All You Need to Know for Effective Fat Loss

If you want to lose body fat, you’re not alone. Effective fat loss, however, can seem impossible at times, especially if you try to overcomplicate things. Many magazines, articles, Instagram “experts” and YouTubers like to share their opinions on the matter, and this can make it seem even more complicated. Below, you’ll find four simple items that you need to remember for effective fat loss. Stick to them, and it’ll work for you too.

Find Types of Exercise You Enjoy

Exercise definitely helps regarding fat loss, but believe it or not, it’s not the most important component. It is obviously beneficial, especially HIIT types of training, and it’s associated with a plethora of health benefits. Finding types of exercise you enjoy doing regularly will make things much easier in the long run. Switch it up occasionally and just have fun with it.

Get Your NEAT Up

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, is the energy your body uses for daily movement other than exercise. Len Kravitz, PhD, defines NEAT as “the energy expenditure of daily activities such as sitting, standing, walking, and talking. Basically, all activities that are not considered planned physical activity of a person’s daily life.” It can be considered the “micro” exercise you do each day while going about daily activities. By walking more throughout the day and aiming to be more active day to day will, collectively, make a big difference on ones appearance.

In one research study it was determined that lean subjects (higher NEAT level) expend approximately 350 more calories a day (i.e. walking and standing) when compared to obese subjects (lower NEAT level). That amount of calories over the course of one year (with all other factors being equal) would equate to a weight-loss of 36.5 pounds!

Build More Muscle!

When you build more muscle via strength training, your metabolic rate increases. In turn, your body expends more calories per minute at both rest and during exercise. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Focus on decreasing your body fat percentage while increasing your lean muscle mass.

Control Your Sleep and Stress

Sleep and stress play a huge role in fat loss. Make sure you’re getting a minimum of 8 hours a night, and keep your stress levels under control. Look after yourself and get into a routine with it. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that individuals who got less than 5.5 hours of sleep each night, lost 60 percent more lean muscle that those who got adequate sleep. If you have any type of sleep issues, like sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about it. See if you can do a home sleep study which is the first step in determining if you need to “correct” anything.

Eat a Balanced Diet

The most important aspect of fat loss is how you eat. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be consistent. Fad diets should be avoided, and instead, a balanced, healthy eating approach should be adopted. A good tip is to monitor your added sugar on a daily basis. Finally, remember the following quote from exercise scientist, Tim Noakes, MD, PhD, “the benefits of exercise are unbelievable, but if you have to exercise to keep your weight down, your diet is wrong.”

Stay Strong Together

Jefit is an award winning workout log app that helps you meet your fitness goals. By providing an extensive exercise library, you can pick and choose your workouts according to your goals. You can also join our members-only Facebook group where you can connect and interact with your fellow Jefit members. Share your successes, stories, advice, and tips so you learn and grow together. Jefit was named best strength training app for for 2024, by PC Magazine, Forbes, Garage Gym Reviews and many others.

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Michael Wood, CSCS

Michael Wood, CSCS, is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Content Manager for JeFit app. Michael is a former Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Connecticut and Exercise Physiologist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. He is the Founder of Michael Wood Fitness, named twice to "Top 100 Trainers in America" by Men's Journal and voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine. Michael previously taught at the University of Connecticut and Boston University. He is the author of TBC30: 6 Steps to a Stronger, Healthier You.