Fat loss. “Toning”.
Energy balance is the name of the game. Calories In vs. Calories Out.
There is a single contributor to calories in, food and drink consumption. Collecting data by logging intake for a short period of time will help determine what is necessary to burn in a day to gain or lose weight.
Yet there are many contributors to expenditure (calories out).
Contributors in order from greatest to least.
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): The quantity of energy needed to maintain body temperature, repair internal organs, support cardiac function, support respiration… (you can see there are many autonomic functions in the body requiring continuous energy supply). *Majority of expenditure, 50-70%
Exercise and Non-Exercise Activity: Required for physical work. The expenditure required to move the body is related directly to body weight (especially lean tissue mass), to the distance that weight is moved, and to the state of physical fitness. Like the “rich get richer”, the “fit get fitter”. Simply referring to efficiency. *Highly varied, 5-25%
Thermic Effect of Food: The heat produced following ingestion of a meal. This effect can be produced by any food, but the consumption of protein and carbs results in much larger thermic effects than does consumption of fat. *Digestion and absorption, 5-15%
There are many factors that will determine what an average day of expenditure looks like for you individually but I’m sharing this to highlight ONE thing specifically.
If your focus or goal is to reduce body fat, prioritize increasing your resting metabolic rate. We want to find a way to make our bodies expend more energy while we are at rest.
Yes you can increase your expenditure through workouts and added sessions. Is it sustainable though? The foundation is in our strength training (StrongFit) and expedited in our conditioning (Burn). Both are necessary for fat loss, building muscle, and increasing our RMR for a healthier and leaner physique.