Actually losing weight and reducing our fat percentage (defining) is easier than increasing or hypertrophying the muscles . It is often said that 20 weeks are needed to lose 5kg of fat and 100 weeks (2 years) are needed to achieve fat-free muscle mass.

The fundamental equation is the one that dictates the caloric balance. That is, calories ingested, less calories expended. A calorie deficit in this equation will make us lose weight while a surplus will make us gain weight.

In practice we see that sometimes it is not so simple and other values ​​come into play, such as the efficiency of our basal metabolism, thermogenesis and exogenous conditions (work, climate, social …)

As a starting point to make our “plan to lose weight or define” we have to calculate the total daily calories. In a simple way we can use a “calorie counter” like this:

Female Calculator and find out what our daily caloric total is.

Then we must know the calories we consume in our daily activity.

Well, in order to lose weight and fat the total must be negative, otherwise we have to increase our physical activity or reduce total calories .

What more strategies can we adopt to achieve our goal?

– From the nutritional part we can talk about:

1. Moderate fat intake .

Because fat contains 9 Kilocalories per gram. Especially saturated fats, present in meats and foods of animal origin such as milk, and “trans” fats, hydrogenated and therefore modified fats present in industrial bakery for example.

1. 2. Consume low glycemic carbohydrates.

These carbohydrates have a more moderate response on insulin and are less likely to accumulate as fat deposits. Low glycemic index foods include fruits such as pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, and orange. Pasta cooked al dente and whole grains have a low glycemic index. On the other side are the simple sugars present in sweets, table sugar and soft drinks. And French fries that have some of the highest glycemic indexes.

1. 3. Introduce vegetables and fresh vegetables.

Since they provide us with satiety with a low calorie content. They are also an important source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates in the presence of vegetables lower their glycemic index.

1. 4. Distribute nutrients optimally throughout the day.

It is not true that carbohydrates at night make you fat and lose weight in the morning, rather we must adapt this macronutrient to our energy needs for the day. Thus a person who trains late in the day requires carbohydrates in the afternoon. Fats should be consumed distributed throughout the day, moderating in the moments prior to training. And proteins should be part of every meal, in small doses to ensure a constant flow of amino acids.

– From the training part:

1. 1. Carry out a mixed training of exercises with loads and cardiovascular exercise.

The former will help us to keep our muscles toned and “hard”, in addition to burning a large part of the calories. Prolonged low-intensity cardio or high-intensity interval training are two good choices.

Load training first, then cardiovascular.

1. 2. Forget that abs burn fat.

There are no isolation exercises that promote localized fat burning. That is, not by doing abs every day you will look faster, to show off abs you have to combine the strategies that we have mentioned before. In addition, direct abdominal work (conventional abdominal exercises) have little impact on fat loss since they require little energy.

1. 3. Doing many repetitions with little weight is not defining.

The belief that to define you have to work with little weight and high repetitions is obsolete. As we lose body fat, it is not advisable to do work at maximum intensities, but to promote fat “burning” it is necessary to subject the body to an overexertion, this is much more acute when we work with higher intensities. Therefore, use a strict technique when executing the exercises but try to use as much weight as possible in a range of between 10 and 20 repetitions.

1. 4. A well-crafted workout can do a lot for you.

The amount of work, rest, execution time, pauses, frequency and type of exercises will be decisive in a good weight reduction program. As everything is the work of professionals, so if you find it difficult to develop your own program, ask for help, an expert will make the most of your time and evaluate your results, something essential to be able to improve and perform at your best.