It is easy to get confused between a weight loss diet and one that is focused on losing excess body fat. They are very different and a weight loss diet is focused on the reducing calories while a fat loss diet focuses on ‘metabolic fitness’ and balancing the body’s hormones so it becomes better at burning fat.
The weight loss diet is focused on eating less fuel (calories) than you burn each day and the other (the fat loss diet) is focused on burning more fuel than you eat each day.
Here are the differences:
A weight loss diet:
- Restricts calories in the idea of trying to starve fat from the body
- Mostly reduces food intake buy too much causing the body to slow the metabolism (the body’s engine) as a result
- Drains away your energy and makes you feel miserable
- Creates intense food cravings resulting in binges and overeating
- Eating heavily processed foods is acceptable if calories are low.
- Does not improve health and fitness and leaves one flabby and weak
- Lowered energy levels do not support a strength training exercise program that is needed to make positive changes to the metabolism
- Is all about less – less food – less energy – less strength – lowered metabolic rate – less fat burning
- Creates fat storing hormones (cortisol) from the ‘diet’ stress of lowered food intake
A fat loss diet on the other hand:
- Is all about creating a healthy ‘fat burning’ metabolism
- More food but higher quality is eaten to boost metabolism
- Small meals of 200-300 calories are eaten 2-3 hours apart to boost metabolism
- A source of protein must be the center piece of each small meal
- Has balanced macro-nutrients (protein/carbohydrates/fats) at each meal
- A focus on natural, whole, unprocessed foods at least 80 percent of the time
- The idea is to create lots of energy to be active and increase fat burning
- A strength training exercise program is in place 2-3 times each week to keep the fat burning machinery (muscle tissue) burning fat at the highest rate
- Creates fat burning hormones to make losing excess fat weight as easy as possible
- A proper fat loss lifestyle creates a strong, lean, healthy, shapely body
- Gives you more of everything – more food – more energy – more strength – and three times the results in half the time when done correctly
The weight loss diet is not the best way to lose weight
So there you have it – which one will you choose? Bit of a no brainer really. Forget the old fashioned restrictive dieting and get yourself a healthy metabolism and a brand new body. With this two pronged approach of proper strengthening exercise combined with healthy eating you will boost your health, support your activity needs which is the recipe to get you in the very best shape of your life.
Note: If you found the content in this article useful, please check out my home page where you'll find more information about my No Excuses Body Makeover program:
