How to Decrease the Percentage of Fat Mass

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Fitness experts know that the problem isn't the number on the scale - it's the percentage of fat stored in the body that matters. In a fit person it is around 21-24% for women and 14-17% for men, despite everyone's goals. At whatever level you are, shedding body fat is very difficult. But with a combination of diet, exercise and prudent fat burning habits, you can reach your ideal percentage.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Lower Body Fat with Diet

Step 1. Load up on protein and fiber

You've already heard it for sure: To get rid of that stubborn fat and start building muscle, you need protein. The body can burn protein to survive, but it prefers carbohydrates and fats. So when you just give him protein to eat, he'll go for the fats and carbohydrates you've already stored. On top of that, protein repairs muscle fibers!

• Fish and poultry are a great source of this - usually best to stick to lean, white meats. Low-fat dairy products are fine, and beans, soy, and eggs are also good sources of protein. A normal person can get as little as 10% of their daily needs from protein intake, but if you want to burn fat, it's better if you go up to 25-30%.
• Let's not forget the fibers! Slow to digest, they help you lose weight by making you feel full and act like a sponge for water and fat. Then add beans, whole-grain products, brown rice, nuts, and berries to the list of great foods to eat.

Step 2. You still need the good fats

Some believe that a low-fat or low-fat diet is automatically a good diet. Well, a low-fat diet for sure, but only if you do it right (yeah, you can also do it wrong). You better keep the good fats. The good kind (unsaturated; your omega-3s and 6s) can, in fact, lead to fat burning, improving your metabolism.

• The fats to keep in your diet should come from fatty fish such as salmon, olive oil, avocado and walnuts. However, just because they're good doesn't mean you need to abuse them. Always eat in moderation.
• In case it needs to be said, the fats you need to avoid are those from packaged foods, including frozen foods! Stay away from cookies, cakes, chips and fried foods and fast food. They are not worth the calories they give you.
• Solid fats at room temperature are high in saturated fats, which you should avoid. These include butter, lard, and coconut oil.

Step 3. Plan how many calories to eat

Here things start to get a bit confusing. There are very, very different schools of thought about carbohydrates. The Atkins method argues that they should be avoided altogether. Sure, this will burn fat, but it's totally unsustainable, and any theory that requires you to cut 60% of your body's preferred type of energy should be questioned. Let's consider other opinions instead:

• Carbohydrate cycle. The theory holds that you should eat low carbohydrates for a couple of days (about one gram per 450g of weight) to bring your body to a catabolic state and burn fat. Then, a day has to follow when you eat a lot of carbohydrates, in order to get your metabolism running. Without this day the metabolism would start to stop working.
• Scheduled hiring. Complex carbohydrates (brown rice, beans, oats) can be consumed before 6 pm (in general, it is not recommended to eat them late at night). The simple ones, on the other hand, should be consumed only after making a physical effort. When the body is still high from the exercise session, simple carbohydrates (read: sugar) are stored as glycogen, not fat. Otherwise, they should be avoided.

Step 4. Consider a calorie cycle

We talked about cycle carbohydrates, but it can also be done with calories. And the theory is the same: if you don't eat enough calories, your body is unwell, it starts to stop working and wears out your muscles. So, if you're on a low calorie diet, you need to have more days to be able to keep going and keep your metabolism in order.

• From 1200 calories down we talk about malnutrition. If you are interested in consuming calories per cycle, learn how many calories your body needs before playing with numbers. You can have days below this threshold, but make sure they are not consecutive.

  • To determine how many calories to eat daily based on your needs, consult your physiologist or dietitian.
  • This is a good method for those who have reached a stable level. If you have just that last bit of fat you want to lose, try this system.

  

  Step 5. Eat often

  Getting rid of body fat is all about your metabolism, especially when all you have to do is get rid of those last few pounds. To maintain your metabolism, you need to eat constantly. You've probably heard that eating 5-6 mini meals a day is key. Well, it comes close, but it's not perfection. Here because:

  • If you eat small meals all the time, your body produces insulin constantly and it never comes to burn. This, plus the fact that you are never 100% satisfied. So instead of eating 5-6 mini meals a day, have three decent meals and two snacks. It's the same idea, but improved to make it effective.
  • Breakfast! Is very important! The body needs to know that it can start burning calories, and breakfast is just that signal.
  • There are no magical foods that burn fat on their own. While a healthy diet can help you lose weight, only physical activity can turn fat into muscle.

  Part 2 of 3: Decrease Body Fat by Exercising

  

  Step 1. Do both heart exercises and weight lifting

  Cardio exercises burn calories faster than weight lifting, but if you want to increase your calorie consumption, you need to do both. If you want to have muscle tone, aim for more weights and fewer reps. But everything is fine!

  Exercises for the heart take various forms - swimming, boxing, running, biking are among the most common, but don't forget basketball, chasing children, walking the dog and dancing! If it speeds up your heartbeat, then that's okay

  

  Step 2. Do various heart exercises

  There are two things to prepare for: getting stuck at a certain level and boredom. They are both terrible in their own way. The best way to fight them (if not the only one)? Vary the type of training. In practice, it means doing various activities, varying the thing for mind and body. The head does not think ahh, still this? and your muscles don't get used to it, pretending to work out.

  So Monday go for a run, Tuesday swim, Wednesday rest, Thursday it's the elliptical and Friday the bike. Easy! You can also combine activities in one day

  

  Step 3. Time your exercises

  Still controversies. Many sites will tell you that a certain duration is best for cardio exercises, while another is better for weightlifting, still others will tell you that the best duration is the one you feel is the best. Here are the main news:

  • Some say cardio exercises on an empty stomach in the morning are best. The body has been fasting all night and will go directly to attack the fat deposits. Others say no, because the body directly attacks the muscles. The verdict? Well, if you're feeling nauseous and dizzy, let's go for the latter.
  • Some say weights should be done before cardio exercises. The latter deplete your glycogen stores, so when you go to weightlifting, you can't do it. And if you can't, you don't build muscle. In any case, this matters more to those interested in body building than to those who just want to get rid of the flab.
  • Others say you should do them in completely separate moments (cardio and weights, of course). For some it depends on your goal (weight loss? So first cardio). Others say it doesn't matter, the important thing is DO IT! In a nutshell? Do what you think is best - all theories have merits.

  

  Step 4. Try to do some highly intensive interval workouts

  They are the fashion of the day. Studies have shown that you burn more fat in less time and everyone is getting on the bandwagon. It quickly boosts your metabolism and keeps it high even afterwards - so much so that the term afterburn effect has been coined. So even if you only have 15 minutes to exercise, no excuses!

  There are no definitive rules for intensive interval training. It is just a cycle between low intensity activity and high intensity activity. An example? One minute on the treadmill while walking, followed by 30 seconds of deadly sprint. But the proportions are up to you

  

  Step 5. Make sure you rest

  For real. You may feel unstoppable power, but your physique needs to rest. Especially if you are lifting weights like it was your job; muscles need time to repair. So take a relaxing day. You don't have to sit on the couch all day, but let your body take care of itself.

  Weights should only be done consecutively if you are working on different muscle groups (for example, legs one day, arms and shoulders the next). Cardio exercises, on the other hand, can (and should) be done most days of the week

  Part 3 of 3: Making a Healthier Life

  

  Step 1. Sleep

  You need it to function normally. Research has shown that people who sleep less than 7-8 hours a night weigh more. The reason? Your hormones. You can eat as healthy as you want, but you can't control your hormones! The culprits are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin tells the body that it is full while ghrelin stimulates the appetite. If you don't sleep, they get upset; leptin levels drop and ghrelin levels rise. Result? You eat more unconsciously.

  

  Step 2. Drink lots of water

  It is practically the easiest diet there is. If you drink a lot of water, your body empties of toxins and doesn't want to eat as much. This is without counting the benefits it has on your organs: skin, hair and nails.

  Women should aim for 3 liters per day; men about 4 (including water in food). And drink it cold! Two glasses of cold water can cause your metabolism to surge for about half an hour

  

  Step 3. Drink some coffee before exercising

  Some research has shown that caffeine stimulates the nervous system and increases our epinephrine levels. This manifests itself as an adrenaline rush and sends signals to the body to quickly begin breaking down fatty tissue. Following this, fatty acids can be released and used in the blood. If you want it to work for you, have a cup of coffee before exercising.

  It is less effective if your stomach is already full, so leave the cup of coffee alone or maximum with a small snack. And yes, caffeine is responsible, not coffee - but most other sources of caffeine aren't good for you (read: sodas). In any case, thirty grams of dark chocolate wouldn't be a disaster and they also contain caffeine

  

  Step 4. Avoid traumatic diets

  If it's something that has a point of arrival, it's not doing so much good for sure. Whether you're drinking juice only, fasting, or cutting out a group of foods, if it's not sustainable, it's probably not doing that much good. You are likely to see great results at first, but in the long run it interferes with your metabolism and eventually turns you upside down. So, avoid them. Stay healthy and avoid them.

  

  Step 5. Use a variety of techniques to measure your fat mass

  There are over half a dozen ways to do this, and not all of them are always 100% accurate. Make sure you always measure your fat mass under the same conditions (Monday morning, after eating the banana, before exercising) and try various methods.

  • There are gauges, fat scales and monitors, Bod Pods, water displacement, and DEXA scanners. Typically, the more expensive it is, the more accurate the system is. If you can afford it, try a couple of different ones to get a good idea. A couple of percentage points means a lot!
  • A personal trainer or dietician may be able to help you measure and calculate your fat mass using scales, tapes, or gauges. Some dedicated facilities may offer much more advanced and expensive testing.
  • A fit woman has between 21-24% fat mass, although up to 31% is acceptable. For men, fit means 14-17%, and up to 25% is acceptable. We all have an essential fat level (for men it is much lower), which we cannot eliminate without harming ourselves. So, figure out what's best for you! And what is realistic.

  Advice

  • Create a routine that you respect and enjoy.
  • Sleep, but try not to stay in bed all morning. You would feel listless all day!
  • Remember that walking is also a cardio exercise - even walking around the house doing errands.
  • Join a gym and find a personal trainer. He will know exactly what you need to do to get to the level you want.
  • The essential fat mass in women is 10-12%, in men 3-5%.