The 12 Best Tips To Lower Body Fat
If you look at the top goals for people’s physical health, number one is typically fat loss, and justifiably so.
The goal of "losing weight," however, is a bit of a misnomer. For most people, the goal is more specifically to lose fat and to gain muscle, a trendy term called body composition.
I've written about how to build mass so today I'll discuss the other component of body recomposition: fat loss.
The purpose of having a healthy body fat percentage goes well beyond aesthetics. Excess body fat can increase the risk of health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. High levels of body fat can also lead to decreased mobility, increased joint pain, and decreased energy levels, among other negative effects. By contrast, maintaining a healthy body fat percentage can improve physical performance, enhance mental clarity and focus, and promote longevity.
Let’s dive in.
What Is A Healthy Amount Of Body Fat?
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the following are general body fat percentage ranges based on gender:
It's important to note that body fat percentage alone is not a definitive measure of health, as it can vary depending on factors such as muscle mass, bone density, and overall body composition. However, by understanding healthy body fat percentages for different genders and age groups, you can use it as a reference point for your own health and fitness goals.
How To Measure Body Fat
There are a variety of ways to measure body fat, each with its own pros and cons.
Skinfold Calipers: This method involves measuring the thickness of subcutaneous fat at various points on the body, such as the triceps, biceps, and thighs, using calipers. This is an easy way to do a home body fat percentage test. Simply buy a pair of inexpensive calipers and plug in the numbers to the ACE Percent Body Fat Calculator.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA): This is the method used in bathroom scales. It involves passing a small electrical current through the body and measuring the resistance to the current. Body fat can be calculated based on the principle that fat tissue conducts electricity differently than lean tissue.
Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA): This method uses low-dose X-rays to measure body composition, including bone density, lean tissue mass, and fat mass. This is widely considered the most accurate way to measure body fat.
Hydrostatic Weighing: This method involves weighing a person on a scale while submerged in a tank of water. The difference between the person's weight in air and water is used to calculate body density, which can then be used to estimate body fat percentage.
Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP): This method uses a device called the Bod Pod, which measures air displacement to calculate body volume. From body volume, body density can be calculated, and then body fat percentage can be estimated.
What About BMI?
While body mass index (BMI) may be the easiest way to determine how healthy your weight is, it's flawed and falling out of favor. A better way, albeit still crude, to determine health concerns is a waist-to-height differential.
The Guardian has a good table (below) that provides basic measurements according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Use this table as your yardstick for progress (see tip #4) by writing down your measurements on a daily or weekly basis.
Best Tips To Lower Body Fat
With a goal of shedding fat, I recommend prioritizing the first half of this list and spending less effort modifying the second half of the list early on in your journey. Generally speaking, the first six points will move the needle the most, providing the bulk of the fat loss. Once these habits are ingrained (which takes about a 2-3 month period), then continue to focus on the remaining factors.
Create A Calorie Deficit
In order to lose body fat, you need to create a calorie deficit. This simply means you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. While this seems obvious, the concern tends to be in how terrible humans tend to be at estimating our caloric intake.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that this was particularly true when people were served larger portions. Participants were given a meal of either a large or small portion of pasta with tomato sauce and cheese and were asked to estimate the calorie content of the meal. Those who were served the larger portion consistently underestimated the calorie content of the meal, with their estimates being 38%(!) lower than the actual calorie content.
Do This: For two weeks straight, track your meals using an app such as cronometer. This will provide good insight into the basic caloric content of food, what a serving size is, and how these minute differences in what you thought was the caloric content are very far from the true content.
2. Increase Protein Intake
Protein is a crucial macronutrient that’s been found to play a key role in regulating appetite, promoting feelings of fullness, and reducing body fat. One of the ways in which protein facilitates fat loss is by signaling a sense of fullness to the brain. Of all three of the macronutrients—carbohydrates, fat, and protein—protein is the most satiating. In fact, it's believed that the body has an innate drive to consume a certain amount of protein, and will continue eating until this protein target is reached. This concept is known as the protein leverage hypothesis.
The protein leverage hypothesis suggests that if a person's diet is low in protein, they may feel less satisfied after meals and consume more calories overall in order to meet their protein needs. Conversely, if a person's diet is high in protein, they may feel more satisfied after meals and consume fewer calories overall. Several studies have supported this theory in relation to weight loss.
A study supported this hypothesis by finding that a high-protein diet resulted in greater satiety and lower energy intake compared to a low-protein diet in overweight and obese adults. Similarly, a systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that a high-protein diet leads to greater satiety and reduced calorie intake, which could lead to lower body fat.
A randomized controlled trial showed that a high-protein diet was more effective than a standard-protein diet in reducing body fat in overweight and obese individuals. Another study found that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet led to greater fat loss and preservation of lean body mass compared to a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet.
Do this: Aim to eat a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of desired body weight per day (generally 30-40g per meal). For a target weight of 150 pounds, this means eating 120 grams of protein per day. I recommend a clean protein powder like Levels Protein which has 25g of whey protein per serving with 5.6g of BCAAs and all the essential amino acids. It also has no artificial flavors, sweeteners, artificial additives, or fillers and its non-GMO comes from grass-fed cows.
Related:
3. Prioritize For Adherence
The most important factor for weight loss is adherence. Whether or not you can maintain a change in lifestyle factors (nutrition, exercise, etc.) for an extended period of time is the number one indicator of success.
There’s plenty of evidence out there that (insert trendy diet here) will help you to drop fat. Most of these studies, however, are limited to a period of weeks and months. When these studies are extended for years, the success rate tends to return back to baseline. When that happens, most people look for a “better” diet, blaming the last one on their poor results which just leads to yo-yo dieting. The main reason isn’t necessarily the diet but rather, the person’s ability to sustain the diet.
Do this: Pick a diet that works for your lifestyle and that you actually feel good doing.
4. Measure Something
What gets measured gets managed. Fewer calories and more exercise is going to help you lower that number on the scale, but one of the other things that successful dieters had in common was their ability to track their progress.
The study "Long-term weight maintenance: a meta-analysis of US studies" analyzed data from 29 studies, including a total of 2,894 participants. They found that the average weight loss was 7.3 kg (16.1 lbs) and that individuals who were successful in maintaining weight loss were more likely to do the obvious (exercise, eat fewer calories) but the study also found that successful weight loss maintainers were more likely to self-monitor their food intake and weight and they were more likely to set goals.
Measuring these factors provides individuals with concrete and objective feedback on their progress toward their weight loss goals. This feedback can help to increase motivation, enhance self-awareness, and facilitate behavior change.
Psychologically speaking, measuring these factors can also help individuals to identify patterns and triggers in their behaviors and to develop strategies to address them.
Do this: Pick at least one metric (weight, caloric intake, etc.) and measure it consistently. Pick any of the thousands of weight loss/fitness/health apps out there to keep track of it.
5. Seek Out Nutrient Dense Foods
Fat loss is not only about reducing caloric intake but also about ensuring that the body gets enough essential nutrients.
Nutrient-dense diets are associated with lower body weight and fat loss. Researchers found that participants who followed a nutrient-dense diet lost more weight and body fat than those who followed a low-nutrient-density diet.
Similarly, another study checked the correlation between nutrient-dense foods and weight change over a 4-year period. They found that participants who consumed a higher-quality diet, based on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, had a lower risk of obesity and greater fat loss than those who consumed a lower-quality diet. Apples, pears, berries, tofu/soy, and cauliflower had the most positive impact on weight loss Starchy vegetables like peas, corn, and potatoes, on the other hand, were actually correlated with weight gain.
Do this: AIm for whole foods that are high in vitamins and minerals and low in artificial additives. Meat, poultry, eggs, and fish are a good place to start. The majority of your shopping cart should be from products around the perimeter.
Related:
6. Exercise
There’s endless debate about the best exercise for weight loss. Should you be getting under weights? Running long distances? Interval training? The answer is…yes.
The best approach for both fat loss and holistic health is to stress the three main energy pathways of the body:
Phosphagen System: 10 seconds or less of effort (sprinting, jumping, weight lifting)
Glycolytic System: 10 seconds to 2 minutes (HIIT, boxing, rowing)
Oxidative System (a.k.a. the aerobic system): more than 2 minutes (running, cycling, hiking)
Each of these systems contributes to reducing body fat but in different ways. Cardiovascular exercise (the oxidative system), such as walking or running helps to or cycling, helps to create a calorie deficit and burn fat. Strength training and plyometrics (phosphagen system), increases muscle mass which requires your body to burn calories at a higher rate than other exercises and for days afterward. HIIT and intense intervals (glycolytic system) combine elements of both of these to create a high-intensity workout that burns more calories than both of these, during the workout.
Do this: Divide up your workouts so that you hit each of the energy systems. Here are some good minimum goals for the week for the 3 types of exercise:
2 bouts of 45+ minutes of Zone 2 cardio
2 sessions of lifting for 20 minutes
1-2 sessions of HIIT for 20-30 minutes
Related:
Hormetic Stress: Become Resilient With Exercise, Plants, & Sun
An article I wrote for Days of Domestic Dad: Holistic Fitness: Fitness Tips For Dads
7. Practice Mindful Eating
Simply paying attention to what you put in your mouth can impact your waist size.
In one study on mindful eating and weight loss, participants were divided into two groups: a mindfulness-based weight loss intervention group and a control group. The mindfulness-based weight loss intervention consisted of 18 weekly 2-hour group sessions focused on mindful eating, exercise, and stress reduction techniques. The control group received printed educational materials on nutrition and exercise.
After 6 months, the mindfulness-based weight loss intervention group had significantly greater weight loss compared to the control group, with an average weight loss of 3.5% of their initial body weight. The researchers also found that the mindfulness-based weight loss intervention group had significantly greater improvements in binge eating, cognitive restraint, and physical activity compared to the control group.
One of the study authors stated,
"Mindful eating encourages individuals to be more aware of their hunger and fullness cues, to pay attention to their emotions and other situational cues that can influence their eating behavior, and to savor and enjoy their food. This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that mindfulness-based interventions can be effective for weight loss and improving eating behaviors."
Do this: Put the phone away, turn off the TV, and limit any other distractions. If you’re by yourself then sit in silence and be mindful of what you’re eating. If you’re with others then bring back some of the conversation to the food and discuss the taste, texture, and smell of what you’re eating.
If you want to go deeper into this approach, I highly recommend the book Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Judson Brewer to break down and further justify the approach. He also created an app that may help.
Related:
8. Sleep
Sleep is arguably one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy weight, but not in the way you might think. Its importance isn’t in promoting weight loss but, paradoxically, in preventing weight gain.
In one study, researchers found that sleep restriction (5.5 hours of sleep per night for 14 nights) led to increased hunger and appetite, especially for high-carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods. Participants in the study also had reduced levels of the hormone leptin, which signals satiety, and increased levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.
A meta-analysis of 11 studies found that short sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of obesity in both children and adults. The meta-analysis included a total of 18,000 participants and found that there is a “60% to 80% increase in the odds of being short sleeper amongst obese was seen in both children and adults….”
There are a variety of factors at play here but one of the main ones is hormone regulation. Lack of sleep can disrupt the production and balance of hormones like leptin (satiety hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone). Ever wonder why you’re always drifting to the snacks when you feel like a zombie and just want to go to bed? Sleep deprivation can also increase cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress and weight gain.
Do this: Practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding food, blue light, and stress within 3 hours of bedtime. Go to bed at the same time each night (set an alarm for this as needed). Keep the room cool, use a sleep mask, and consider mouth taping. I’ve written a lot about this topic so see below for more tips.
Related:
9. Drink Coffee
Researchers have been studying coffee and its effect on weight for years but the results have been inconsistent.
This meta-analysis of 12 studies looked at how drinking coffee affects the size of men's and women's waist circumferences and their overall weight. They found that men who drank more coffee tended to have slightly smaller waists and weigh a little less, but this wasn't true for women. However, when they looked at other studies that used specific measurements to define obesity, they didn't see the same results.
For women, drinking more coffee was actually linked to a higher risk of being overweight or obese, while for men, drinking more coffee may have helped reduce their risk of being overweight.
These results were a bit surprising to me. While coffee is no weight loss panacea, it is known to influence metabolism and provide cardiovascular benefits. One factor potentially influencing these results is that when many people say that they drink coffee, what they actually mean is that they drink a 500-calorie Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks packed with 79(!) grams of sugar. Another confounding variable is the impact of coffee on sleep (see above).
Do this: If your goal is weight loss and you love coffee, aim to get as close to drinking a black coffee as you can by decreasing the amount of calories in that coffee (sugars, creams, syrups, etc.). And have your last sip by noon.
Related:
10. Manage Stress
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a significant relationship between stress and weight gain or obesity. Stress can affect eating behavior, leading to overeating and the consumption of high-calorie, high-fat foods, which can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
One study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that stress was a significant predictor of weight gain over time. The study, which involved over 1,300 men and women in the United States, found that those who reported high levels of stress gained more weight over a 9-year period than those who reported low levels of stress.
Chronic stress leads to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze) and the HPA axis. According to scientists, this facilitates “an anabolic state that promotes fat storage within visceral depots, which increases the risk of dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other facets of the metabolic syndrome.” They continue by stating, “Chronic stress is known to alter the pattern of food intake, dietary preference, and the rewarding properties of foods.”
While stress may not directly cause weight gain, like sleep, it impacts our behaviors related to eating, movement, and sleep itself.
Do this: Have an active approach to managing stress and anxiety. Different techniques work for different people so try it all: breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, exercise, biofeedback such as HRV, finding new hobbies, changing jobs, breaking up with toxic friends, or going to talk therapy.
Related:
11. Consider Time Restricted Eating
Time-restricted feeding is a type of intermittent fasting where food consumption is limited to a certain window of time each day, typically between 8-12 hours. This means that you would eat all of their meals and snacks within this window, and then fasts for the remaining hours of the day (formerly called skipping breakfast).
Some studies have suggested that TRF can be effective for weight loss, including fat loss. One reason for this is that TRF can help reduce overall calorie intake, as individuals may naturally eat less when they have a limited window of time to consume their meals. TRF has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and other metabolic markers, which may contribute to weight loss and improved body composition.
Do this: To begin with, remove any calorie-containing food or drink, such as snacks, between meals, and gradually progress from there. Start by fasting for a 12-hour period (including sleep time) and then work your way up to 16 hours by skipping a meal. After a few weeks, increase the duration of your fasting periods. Mark Sisson offers a more detailed overview of various fasting techniques and recommendations to help you choose the most appropriate one for your needs.
For those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, it’s advisable to focus on reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates and incorporating regular exercise into your routine before attempting to skip meals. Feeling weak or lightheaded may indicate a drop in blood sugar levels, suggesting a lack of metabolic flexibility. In these cases, it would be more beneficial to prioritize addressing other lifestyle factors, such as nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
Related:
12. Limit Toxins
We live in a world where toxins are just a part of our life. From fragrances to receipts to the contaminants in unfiltered water, these seemingly benign particles can have a profound impact on our health, and our weight.
In a 2013 study titled, “Role of Environmental Chemicals in Obesity: A Systematic Review on the Current Evidence,” researchers looked at a variety of obesogenic chemicals and how they impact our bodies. They state,
“Chemicals as heavy metals, some solvents, pesticides, BPA, organophosphates, phthalates, PCB, PBBs, and many other substances are documented to cause weight gain. These chemicals interfere with weight and lipid homeostasis by various mechanisms related to weight-controlling hormones, activity of the sympathetic nervous system, and sensitivity to neurotransmitters.”
These toxins are in the air, the soil, and on so many of the products we use on a daily basis. Because they are so ubiquitous, there is no simple way to avoid them but there are plenty of ways to limit your exposure to them.
Do this: Swap out plastic for wood, stainless steel, ceramic, and untreated wood. Eat from cans less (rinse the food if you do). Filter your water. Ventilate the house. Never microwave (or heat) plastic. Don’t use non-stick cookware. Eat as organic as you can afford.
Related:
What I Do
While weight loss has not been a goal of mine since I was a lightweight rower in high school, fat loss (or maintaining a low body fat percentage) always is. This healthy balance of low fat, high muscle has important factors on my short-term well-being and my longevity so I’m focused on a good foundation and good habits now to help me as I get older.
Aside from a calorie deficit (thank you ectomorph body type), I practice each one of these 12 points on a frequent basis. The hardest for me to adhere to is mindfulness eating although family dinners have helped with this. Few of these come naturally (outlier: coffee) but the groove is constantly being greased so now I don’t even think of them as health strategies. They just are.
Conclusion
Weight loss, it turns out, is not a simple thing, even though our consumer culture is telling us that this “the only thing you need for fat loss.” (Hint: Anyone who's telling you there is the best diet is probably trying to sell you something.) There are many ways to lose weight but the ways to gain it are as numerous and tend to be more pleasurable. To complicate things more, everyone’s uniqueness means that approach A will pull the lever for you but not so much for me.
The number one goal is to focus on adherence because, in the end, the best diet for weight loss is the one you will actually do. The first six tips for fat loss on the list are the most effective for weight loss, giving you the most bang for your buck. So, pick 1-2 factors from the first six tips for fat loss: calorie deficit, prioritize protein, adherence, measure something, eat nutrient dense foods, and exercise. After that, gradually add in one more factor.
As importantly, make sure this is something that makes you feel good about yourself. After all, behavior science is tougher than rocket science so if your mind isn’t receptive to it, it won’t last. Find ways to make it enjoyable.
Create good behaviors, melt fat, be healthier.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. The author(s) of this blog are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Reliance on any information provided by this blog is solely at your own risk.
