Drop body fat and maintain a lean, healthy bodyweight for life!
Why maintaining a lean, healthy weight is important…
Maintaining a lean, healthy body weight reduces our risk of diseases and long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and cancer. It also increases our longevity and quality of life. A myth around health, and body fat, is that someone can carry an excess of body fat and still be healthy. Or that they are mutually exclusive from one another. This is not true, and there are no long-term studies to support this.
However, we do know that with time, the risk and eventuality of developing an illness or condition, increases with excess body fat. In addition, increased pressure on internal organs, and increased pressure and wear & tear on joints.
We also know that out of every combination of varying levels of health/body fat, studied clinically, being ‘healthy & lean’ is far superior to any other combination. Including being overweight/obese & healthy.
What’s a healthy amount of body fat to carry?
A lean, healthy body fat percentage for males, aged under 50 is 7-17%. For men over 50, it rises to 16-24%.
For females, a body fat percentage of 16-24% is considered healthy. For females over 50, that body fat percentage increases to the 22-31% range.
Common mistakes people make when trying to drop body fat:
Focusing on diet alone and not addressing the whole picture.
Under-eating, which then leads to over-eating, gaining more body fat and going back to square one. Repeat.
Taking an all or nothing approach.
Choosing cardiovascular training as the go-to training style to try and lose body fat.
Performing the training and but not addressing diet.
Thinking they know what and how much they are eating.
Focusing on losing body fat, but not changing lifestyle or daily habits
Being inconsistent.
Common myths around dropping body fat:
Gaining body fat is a natural part of getting older.
That dropping body fat is all down to diet.
That it’s possible to gain body fat if you eat after a certain time.
That it takes a long time to start seeing results.
That hormones play a bigger part than they actually do.
That HIIT training is the best way to drop body fat or keep it off.
