Fat Loss – What Doesn’t Matter
Don’t waste time doing these 10 things when trying to lose fat
When it comes to fat loss, there is so much information available telling us the “best” way to go about this goal. Sadly, most of this information is downright misleading. Much of it is created to try to sell a product. Further, a lot of the research completely contradicts itself. Most people put their money, time, and effort into the wrong things when they are trying to lose weight. Here, we discuss some things that, maybe surprisingly, do not matter when you are trying to lose fat.
(Keep in mind that this post discusses achieving physique goals only. If you have specific needs due to other health reasons, please continue to follow those protocols.)
1. Taking Supplements
If you are taking supplements to aid in weight loss, you are wasting your money. Unless your diet is PERFECT (and I mean you are measuring your food intake down to the gram and hitting your macros perfectly every day), supplements are just not worth your money. The only time I would recommend someone take supplements to aid in fat loss would be for someone who is training for something like a bodybuilding competition. When you are training that intensely on top of dieting very strictly, you need something to aid in recovery.
Keep in mind I’m not talking about supplements you might take for other health reasons in this post. I personally take a probiotic and multi-vitamin every day. But I know those aren’t aiding in my fat loss in a meaningful way. They are simply for general health. If you want to take supplements for other health reasons, that’s great! Just know that you are best served by spending your money on good quality protein, fruits, and vegetables (and not supplements), in addition to gym equipment or a gym membership, if your goal is fat loss.
2. Eating Low Carb
We know that in order for fat loss to occur, you have to be in a caloric deficit. The manner in which you get there is up to you. You certainly do not have to eliminate or drastically cut your carbs in order to lose fat. If you can achieve a caloric deficit while still eating a decent amount of carbs, great. Your diet will be easier to adhere to and you will be more likely to stick with it and be successful. If you actually prefer to eat higher fat/lower carb, you can certainly create your caloric deficit in that manner. But if you love carbs, do not think you need to give them up to lose fat. (I personally eat 200+ grams of carbs per day at a body weight of 120lbs unless I’m trying to drop a few pounds).
3. Avoiding dairy, gluten, or other foods
When it comes to fat loss, a calorie is a calorie to your body. If I eat 25 grams of carbs from rice, my physique will respond to those 25 grams of carbs (100 calories) in the same way it will to 25 grams of carbs from a piece of bread (the bread may also contain protein and fat, which may cause a different insult response, but we aren’t going to discuss that in this article). There is nothing inherently detrimental to fat loss from dairy, gluten, fruit, or any other foods that so many people think they need to cut out of their diet when trying to lose fat.
As long as you are hitting the macro totals that are right for you in order to keep losing fat, the actual foods you choose to hit those totals are irrelevant. Further, you can actually create a food intolerance by cutting entire food groups out of your diet. If you cut out dairy for an extended period of time, your body will likely stop producing the enzymes needed to properly digest dairy. If you eventually try to reintroduce it, you may have a hard time digesting it. By cutting it out, you essentially created a food intolerance that was not already there. (Keep in mind some people have legitimate allergies to some of these foods – this article is not going to address those situations).
4. Adhering to specific fasting windows
Intermittent fasting became mainstream a few years ago and was probably the biggest diet craze of 2019. While intermittent fasting can “work” very well for some people, it isn’t causing fat loss just due to the fact that you are eating in specific time windows. It can work if it enables you to eat in a caloric deficit. If you enjoy eating this way (and I know a ton of people who do!) and can stick with it long-term, then this might be a great strategy for you to utilize when trying to lose weight. Just know there is nothing magical about those fasting windows. You can certainly achieve the same caloric deficit by choosing not to fast for certain time windows.
If you prefer to eat all day long, you should do what works for you and not worry about following this recent trend. I personally start my days very hungry (which is actually a sign of a very healthy metabolism) and start eating around 6:30am on a typical day. From there, I eat off and on all day until usually around 7:00pm. I do this because it fits my lifestyle, it is how I prefer to eat, and I know it works for me. I’ve gotten to sub-15% bodyfat levels (very low for a woman) multiple times without utilizing any sort of fasting techniques. Eat when you want to and fit it into your lifestyle (not the other way around).
5. Avoiding carbs before bed
There is no “wrong” time to eat carbs. As long as you are in a caloric deficit, you should eat them when you want to eat them. I personally can’t fall asleep well without eating a decent amount of carbs before bed. In fact, there is some research saying that “carb backloading” (i.e. eating most of your carbs at night) is preferable to eating them earlier in the day. Bottom line – carb timing (or meal timing) doesn’t really matter.
6. Eating clean
I wrote an article about eating clean and how it is not necessary when it comes to fat loss. The reason for this is because it is all about the caloric deficit you create with your diet. While I would always encourage anyone to fill their diet with mostly whole, unprocessed foods consisting of high-quality protein, fruits, and vegetables, know that you don’t necessarily have to in order to lose fat. (By not eating a variety nutritious foods, you are missing out on many micro-nutrients, but we are only talking about fat loss in this article.) In the famous “twinkie diet study“, a college professor lost 27 pounds in two months by eating a diet consisting of twinkies and other junk food (plus protein powder). The reason he still lost weight was that he controlled his caloric intake during this time and ate only 1800 calories per day. While I’m sure he didn’t feel good on this diet and was obviously missing out on all kinds of micro-nutrients, he still lost a significant amount of body fat.
Believe it or not, you can actually gain weight while eating clean. While many clean foods are difficult to overeat (which is why a “clean eating” diet usually works well for fat loss), some certainly are not. You can adhere to a diet of strictly “clean” foods but go way over your macro targets by overeating things like oils, almonds, brown rice, peanut butter, etc. and still not lose fat.
Further, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you have something not considered “clean” every once in a while! If you can fit a treat into your diet every single day, you are more likely to stick with your plan. As long as you are staying within your macro goals for the day, the “non-clean” food you eat will have no negative impact to your fat loss progress. I personally follow (and encourage my clients to do the same) an 80/20 approach. I try to fill 80% of my diet with whole, unprocessed foods. The other 20% consists of things many would not consider “clean” such as chocolate, ice cream, etc.
7. Eating organic
While you may choose to eat organic for other health reasons, this has no impact on what your physique looks like. A 100 calorie organic apple will do the same thing to your body composition as a 100 calorie non-organic apple.
8. Following a specific diet
The different diet plans one can find on the internet are nearly endless. There’s the Keto diet, the Paleo diet, vegan diets, diets where you drink shakes instead of eating meals, and the list goes on and on. Is there something magical about the combination or timing of the foods these plans tell you to eat? Nope. The one thing they have in common is that they all create a caloric deficit. Don’t think you need to follow the latest fad unless you truly love eating that way.
9. Prioritizing cardio
What is the first exercise that comes to mind when you think about trying to lose fat? It is likely some form of cardio. This is what many people turn to when they want to lose a few pounds. While cardio can obviously help you lose fat and assist in creating that oh-so-important caloric deficit, it is a very short-sighted way to go about fat loss. Someone looking to not only lose fat, but keep it off, should prioritize lifting weights and putting on muscle instead. Sure cardio can be a great tool to help with fat loss, but it isn’t necessary. You can actually lose fat without doing any cardio at all. As long as your energy balance is negative (you are taking in fewer calories than you are burning), cardio is not actually necessary for fat loss.
We like to prioritize movement over “doing cardio” Giving yourself a step goal is one of the best way to get natural movement into your day. There are also many other ways to get activity in your day that don’t involve going to the gym. Some of our favorites include a short yoga session, pacing around while taking a phone call, going on a weekend hike, or doing some chores (okay, maybe chores aren’t actually a “favorite” but it is a great way to get necessary things done AND get in movement!).
10. Being miserable
Sure, you are going to have to put some work in to see results when trying to lose fat. But you absolutely do not have to be miserable. I run across a lot of individuals who think that, in order to successfully lose fat, they need to feel like they are restricting themselves. I find that the less you feel you are restricting yourself, the more likely you will actually stick with a plan. This is where long-term success really happens. If you find a way to eat that you can sustain long-term that also produces your desired results, that is the sweet spot of dieting.
The same is true with your exercise program. If you hate doing long cardio sessions and can’t stick to that long-term, don’t do it! Find what you like and can stick with. While I would encourage anyone to lift weights at least twice a week, the other days can be filled with activity you love to do, regardless of the physique benefits.
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