How to Lose Weight | Body Tracking with Fitstream

A Simple Guide on Weight Loss and How to Burn Fat

So your goal is to lose weight, or more specifically to reduce body fat levels. This simple guide will present to you the no-nonsense rules of fat loss and show you how that Fitstream can help transform your body.

Fat Loss Rules

The fundamental rule to remember is that to lose weight your calorie input must be less than your calorie output, or to put it more simply eat fewer calories than you burn.

You have complete control over both these factors as calorie input is dictated by what food you eat and calorie output determined by your activity levels. These variables are more commonly referred to as diet and exercise.

This is the essence of how to lose weight at the most basic of levels. Here are some other rules that are worth remembering;

Your genes govern your propensity to store fat and where it's like to go.
Targeted fat loss isn't possible (known as spot reduction) so hundreds of sit-ups won't burn that belly fat.
Your rate of weight loss will slow down as your body fat % decreases.
3,500 calories equates to 1lb of fat (which is useful when you want to plan your calorie deficit)

Fat Loss Mindset

We don't set false expectations at Fitstream and we want people to use our service who are clear about what they want and what it's going to take to get there. Here are our thoughts on the right approach and mindset for fat loss;

Your weight loss journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Aim for small, regular progress. It's healthier and more sustainable. After all, it took a long time to get where you are.
It will be difficult at first and you will struggle both mentally and physically. Give it time and it gets easier.
Be realistic. Aim for 1-2 lbs of fat loss per week as a general guide (much more and you risk losing lean mass too).
Exercise is important. Diet is critical. To illustrate this, consider that running for a single mile will burn just over 100 calories, whereas eating the average chocolate bar with input around 220 calories.

Four Simple Steps to Fat Loss

Eat Healthier

This is the most crucial step. If you don't fix your diet then no amount of exercise will help. To burn fat your diet goals should be to;

Make healthier food choices
Create a calorie deficit

In order to create a calorie deficit you need to know two things - how many calories you're currently consuming, and what your maintenance level of calories should be.

For beginners we'd recommend calorie tracking for a month or two. This is a great way to educate yourself on what to eat and to understand current intake. Over time you'll develop an instinct on how to self manage what you eat and how to make healthier choices. You'll find more information on calorie tracking and calculating your TDEE in our Beginner's Guide to Fat Loss article.

Exercise for Fat Loss

The next step of your fat loss plan is to exercise appropriately. Increasing your activity levels ups the amount of calories you use and helps speed fat loss whilst also building lean body mass (which in turn increases the amount of calories burned at rest!).

Avoid aimless exercise routines and choose a tried and tested plan from a professional fitness expert. Here are our tips on how best to exercise for fat loss;

Practice both weight training and cardio-based exercises (a mixed routine of lifting weights one day combined with sprinting, swimming or rowing on another).
For cardio, interval training is an excellent method of training for fat loss and involves short bursts of intense exercise, followed by rest periods.
When it comes to weight training, perform multi-joint, big lift exercises such as the squat and deadlift.

Rest, Recover and Stay Patient

Without adequate rest you risk overtraining and losing motivation. You need at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night for recovery and general health.

One of the key factors that you need to hit your weight loss gains is patience. Take pleasure in slow, measured progress as you inch your way closers to your goal. Too many people give up too soon but allow your plan time to work.

It's also useful to remember that studies have shown will power to be a finite resource so don't roll out too many lifestyle changes at any one time. Make regular healthier choices and establish them as healthy habits in a controlled manner.

Track Your Progress

Change happens slowly and incrementally and it can be difficult to miss. Capture your progress using the Fitstream health and fitness journal to stay motivated and see just how far you’ve come.

We believe in tracking metrics that really matter and reflect how your body is actually changing. With Fitstream you can record body measurements, take before and after photos, and write journal entries to document those personal experiments and discover just what works for you.

How to Lose Weight with Fitstream