Empower Her Health Coaching

With New Year’s resolutions in full gear (or maybe already flickering out), I thought it was about time I put together all of the fat loss info I’ve gathered throughout the last few years into one place as a resource for you… Because while I don’t like to fixate on weight loss, I still know it’s something that’s very important to many, and, since many are doing it, let’s do it while taking the best care of ourselves that we possibly can.

With that said, the title of this issue, referring to fat loss as “healthy”? Is actually a misnomer. When we are in a calorie deficit/ when we are losing weight? It’s actually purposefully putting our bodies into starvation mode… and for those of us who don’t have a lot to lose? Our bodies will not be functioning at optimal levels during this time. So, instead, let’s refer to it as “the healthiest way possible” to lose fat. However, for those of us with more weight to lose? You may actually notice your body start to feel AMAZING as you drop weight, especially if you are moving more and eating healthier. So, for you? This process actually may be not only improving your body’s health, but your quality of life as well!

Today, I’m going to take you through 3 steps of fat loss: prep, fat loss, and reversing to maintenance. 

**Now, if you have a clinical reason to lose weight, you can skip the prep solely for the reason that: losing weight as soon as possible is pertinent to do ASAP in order to restore your health. I invite you to still read through prep, and take the spirit of it to heart and incorporate as much of the mentality as possible. If you have not had a medical provider implicitly tell you to lose weight immediately, then please, consider going through each step of this process in order to not only to get results, but to get results that will LAST long-term.

Preparation

The first phase of fat loss is going to be one that most people usually skip, and, honestly, they aren’t going to like it either. Why? It involves waiting. And, in our society of getting what we want when we want it, some people just say; “forget it!”. And to those people I say, “You might be successful, but for how long?”.

Because our prep work? It’s all about putting in the work ahead of time, so that our weight loss actually LASTS this time.

I’m going to start out by giving you a checklist of things you should be able to tick off before beginning a fat loss phase. Many of them are easier said than done, but remember, the reason you’re doing it: So it LASTS… if you’re more of a “scanner/tell me what to do/I don’t care about the science” type, you can read only the headings, but bear in mind, if you feel the pull to skip a step, please read the purpose behind the step before doing so, as I’ve included it on this list for a reason! 

If you’re the “give me the science & reasons” type, read it all!

Checklist for Beginning Fat Loss:

-Maintain your current weight for at least 6 months

–Have a regular weight lifting routine you do consistently at least 2x/week

–Get around 7,000 steps/day, or 3.5 miles/day on average (this # isn’t a “must”, but the more you move, the better the results. If you’re really far from 7k, just start by trying to increase 1k from where you are)

-Consistently track your food for at least 3 months in some way (portions, fullness levels on a 1-10 scale, macros, calories, etc)

–Get at least 7 hours of sleep/night on average

-Have at least 8 weeks or longer you’re able to commit to a fat loss phase w/ no races, vacations, or events that you aren’t willing to sacrifice the quality of or will be too difficult to do during a fat loss phase

-Please don’t set a “goal weight” or “goal size”– allow your body to do it’s thing and be healthy and focus on the process vs the outcome 

–Be mentally prepared for the fat loss to be SLOW- .5-2lbs/week unless you have a significant amount to lose (this number will usually be higher in the first week due to water weight & may be higher than this if you have a lot to lose)

-If you aren’t where you want to be at the end of your fat loss phase (read more on when this is in the next section), you’re mentally prepared to give yourself a little while at maintenance before continuing your cut for your mental and physical health

-You’re prepared for your “goal body” in terms of looks may weigh more and be in a bigger size than your “goal sizes/weight” (which we aren’t setting, remember?) because muscle weighs something (and looks a ton better)

–You’re ready to heal misconceptions & do it right this time

–You’re deciding to lose from a place of self-love vs self-hate that was triggered by a weigh in, seeing a picture of yourself, or not fitting into your pants

–You’ve addressed any deeper issues you have with exercise, the scale, and eating with therapy or purposeful time reversing issues (the goal isn’t perfection, but don’t shy away from addressing this for long-term success’s sake!)

Fat Loss Phase

You may have noticed that up until this point, I’ve gone between calling it a fat loss and weight loss phase. But, from here on out, we’re calling it a “fat loss phase”. Why? Because we want to lose fat. Not muscle. Not body tissue. Not water. Because not only will that make us look a whole lot worse, it’s just flat out not as healthy for the short or long-term.

Our body prefers to utilize muscle as fuel over fat. So, we need to help our body feel as close to normal as possible, so it won’t use as much muscle as it would for instance when people do cleanses, crash diets, or use other tactics to lose weight fast. This fast weight loss? Is water and a whole lot of that golden, beautiful muscle that we NEED for so many reasons… see my last issue for more on that…

But, how do we help our body specifically target fat over muscle?! Let’s look at another checklist!

Fat Loss Phase Tactics:

–Eat as many grams of protein as your ideal healthy body weight

–Strength train each muscle group at least 2x/week, still pushing close to failure

–Get at least 7 hours of sleep/night

–Get at least 7,000 steps/day ** or for best results, increase from your current average by about 2,000 steps if possible, as walking is the least stressful form of movement

–Track your food daily with your preferred form of tracking- decrease food amount by no more than 20% especially to start

-Ensure you are getting adequate carbohydrates and fats (not lower than 20% of total calories) as well, as going too low will stress your body out even more and lead to more muscle vs fat loss

–If you notice any unhealthy psychological patterns (obsession w/ eating, obsession w/ tracking, obsession w/ exercise, emotions overly tied to the scale, overwhelmed by tracking, etc) begin, you pull the plug

–If you have negative biofeedback (poor sleep, loss of menstrual cycle, extreme fatigue, anger, aggression, intense mood swings, etc) you pull the plug

So, in a fat loss phase, you’re going to be conservative to make sure you aren’t making your body extra stressed out, and the focus will be on FAT, specifically, as a result.

A few other pointers that may aid in a fat loss phase going a little bit more smoothly?

Eat with an emphasis on nutrient density, not caloric density! This means: veggies, whole grains, lean protein, and lower calorie fruits first. A variety will also prevent nutrient deficiencies, so eat the rainbow!

Also, making sure you are staying hydrated will greatly help with deciphering hunger vs thirst cues and keeping you from getting too many unnecessary cravings. Also, note that hydration may mean extra electrolytes if you are working out, in a warm climate, are breastfeeding, in a dry climate, or notice you have dark urine and/or clear urine… Light yellow is the goal!

Stress management will also be your friend-that is why choosing a more boring stretch of life without a ton of events or vacations will be key to helping you track, adhere, and find success with fat loss! Plus, less stress= more fat vs muscle loss!

Give it your all for the period of time you’re in fat loss, and then!? Get out!

REVERSING TO MAINTENANCE

So, how long should you stay in a fat loss phase and how do you know when to quit?!

My recommendation is staying in it until you begin to notice negative psychological or physical side effects, and to help, I always recommend working closely with a coach. These side effects may not start out being consistent or extreme, and this is why I recommend having a professional to work with, so you can be honest with yourself and also so you can notice early and have consistent accountability and care throughout the process.

But, please, don’t stay in fat loss until you hit the weight you want to hit- start with a conservative time frame and listen to your body and minds’ cues, making slow, steady progress, and doing it conservatively to focus on fat loss specifically.

When you stay in a fat loss phase too long, your metabolism can adapt to the lower amount of calories, so if you do have more to lose after your fat loss phase is complete? My recommendation is that you double the time you were in the fat loss, and wait that long after the phase is complete before going into another. This will also give you more practice in maintenance and make your long-term success only that much more likely. Plus, psychologically, the break will be appreciated as well!

So, how do we find our new maintenance?!

We increase our food to slightly below where we started, stay there for awhile, and see how our weight responds. If you are tracking with calories, you can calculate your new maintenance according to how much weight you lost. Using the hunger scale 1-10, you might start eating until you’re at a 8 again instead of a 6, for example. Portions? You may increase those portions a bit again.

The main focus? Weighing in to make sure you are sustaining weight. ***Please note that an initial jump in weight is to be expected because of extra food in your stomach and extra water being retained as you increase carbs again. This is normal and okay- your lowest weight is not something you should attempt to attain, although in some rare cases, it may be. However, if the weight loss continues, that means you’ve overshot your new maintenance and feed to decrease food intake until your weight stabilizes.

This is often the phase that isn’t included in a typical diet program, but it is so important to find your “new normal” in order to sustain all of that hard work you just put in. While you will be eating less than you were before your fat loss phase? You also should be less hungry because your body will need less energy/calories/food to sustain your new weight!

Mentally, this is the hardest part and where a lot of people can lose the battle because they just go back to the way they were doing things before.

I recommend keeping a gauge on food and weight and staying a little more strict about it for at least a month or two, as your mind and body may have a desire to overdo it right after a fat loss phase. When you feel you’re ready, try moving gradually to a more intuitive approach with the hunger scale I mentioned earlier for a more sustainable lifestyle approach to maintaining weight. This eating style is a tactic I could focus an entire issue on. However, it’s the ultimate goal for enjoyment and sustainability.

The #1 thing to realize about maintenance? IT IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME!!! Our bodies are designed to need a certain amount of calories and nutrients to function, and when we give them to our body?! It THRIVES! Maintenance is home. It is where we get to eat the slice of cake, have a drink here or there, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on our oatmeal every once in awhile, and, while we don’t want to overdo or overindulge, it is where we get to truly ENJOY food and giving our body what it needs with whatever flourish we want to add to that equation.

While I could go on and on, and discuss different recommendations on diet, fat loss, and reversing diets for those undereating, etc. depending on different situations, I don’t want to make this too long. However, I will state that this is exactly what I do with my 1:1 clients, and I am taking 2 more clients in March, so I invite you to check out my website, handbook, and either reply to this email or fill out the interest form on my website if you’re ready to get started in a fat loss phase with a little more guidance.

I just led 1 client through a successful reverse maintenance after realizing she had an adapted metabolism. She initially did gain weight, but then did a successful fat loss phase, and is now eating 500 more calories at the same weight she started! She dedicated herself to some hard work and took such good care of her body- yay for going against what we’ve been taught in order to do what’s best for our bodies!!

Another client I’m working with just hit 25 pounds down this month in a longer-term goal, and it is amazing to see her progress, lifestyle changes, and how she’s navigated a lot in her life while still sticking with it! Her biggest takeaway: realizing how much the all-or-nothing mindset was holding her back, and continuing to thrive through stressful seasons by just focusing on one thing: protein intake, when life gest overwhelming. Clapping for her journey and continued persistence!

In other news, I am working towards my personal training certification, and am aiming towards getting my cert this summer, and have a goal of launching a low cost beginner and intermediate/advanced weight training program through an app with new programs coming out periodically throughout the year to aid you in your fitness journey by the end 2024!

If you have any questions for me on this article or fat loss specifics, feel free to reach out via email or social media!

You can also jump into my FREE women’s health group on Facebook, where I’m teaching Hormonal Balance 101!

Take care, stay healthy, and we’ll chat soon!

-Jess

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“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

― Lao Tzu