion on the benefits of diet breaks and how they can help maintain lean body mass and metabolic rate.

Advice on recalculating maintenance calories during diet breaks to account for weight loss and metabolic adaptation.

Highlighting the importance of patience and consistency in fat loss, with statistics on diet relapse rates.

Emphasis on creating sustainable habits and considering the 'diet after the diet' for long-term success.

Promotion of the upcoming book 'The Complete Guide to Contest Prep' for in-depth knowledge on fat loss and contest preparation.

Transcripts

[Music]

hey guys welcome back to the health fat

loss work series and we've kind of

leaned through four episodes talking

about the physiology and biochemistry of

how fat loss works and by now I'm sure a

lot of you were like alright this is

great we're learning a lot but how do we

actually do this like how do i how do i

as a coach and for myself set up a fat

loss diet excellent question

and the first step is we need to

determine what their maintenance

calories are and I already have a video

on this and I'll link it above so you

guys can check check out the video on

maintenance calories now the fact of the

matter is there are a lot of calculators

out there okay a lot most of them will

get you in the ballpark a couple of

those I prefer are the muir equation and

the catchment cardinal for the reason

that they use lean body mass as one of

their inputs specifically the Mueller

uses lean body mass fat mass and age and

sex which I feel are probably the four

most important variables other ones like

the harris-benedict they use height and

weight which you know are helpful but at

the same time like lean body mass is the

most major determinant of your metabolic

rate that in genetics so I feel like

that's a very important thing that

should be involved in these these

equations so I personally prefer to

prefer the Muir and you know in my

upcoming book I have a contest prep book

coming out I talked about all these

different equations so you can check

that out or you can look up the Bueller

equation so we need to follow me that's

telling us now what if you are kind of

outside the normal alright these

equations don't work for you or you just

don't want to use them well in reality

these equations are only estimations

remember that okay so they're going to

estimate what you bathe their BMR is and

then they're going to add an activity

factor to it now again that's an

estimation that

maybe off by several hundred calories

per day well you can do it yourself the

best way to determine your maintenance

calories is to track your nutrition

intake and see what your weight does so

if you are tracking and you're weighing

yourself every day

I recommend waiting every day first

thing in the morning after using the

bathroom wait on the same scale in the

same place and take the average of those

weights for the week and if you look

over four weeks and you're mostly

maintaining your weight on whatever

intake you're on you can be relatively

assured that those are for all practical

purposes your maintenance calories or if

you are losing like you know around a

pound a week or half a kilo that's about

a 500 calorie deficit now I'm going to

have like I said in my new book coming

up I talked about this stuff in detail

and break it down in absolute my new

chef detail that's beyond the scope of

this video but you can look up and see

you kind of what calorie levels equate

to what so I refer to it that way I

prefer tracking finding what my

maintenance calories are through

tracking I know for me about 27 to 2,800

calories is my maintenance maybe up

around 3,000 or 3,100 if I'm doing a

little bit of extra activity but on my

off days and I'm not training my my

maintenance calories around 2100 and I

know that just from tracking for so long

and many of you who have been tracking a

long time you will know your maintenance

calories the next step is calculating

your deficit now this ball is gone too

how quickly do you want to lose body fat

all right keep in mind the faster you

lose it the more you're risking losing

lean body mass and the bottom ass

obviously for most of us is what we want

to keep it's also very beneficial to our

metabolic rate so we don't want to be

losing a lot of lean body mass because

in addition to all those other negative

effects of losing lean body mass if you

lose more lean body mass it increases

the likelihood that you're going to

regain body fat post diet

and hopefully we like to maintain more

of the fat loss that we create so how do

I calculate deficit well it's very

simple we're going to subtract whatever

deficit calories we want from our

maintenance and that gives us our

average daily deficit that we want a

hint now how fast should you lose weight

there is some evidence especially in

natural competitors and I talked about

this in my book as well that if you lose

more than 1 percent of your body weight

per week that you start really tipping

the scales towards a lot more lean body

mass lost ok

so in most studies they show about

twenty to thirty percent of the way he

loses from lean body mass keep in mind

again lean body mass not the same thing

as muscle but if you go out to like

start to approach that one percent per

week you're getting more into the zone

of you lose almost fifty percent of your

weight from lean body mass okay that's

obviously something we avoid so I tell

people I like to keep it under one

percent of your body weight loss per

week all right

in fact I prefer more like point four

two point eight percent of your body

mass loss per week so for me I'm about

ninety three kilos if I wanted to target

like you know point five percent of my

body weight loss per week that is going

to a quick and dirty math thanks I'm

around 0.65 kilograms per week which is

right around the pound a week all right

and that is a pretty reasonable rate of

loss for me you know how I want about

this outfit good you know 0.75 that

would take this to you know a number

that's about you know point seven kilos

per week that's fine too you know but

basically whatever amount of weight you

want to lose you look at okay how much

weight we lose in what time frame okay

and do I want to incorporate things like

diet breaks or me feeds because if you

incorporate diet for a second

talked about you can maintain more lean

body mass maintain your man walk rate

better but it's going to take you longer

me personally if I'm just trying to get

leaner and I don't have a specific goal

to shoot for I'm going slow and I'm

incorporating diet pranks okay but maybe

you maybe you have something coming up

in eight weeks that you you want to be

ready for when you will lose as much fat

as possible well that's okay you're

gonna need a more aggressive deficit

maybe you're up close to that one

percent work per week but keep in mind

with the downsides on that the more

aggressive you get the more likely want

to lose the body mass and the harder it

is going to be for you to maintain that

body weight loss once it's over because

you're going to lower your metabolic

rate more because of the more aggressive

calorie deficit so yeah it's like for

example point five percent at this level

of body fat loss program late loss per

week we can then calculate a calorie

deficit now I have my own proprietary

formula for calculating this that's in

my book but basically you know this was

a great tool around just around a 500

kcal deficit so that would mean if I

wanted to lose on average around a half

kilo a week like this I would need to

take my training day calories down to

about 27 to 28 hundred and my my nan

training days down to about 22 to 2300

calories okay

flower managed to calculate my deficit

in my average my average calories right

so I average it's probably around 2,500

let's just say for the sake of argument

how do i distribute those calories right

now we have protein carbs and fats that

we need to figure out well protein can

be anywhere from 1.8 to around 2.8 grams

per kilogram lean body mass okay so if

we have somebody who's not let's say 85

kilos of lean body mass well let's just

be easy for the sake of for the sake of

that doing so much math let's say there

were 90 kilos of lean body mass and they

wanted to hit 2 grams per kilogram of

lean body mass so now I put them in 180

grams of protein per day what if they

wanted to go up to 2.5 well break out my

create school arithmetic so this works

out to 225 grams of proteins or ditches

all right so let's say I wanted to do

that all right

there's no what you get people want to

argue about this sort of stuff

listen I did a PhD in protein metabolism

I wouldn't find a way to you more

protein more frequently and when I left

my PhD program

I ain't less protein in a less

frequently okay most bodybuilders are

over consume protein but if you want to

go all the way up to two point eight

grams per kilo of lean body mass you're

sure they're not gonna farm yourself

doing that but you have to balance that

out with you're gonna be eating less

carbohydrates and fats if you do that

and once you give up you know 2.2 2.4

grams per kilo of lean body mass you're

not getting additional anabolic benefits

from that so that's not I want to be

safe and I wanted to go 2.5 grams per

kilogram lean body mass and it was I had

minded kilos of lean body mass so this

is not exactly what I have

a little bit lower than that but that

would put me at 225 grams of protein per

day so it's proteins for calories per

gram that equates to 900 calories from

protein okay we can subtract that from

our daily average deficit so a minus 900

we have 1600 calories left over for

carbohydrates and fats there is a lot of

I made about this out there but based on

the plethora of scientific evidence that

we have

when calories and protein are equated

distribution of carbohydrate in fact

does not matter with regards to body

composition what that says is do

whatever you prefer okay for me I like a

breakdown of about 55 so for this this

formation calories I like a breakdown

about 55 45 so while I thought 55

percent of those calories to come from

carbohydrate and 45 percent to come to

fat for somebody who is doing an average

of 2 a 2500 calories a day if you wanted

that much protein at 225 220 card and 80

now so there you go does your average

daily micros now do you want to do

something like refeeds

do you want to do something like

high-calorie days you don't have to the

data out there suggests that calorie

cycling does not make a difference on

fat loss if the overall amount of

calories throughout the week are equated

there's several studies on this they

show that at least when you're talking

about one or two high carb days that are

spread out it doesn't seem to make a

difference however if you prefer that if

it helps you to have that caramel

kneading the stick psychologically which

does me I like to have a higher

Rene from my harder training sessions

then that's fine to do so let's say this

person wanted to do what a higher

calorie day per week and you know what

I'm gonna chop 20 grams of carbohydrate

off this if there's six days a week with

having 20 grams of carbohydrate that's

120 grams they could put extra towards

one day right so that could put them at

320 grams CH o on their high day if they

200 every other day now what what if

they wanted to do - hi days a week they

could go down to 180 and then they'd

have it kind of to high days okay you

can also play with your macros a little

bit I usually take my protein down by

about 10% when I my calorie days so I

take that down the reason for that B is

that calories are protein sparing so

when you have more calories we don't

require as much protein okay so we can

take this down to there that means we

could actually end those 25 grams back

in the carbohydrate and now we would

have two times per week at 345 grams ch

oh there's a million ways you can set

this up but basically you're trying to

get back to this average week daily

number and how are you distribute that

during the week is up to you you can do

to really high calorie days at 4,000 but

you'd have to adjust the other days to

compensate for that okay again if this

is something I talked about in depth in

my book and I sell all out charts and

tables and it shows you how to easily do

that the other thing with notes of

protein is that as you age you tend to

require more protein in fact based on my

regression analysis of the data out

there that's available after age study

it looks like your protein requirements

to maximum

azam go up by about 1.5 percent per year

after age 30 and you can I talk about

this in my book in depth we talk about

refeeds diet breaks this falls down to

how fast do you want to lose fat and the

matador study but I talk about and I'll

put a link to this as well they do a two

week diet with a two week diet break

okay and they show those people had more

efficient fat loss per week of dieting

okay but it still took them longer to

lose the same amount of fat as a group

diving 16 weeks straight okay it's up to

you I think diet rates are very useful

now maybe they don't have to go to on to

off maybe you go to on and then one week

diet break or a 3 weeks diet 2 week diet

break we don't know we don't know what

the best protocol is I'm experimenting

with some different things with clients

but basically when you're on a diet

break you are gonna go back to your

maintenance calories okay now keep in

mind as you diet as you go through a

diet your maintenance calories are going

to change because as we talked about in

the first episode your arm are your meat

your your other your exercise activity

adaptation those rates are gonna go down

because your metabolism adapts to

lowered calories so you're gonna have to

recalculate your maintenance during each

diet break based on how much weight

you've lost during your diet phase ok

again something I talked about in great

detail in my new book that's coming out

but you could do I mean you could do two

weeks on two weeks off you can even four

weeks on two weeks off you could do trim

weeks on two weeks off two weeks on one

week off what am I gonna let me golf we

don't know what the best protocol is

what I can say is we do know that two

weeks on two weeks off

seems to work but if you're somebody who

has to lose say you know 50 or 40 kilos

you're very overweight I mean this could

take you well over a year but the

benefit is that once you lose it you are

much more likely to keep it off you're

much more likely to maintain your lean

body mass what I can tell you is I think

patience makes the biggest difference

the people who lose body fat and keep it

off are the people who are patient and

diligent and who make good habits okay

I'm gonna throw some numbers at you

right now then hopefully help you

understand why it's important to think

about the long term the rate of diet

relapse are within one year of people

losing weight over 70% relapse to the

pre diet weight within two years

85% relapse and within three years what

is that

apparently that number is over 95

percent relapse diets failed 95 percent

of time the 5 percent less than 5

percent of people are successful keeping

weight off in fact of these people one

third to two thirds will add more

one-third to two-thirds of these people

will add back on more weight than they

lost in the first place they're gonna be

worse off if you want to lose fat and do

it right take your time

everybody's you have in common the 5%

who are successful they practice

self-monitoring they make good habits

they don't rely on willpower they make

good habits they make good

they do something that is sustainable to

their lifestyle

whenever diet you're wrong you have to

be able to maintain that full rest of

your life if you want to keep I'm not

saying this le maintain low calories I'm

saying the style of dieting that you're

using you'll feel maintain that okay so

if you're doing keto if you can't see

yourself never eating carbs again don't

do keto if you can great go for it it's

not certainly not gonna harm you based

on the data and then go slow be diligent

and think about the diet after the diet

most people fail because they don't

think about the diet after the diet

alright guys I wish you best of luck if

you're interested in my new book that

specifically long contest prep but talks

about the fat loss in great detail this

book is unbelievable there's nothing out

there like it it's called the complete

guide to contest prep or the complete

contest prep guide and it's over 300

pages or we don't know exactly the final

cake page cap it's gonna be around over

300 pages and it it takes all the

guesswork out for you so if you want

something like that if you'd like to

check out a free chapter you can

actually click the link below sign up

for a free chapter and for the pre-sale

list thanks for watching my series on

how fat loss works I hope that's been

helpful for you if you like this video

like the video share the video leave a

comment and I'll catch you guys next

time to drop some knowledge

you