4 principles of successful weight loss

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2012-10-18

1. Systematic aerobic exercises

Aerobic exercises refer to any activities where your average heart rate during the workout is no less than 130 beats per minute. This can include any type of aerobics, running, cardio machines, or anything else. You could even unload trucks if you like. The key is to maintain a sufficiently high heart rate for at least 40-50 minutes, preferably for an hour to an hour and a half.

If you only train once a week for 3 hours, those workouts are not considered systematic. It’s much better to train 3 times a week for an hour. The minimum is 2 workouts per week, and ideally, you should aim for 3-4 workouts.

Aerobic exercises are more effective than any other form of physical activity for depleting glycogen in your muscles and prompting your body to replenish it from fat stores. But this is only true if you follow the next principle.

2. Reduced caloric intake

This means you should consume 10%-15% fewer calories per day than you expend.

To find out how much you expend, you can check here. To find out how much you consume, calculate it here.

The point is that if your caloric intake matches your energy expenditure, there is no reason for your body to start using its fat reserves. However, if you consistently perform cardio workouts and eat 10%-15% less, your body will be forced to use fat to replenish the energy spent and the glycogen stores.

3. Systematic strength training

Why lift weights? Aren't we trying to lose weight? Technically, yes. You can lose weight without strength training, but along with the fat, you'll also lose muscle. Such weight loss cannot be considered successful. A body without muscle looks just as unattractive as one with fat. The goal of sound weight loss is not only to eliminate fat tissue but also to preserve muscle.

Remember: during weight loss, strength training will not help you build more muscle than you had. It will simply help maintain your muscle volume and prevent it from wasting away.

You should have at least one strength training session per week, ideally two. This will suffice. Remember that 2/3 of your efforts should be focused on aerobic exercises.

4. Quality alteration of caloric intake

Here, I mean the distribution between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Typically, a balanced diet for someone not losing weight consists of roughly: 16g of protein, 9g of fat, and 75g of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food.

When losing weight, it is necessary to reduce lipid intake, slightly decrease carbohydrate intake, and increase protein consumption. This will yield approximately 22g of protein, 5g of fat, and 73g of carbohydrates (more details here).

As you can see, the carbohydrate amount barely changed. This is because (as presumed) you will be training fairly often and intensely. Without enough carbohydrates, you simply won't be able to recover. The increased protein dose is necessary to prevent your muscles from wasting away.

By diligently adhering to these principles, you should expect to lose about 5 kg per month. Trust me, this is a very good "rate." Losing weight faster is unnecessary. Firstly, it could harm your health. Secondly, it would indicate that your muscles are also being used up.

So, losing weight is no easy task! I hope you enjoyed the article. Share it with your friends and subscribe for more. Good luck!