The Science of Fat Loss: 3 Proven Methods for Losing Fat

Personal training clients are often familiar with the most popular diets. They know about the keto diet, the Mediterranean diet, Weight Watchers, and plenty of others. But it takes more than diet familiarity to burn fat and lose weight. It also requires getting (and staying) motivated! 

A personal trainer understands how to motivate clients to burn more fat. They also know that the best weight-loss solution is one that provides lasting results.

Training Clients Want (and Deserve) a Long-Term Fat Loss Solution

Most diets only support a negative calorie intake for the short-term. In some cases, the nutritional science is there. But the minute the diet stops, so does the weight loss. This can be frustrating for clients. They’re unable to get rid of their stubborn fat or majorly change their body composition. They simply weren’t on the diet long enough to get these types of results.

This is where a personal trainer can help. They can educate clients on how to mobilize fat for energy in the long-term. A trainer can also teach clients how to make healthy eating and weight management a lasting lifestyle change. 

Certain fat loss approaches work better than others. These are supported by the science of fat loss. But first, before we get into the research behind the most effective methods to lose fat, let’s take one step back. Let’s cover some basic principles of weight loss.

Starting with a Solid Foundation: Basic Weight Loss Principles

One thing remains constant when it comes to weight loss. You must create a negative energy balance if your goal is to burn fat and lose inches. This is referred to as a calorie deficit. There are two general ways to create a deficit. You can either consume fewer calories or increase your physical activity.

As an example, let's say your BMR is 2,000 calories per day. BMR stands for basal metabolic rate. This is the calories you burn in a day with normal physiological activity such as sitting, lying down, or basically doing absolutely nothing. 

If you take in 2,500 calories in that 24-hour period, that’s 500 more calories than your body needs to function. If you don’t burn those excess calories, they will be stored as body fat. Now, instead of losing weight, you’re dealing with weight gain.

But maybe you exercise regularly. If you burn 500 calories during a workout session, then you likely won't have to worry about gaining weight. But you won't lose any weight either. Your body weight will generally remain the same. (This is a basic principle of weight management.)

The other way to create a deficit is to reduce your calorie intake. Perhaps you plan your meals so you only take in 1,800 calories. You're going to create a negative calorie deficit. But you also want to ensure that the calories you are eating are coming from rich, nutrient-dense foods. This includes complex carbs and complete proteins. It also involves choosing healthy essential fats over saturated fats or trans fats. 

It’s also beneficial to lower sodium and added sugar intake. Both are complementary to the end goal, which is fat loss. This encourages the body to turn to stored fat deposits for energy, muscle repair, and normal cellular activity. Again, if you can burn body fat, you can lose weight! 

The best news here is that as a personal trainer, you can pass on knowledge like this to your clients. When you do, they will likely see fat loss.

The Science of Fat Loss: 3 Ways to Increase Fat Metabolism

Now we have a better understanding of what needs to happen to decrease body fat. So, let's move on to some of the methodologies proven to increase lipolysis and enhance the mobilization of fatty acids for energy.

Method #1: Decrease Carbohydrate Intake

Low carb diets are beneficial for weight loss. Several quality research studies have shown this to be true. For instance, one study compared effects of a low-carb diet with those of a low-fat diet. Individuals on a low-carb diet had greater weight loss. They also had greater improvements in their lipid profiles. (1)

Studies have explored and compared weight loss between low-carb and low-fat groups for a while. Many have found that the restricted calories in the low-fat group must be closely managed to even come close to the weight loss achieved by low-carb eaters. 

Put another way, people following a low-fat diet must continuously restrict calories to maintain weight loss. And they may still not achieve the fat loss they desire. 

Weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. A scale doesn’t just measure fat mass. It also measures lean body mass, water weight, and more. So, if you lose muscle mass, the number on the scale will go down even if fat tissue does not decrease.

Research reports amazing health benefits with a low carb eating plan. It has found that this type of diet helps:

• Decrease triglycerides

• Balance blood pressure 

• Increase HDL cholesterol, a.k.a. “good cholesterol” 

• Minimize visceral fat through the stomach and liver

• Stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels

• Suppress appetite (coming from complete protein intake) (2)

Many researchers believe that the success of a low-carb diet is directly linked to insulin suppression. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose. A low-carb diet stabilizes the production of insulin and keeps it low, while also managing blood sugar as well. This helps mobilize the burning of fat for energy (fat oxidation). In turn, weight loss occurs. 

While this is great news for some, a low-carb diet is certainly not for everyone. For instance, some athletes, while being very glucose tolerant, would still feel tired and sluggish even if they dropped below 200 grams of carbs per day.

In this respect, carb intake is dependent on a person’s individual goals, metabolism, and genetics. Thus, it might require some variations. Here we are focusing more on optimizing fat loss and-low carb diets unquestionably do this. 

Still, for those looking to gain muscle and strength, a low-carb diet is not the most optimal. But it may be optimal for those looking to improve stamina and performance for football or for the 40-yard sprint. These individuals would benefit more following a higher carb diet due to the energy system in use during these activities (anaerobic metabolism).

Method #2: Increase Exercise Intensity, Frequency, or Duration

It isn't just caloric intake that is significant for fat loss. The intensity of workouts can mean everything and what you put into them is exactly what you'll get out of them. 

The more stress you put upon your body (muscles in particular), the more energy your body will require. This means a higher chance of burning fat for fuel. You burn more calories when you mix up routines and add variation. 

For example, strength training 3 days per week (up to 5) increases the stimulus put upon the body. This forces it to burn more calories. Now, if you can increase cardiovascular activity to 3 times per week for 30 minutes each session, you'll reap the rewards you're after.

Just remember, you simply can't train the same exact way day in and day out and expect to see speedier results. It won't work. Progress and improvement are achieved when you increase your load and continuously lift more weight than before. This is known as the progressive overload principle. In fact, the frequency of resistance training sessions directly elicits new results for fat loss, muscle hypertrophy, strength, stamina, mood, and so much more.

Method #3: Practice Nutrient Timing

Nutrient timing refers to how certain nutrients are assimilated and handled during various times of the day. Research shows carbohydrate tolerance is heaviest after exercise. (3) Therefore, taking in carbohydrates, specifically faster digesting carbs, following a heavy workout is highly recommended. We want a quick spike in insulin after a workout. So, complex slower-digesting carbs at this time are not optimal. 

Let's not forget that fuel use during exercise is dependent upon the type of macronutrients consumed beforehand. For example, a high carbohydrate meal before exercise creates a spike in insulin with available glucose. This, in turn, fuels the workout. However, a low carb, higher protein, higher fat meal before exercising encourages a higher percentage of fatty acids for use as the fuel source. 

With this principle in mind, let's again turn to a quick example. Maybe you want to lose body fat and are consuming lower carbs (roughly 60 grams a day). You'll see improved fatty acid optimization, and even more so when you take in higher amounts of protein in your meals. You also want to keep healthy fats moderate and carbs low. 

Once your workout is complete, this is the time to get in the fast-digesting carbs. This is when the spike in insulin is most beneficial (post-workout). You can just about be guaranteed that the carbohydrates ingested after a workout will not be stored as fat. Instead, they will be utilized to re-glycogenate the muscle and enhance recovery.

Which Fat Loss Method Works Best?

None of these methods is superior to the other. Encourage personal training clients to try one or more of these techniques for promoting fat loss more efficiently. 

We all like to see results fast. It's just natural. Perhaps these might be workable solutions for people hoping to push their bodies to the limit for maximum gains and optimal health.

If you're looking to educate yourself more in the area of nutrition, ISSA offers a comprehensive course to become a Certified Nutritionist. Learn how to support a healthy lifestyle for you and your clients with advanced nutrition information.

References

• Chawla, S., Tessarolo Silva, F., Amaral Medeiros, S., Mekary, R., & Radenkovic, D. (2020). The effect of low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets on weight loss and lipid levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(12), 3774. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123774 

• Noakes, T. D., & Windt, J. (2017). Evidence that supports the prescription of low-carbohydrate high-fat diets: A narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096491 

• Taylor, H., Wu, C.-L., Chen, Y.-C., Wang, P.-G., Gonzalez, J., & Betts, J. (2018). Post-exercise carbohydrate-energy replacement attenuates insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance the following morning in healthy adults. Nutrients, 10(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020123