The way that I look at it there are 5 dimensions to successful, long-term fat loss. Number 4 and 5 are the ones that I failed to truly understand when I succeeded in a significant fat loss years ago.
1 - Eat Less
This is the most obvious dimension. Of course you need to eat less, that's the whole calories in need to be less than the calories out.
Right now I'm still trying to figure out how much I'm eating and what it looks like. I'm tracking this with MyFitnessPal, then next week I will use the calculators I referenced in my update #1 and start adjusting my diet actively to meet those macros.
2 - Move More
This is another obivous dimension. I'm sure you have read a lot of motivational instagram models saying the same thing.
However, I actually don't think its directly responsible for fat loss in most cases, but it does trick you into eating better if you are moving for the right reasons. If you get on the treadmill so that you can reward yourself with more food you can very easily overeat.
If you move more to be "healthy" or to treat your body right, you may refuse that cookie and eat an apple because that's what a healthy person would do.
I'm not going to start moving a lot at the start, a few kettlebell swings here a run there. No real plan. I think its important to build the eating habit right first.
3 - Proper supplementation
This is third on my list, but if you aren't doing the first two this isn't going to help you much. There isn't a pill that will help you lose weight without proper diet.
For this project I will focus my supplementation on the following:
Tim Ferriss PAGG
Creatine
Whey Protein
To meet my protein requirements in the time that I have whey protein is critical. The PAGG formula less so and probably won't even start that until I have a plateau.
I also take a probiotic and Fish Oil, but those are more for general health than fat loss.
4 - Creating the habits
I am focusing habits that a healthy and active person would have. For me that is someone that eats healthy food and moves every day.
My minimum effective dose for movement is 20 kettlebell swings when I get to my desk and/or a 10min run outside.
5 - The important inner work
This is what I have never focused on, and it's only this year that I even thought that I need to do the inner work.
This includes learning why I have the relationship to food that I do and how do I re-mold that relationship into something that's healthier, both emotionally and physically.
I think its only after I've addressed this work that I will have life long success.
Following along
I will be continuing with these updates at least once a week (probably Tuesdays), and after 6 weeks or so I will start including progress graphs.
If you want to join comment below and use the #noloafingloseit topic. I will be reading everything that is posted there.