The Secret to losing fat.
So by now you should be starting to feel better, look less bloated, have more energy, and feel like you have your health more 'under control.'
This is when we can start to really manipulate various factors to get you the results you want.
When people want to lose fat, most people prioritise things in this order:
CARDIO (80%) - spending your hour in the gym on the treadmill or bike and thinking that will be enough,
NUTRITION (10%) - oh I have eaten 'clean' all week so I can eat what I like on the weekend,
HIIT / WEIGHT TRAINING (10%) - Let me join one or two 'weight training' classes at the gym because I have heard that training with weights is good for me.
In reality, this is the priority list that will make the most difference in terms of losing fat:
NUTRITION (70%) - You must have heard the term 'you can't out-train a bad diet.' There really is no compromise when it comes to what you put in your mouth. Every calorie counts - whether its a food calorie like a burger and chips, an alcohol calorie, a milk calorie or sugar calorie in your tea twice a day or even the choice of oils or condiments you use. Your food intake is non-negotiable to lose fat. See my previous blog post and IGTV video on how to calculate the right calories and macronutrients to achieve your goals (everyone is different!)
WEIGHT TRAINING (20%) - I am not talking bodyweight or bands, I am talking dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells. Moving real weight with correct technique and form in a strategic manner is the most underrated way to lose fat and change the shape of your body. Weight training literally sculpts and burns the body like a sculptor works with material. Invest in a coach who can show you how to train properly, in a gym, and that knowledge will stay with you for the rest of your life!
HIIT (7%) - HIIT training is a good method of training to incorporate into your weekly exercise plan as exercising in this way causes your body to switch between 2 heart rate zones, which causes more work for the body and therefore burns more fat. Usually you use bodyweight and some extra resistance swell during these sessions which does more for your physique in terms of fat burn and 'toning' than pure cardio.
CARDIO (3%) - YES CARDIO HAS A PLACE IN ANY GOOD FAT BURNING STRATEGY! Cardio in the fat burning zone (unto around 75% of your maximum heart rate) is the icing on the cake in your fat burning strategy. it is the last piece of the puzzle and the piece you can manipulate the most. You can start with walking 10 minutes a day and when you plateau, which you will, you can increase to 20 minutes, 30 minutes etc. You can even keep your calories stable and increase the cardio to see a fat drop. You can use any of the cardio machines at the gym - just make sure if you are walking on an incline or using the stair master you are not holding on!!
*please take a look at the accompanying explanatory video for this blog post on my Instagram page - vanessaphoenix____. (4 underscores). There is also the previous 4 weeks videos on there!!
*Also check out my YouTube for the home workout series @Vanessajakubowski.
