What should you do to lose weight and get in shape?

There are numerous programs and experts on weight loss. Many have seeming contradicting recommendations. Here are a few concepts to help sort through different plans.

Four main components

Cutting Calories – This will lead to weight loss, but not necessarily body composition changes. It also has the potential of reducing the body’s daily energy expenditure.

Improving Food Quality – This will improve body composition, but not necessarily decrease weight.

Cardio Training – This can lead to weight loss if nutrition is controlled, but it might not have a large effect on body composition.

Resistance Training – This has the strongest effect on body composition. In the short term it has limited effects on weight loss. In the long term is has a large effect on maintaining weight by increasing daily energy expenditure.

Definitions

Cutting Calories – eat less

Weight Loss – decrease on the scale

Daily Energy Expenditure – how many calories your body burns each day

Improving Food Quality – reducing consumption of processed foods (fast food, pre-made) in favor of natural whole foods (veggies, lean proteins often prepared at home)

Cardio – elevated heart rate for an extended period of time via a repetitive activity

Resistance Training – applying strain to the body to cause an adaptive overload

Body Composition – Lean tissue (bones, muscles, organs…) compared to fat. Improving body composition would include one or both of the following; increase lean tissue, decrease fat mass.

Putting it together

When planning a program to get healthy it is important to know what each component does. Ideally doing all four would lead to the best results for most people when they decide to get in shape. However it can be easy to fall into a of couple common combinations:

Cut calories and do cardio – This can produce quick results with the scale. Unfortunately because neither has a strong effect on body composition results might not be satisfactory. The scale results are not necessarily long lasting and require continued intervention to maintain. Additionally if changes are too aggressive (eat very little and lots of daily cardio) muscle can be lost to a greater extent than fat.

Lift weights and eat better – Body composition will improve, but because calories are not necessarily controlled the scale may not change much. This can be a common recommendation from fitness professionals because for general health and long term weight control it is very effective. Because this combo does not produce quick results on the scale it can be discouraging. However, it is common the waist circumference will decrease even with limited changes in bodyweight.

Where to start

Pick one and do it. Cutting calories and doing cardio produce better scale results in the short term, whereas resistance training and food quality are essential to long term success. Add an additional component when you are ready. A complete program for weight loss will include all four. Once target weight is hit, normalize calories to support your daily activity level.