So you think you know fat loss?

Most people think they have a reasonable idea about how to achieve a leaner, healthier body, but when it comes to dropping the lbs and keeping them off, how much do you really know?

Personal Trainer of the Year 2010 Charlotte Ord suggests that when it comes to shedding the extra pounds, even some of the most respected health writers are barking up the wrong tree.

The first common misconception people have is that calories in versus calories out is the be all and end all of fat loss. It’s not! Research has clearly shown that spreading your calorie intake out over a higher number of meals per day will increase your fat loss results, so you’ll drop more flab eating six meals a day than if you ate two, despite calories being equal.

The second misconception is that the more calories you burn during training, the more fat you will lose. This is also false! The 1994 landmark study by Tremblay et al showed that interval training yielded a nine times subcutaneous fat loss than steady state endurance training (ie walking, jogging etc) despite the interval training group expending less than half as many calories! This is why if you do the same aerobic type activity over and over again you may see some initial results, but your body will quickly adapt and you’ll hit a plateau. Interval training, along with resistance training, will prevent you from hitting a plateau and keep your metabolic fire burning long after you’ve left the gym. In fact research has shown that training with weights can elevate your metabolism for up to 38 hours post exercise!

Another hurdle people often hit on their fat loss journey is that they measure their progress by the number on the scale. This is both an inaccurate and demotivating measurement tool. Demling and DeSanti (2000), who studied the effects of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers, found clear evidence that the most significant reductions in body fat % are also accompanied by the largest gain in lean tissue mass, which incidentally also negates the notion that you cannot simultaneously gain muscle and lose fat.

So how much do you know about fat loss? Well, if your answer is 'not as much as I thought', the take home advice is this:

• Eat every 2-3 hours, making lean protein, fruit and vegetables the majority of your diet.

• Prioritise strength and interval training over aerobic exercise

• Keep your scales if you want to, but realise they are often a completely useless method of assessing progress. Focus on body fat % and how you look and feel in your clothes instead.