What is the Fastest Way to reduce BODY FAT?
FAT, our number one enemy notoriously finds ways to deposit on our body. We take up many measures to combat fat but, while most popular measures are unscientific, some measures take long and we end up quitting before seeing results. Is it only exercise? Is it only diet? Is it a combination of exercise and diet? Or, is it something else? Let us probe, what the FASTEST Way to Reduce BODY FAT.
The Exercise Only route:
A majority of us believe that it is okay to eat anything, anytime as far as we exercise or burn it off. The way the human body converts food to energy is complex and it does not completely work on the principle of calorie intake and calorie burn. It means that eating something high in calories and then doing vigorous exercise to burn the energy produced by the same is incorrect.
Challenging exercises put a lot of physical and mental stress on us. The body undergoes a lot of wear and tear when we do the same and has to recover from it at the earliest. For recovery, our body requires some raw materials like protein, vitamins, minerals, trace elements etc. which are obtained from the diet. In addition to the diet, our body also requires sleep to recover and rejuvenate. When the body recovers, it super compensates making the previously challenging exercise a bit easier. We need correct nutrition to recover from the wear and tear inflicted from exercising. Exercise alone without a proper diet may reduce weight because of muscle loss but, may not noticeably reduce fat. Weight loss may not mean fat loss. To understand more, here’s a blog on weight loss vs. fat loss.
Thus, we conclude that only exercising without giving equal importance to the diet is not the fastest way of reducing body fat. It may lead to weight loss but little or no fat loss.
If you have to exercise to burn fat then your diet is wrong.
The Diet Only route:
Humans are the only animals that exercise to burn fat or reduce weight. All other species conserve their energy by avoiding strenuous activities. Energy conservation is an evolutionary trait. Evolutionarily speaking, we should also be conserving our energy and not exercising at all. However, since our lifestyle has drastically changed, we are forced to eat more and move less. Hence, exercise has gained a lot of importance in the last few years.
Historically, humans have never exercised, were never obese and there was no prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases. If we are to follow the same lifestyle that we did before the introduction of agriculture (that’s roughly 10,000 years back) we do not need exercise. If we do then, exercise will become the icing over the cake.
Yes, it is possible to reduce weight and fat by a meticulously planned diet like a ketogenic diet. Also, our body has evolved for surviving without food for extended periods. Modern science has shown that intermittent fasting has always been a part of our lifestyle till the introduction of agriculture after which food was abundant. Read more about intermittent fasting here: What is INTERMITTENT FASTING?
It should be noted that although intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet helps burn body fat, the fat burning process can be accelerated further using exercises.
Thus we conclude that the diet (timing, portion and quality) only route will help reduce body fat but is not the fastest way of reducing body fat.
A combination of Exercise and Diet:
Although a correct diet alone is sufficient to reduce body fat, scientifically correct exercise combined with a scientifically accurate diet plan is the fastest (and the easiest) way to burn fat and reduce weight. Exercise will ensure muscle breakdown and a correct lifestyle (including diet) will ensure hypertrophy or muscle growth. The best form of exercise is weight training which also happens to be the fastest way to increase muscle mass and reduce fat.
Remember to give equal importance to all five components of fitness and also remember that exercise is icing over the cake, the cake being your lifestyle (majorly diet).
Tips for Accelerating BODY FAT Reduction:
Combine scientifically correct exercises targeting big muscles like the back, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest along with intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet to give maximum results.
Have high thermogenic and low glycemic foods.
Our body breakdowns while exercising and recovers during sleep. Make sure to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. It’s best to follow the circadian rhythm for sleep.
Avoid tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs in all forms.
Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. They spike insulin and cause several lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart trouble etc.
Set milestones and have goals for each of your workouts. Also, set incremental goals for the diet plan. Keep measuring the goals and assessing if any changes are to be done.
Go out of the way to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day and the night.
Do not believe in magic weight-loss powders, capsules, devices or techniques. They simply do not work.
Have supplements if you can not obtain enough quantity or good quality nutrition from your diet alone.
If required, consult a lifestyle consultant or a nutrition counsellor to correct your lifestyle.
Key Takeaways:
Exercise alone without correct nutrition may help reduce weight but may not help reduce fat. Weight loss due to muscle loss and without fat loss is dangerous. It should be avoided at all costs.
Correct lifestyle (including nutrition) alone without exercise will help reduce weight and body fat but is certainly not the fastest way to reduce body fat.
Combining scientifically correct weight training exercises along with scientifically accurate nutrition (intermittent fasting + ketogenic diet) is the fastest way to reduce body fat.
Hope the article has helped us understand the fastest way to reduce body fat.
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