If I asked you how to lose fat,

You would say “a calorie deficit”.

It’s what the mainstream media says.

So you agree.

And you are right because you will lose weight.

But temporarily.

And weight means muscle tissue is included. So you will lose both muscle and fat and still temporarily.

But why is that the case?

Why a calorie deficit results in temporary “fat loss”

When going on a calorie deficit, you must burn more calories than you consume.

Burning calories requires physical activity, like running. The calories you consume are usually low to help you stay fuller for longer without consuming too many calories.

Often, when people are satisfied with the amount of weight they’ve lost, they go back to the original diet that got them fat in the first place, which was most likely full of ultra-processed foods, and then they gain all the fat back again.

They also stop doing regular exercise and intense cardio, which means they can’t “burn more calories than they consume”.

It’s why most people keep doing transformations all over again.

Sometimes, people even struggle to lose weight on a calorie deficit because although their meals may be calorie-sparse, there are still refined carbs in them, and that results in them gaining fat.

Nowadays, people are busy, so they don’t plan their meals.

They result in consuming fast food,^[1] easy & ready-to-eat meals, and ultra-processed foods.

And that leads me on to my next point.

Exercise is not the reason you’re fat

It’s not your fault that you are fat. It is not because of “lack of exercise”, but because you have been deceived, and food companies have been secretive.

They put chemicals in your food that you shouldn’t be consuming that are bad for your gut, and get stored in your body as “energy” for later use.

I’m talking about sugar. ^[2]

You’ve been lied to into thinking that there’s only one sugar, glucose.

And that’s why they put “no added sugar” on the food packaging instead of “no added sugars”.

The truth is glucose isn’t the only sugar. The sugars in most packaged foods you consume are higher on the glycaemic index than glucose. ^[3]

The glycaemic index is a figure representing the relative ability of a carbohydrate food to increase the level of glucose in the blood.

Most food packages that say “no added sugar” actually contain other sugars instead of glucose.

Why is sugar a problem?

Whenever you consume carbs and sugar, they spike your insulin, and your body has to decide how much of it to store as energy for later use and to use straight away.

When you consume sugar high on the glycemic index, more of it gets stored in your body as fat, and that’s why you get cravings and think you’re lacking energy.

Likewise, even when you consume too many carbs that may be mid-range on the glycaemic index, ^[4] there’ll be more sugar than your body needs, and your body will store it as fat.

Low-calorie foods are not always healthy

Why do you think the packaging says “LOW IN CALORIES” or “ONLY 90 CALORIES” in bold letters?

The companies know you will only look at calories and not the ingredients.

Here’s an example:

It may say “99kcal per pack” but when you look at the ingredients, you’re in for a real one.

They know people will only look at the amount of sugars it has, but never WHAT sugars.

The crisps contain maltodextrin ^[5] and it’s between 95 and 136 on the glycaemic scale. That is high! It’s even higher than table sugar’s GI of 65.

It means that maltodextrin can cause a sharp spike in your insulin ^[6] after consuming it, and a sharp spike tells your body to store most of it very quickly as fat in you.

And that increases your cravings and depletes your energy even more than regular sugar.

Try not to have these crisps regularly.

Here are some more examples:

Simple…isn’t it? Well, it’s simple until you look at the back.

Although “Eat Natural” is in big lettering at the front, it’s got glucose syrup in the ingredients.

Once again, the big lettering is to attract you!

Boots Vitamin C

In a supplement that’s meant to be vitamin C, however, maltodextrin and sweeteners are present. You wouldn’t need this if you had a healthy diet, with your 5-a-day fruit & veg!

They want you to be addicted to drinking this!

Nature Valley Protein Bar

If you want protein, eat animal protein, or protein sources from beans and nuts. You’re just giving yourself gut problems from consuming this!

Grenade Bars

I’ve never heard of polydextrose ^[7] but I know it’s high GI sugar.

This isn’t a bar of protein, this is a bar of sugar!

Wellkid Vitamin Gummies

The first 3 ingredients are often what the food item is made of the most. So glucose syrup being the first ingredient is worrying.

They want your kids to be addicted to these gummies so they move on to other sweets that are sweeter.

Get your micronutrients from your 5-a-day!

Examples of sugars

Examples of uncommon names for sugar:

Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Barley malt extract, fructose, glucose syrup, sucrose, glucose-fructose syrup,  galactose, glucose, molasses, corn syrup, lactose, maple syrup, malt syrup, cane sugar, cane juice, barley malt syrup.

Teach Your body how to use it’s excess body fat as energy

You don’t need energy drinks; you’re carrying tens of thousands of calories as excess body fat. Therefore, you must teach your body how to use it. 

You do this by controlling your insulin, so instead of your body stores most of the food you eat as energy, it will store less for later use and use more straightaway, which will also make you feel more energised.

Control your insulin by reducing the carbs (especially refined ones) you consume.

The small amount of carbs you consume should be whole-grain.

Have high protein and healthy fats. Examples of good protein sources are fish and meat and for fats, avocados and eggs.

Where will you get your energy from?

You will get your energy from the healthy fats you consume, as fat contains more than double the energy (9kcal) than carbs (4kcal).

Healthy fats will keep you full for longer and increase your energy!

How to lose fat

So, losing fat is simple:

• Teach your body how to use it’s fat stores
• Do this by controlling your insulin
• Do that by lowering the carbs you consume
• The small carbs you consume should be whole grain (avoid refined ones)
• Increase your protein intake & healthy fat intake
• Avoid ultra-processed foods
• Read the ingredients on your food items

So, with every move you make and all the steps you take, your body will be using your fat stores as energy, and when your body fat percentage finally drops, your body will use the fat you consume as energy, which means you’ll become fat adapted. 

And your fat WILL stay off.

Does this mean no cardio? Yes. But doing low-intensity cardio, like walking, can boost the process, as you’ll use your fat stores as energy. Moderate-intensity cardio, like biking, is great as well. Just remember not to overdo them.

You’ll also have more energy for strength training, which is good if you want to build muscle and get stronger.

Conclusion

Your diet was always the most crucial factor for losing fat, and it stays that way! You have the power to control your diet, whether it’s by avoiding fast food or reducing the carbs you consume.

So with all that you’ve learnt, don’t be fooled by the mainstream media and the food companies that want to trade money for your health.

Obviously, you can have these foods every now and then but not frequently.