Weight loss

Weight Loss
A Sustainable Approach for a Healthier You

The diets that work for a fortnight are not the ones that work for a year. A practical framework for losing fat in Gujrat without starving yourself or losing the muscle that keeps your metabolism alive.

Weight lossBy Ayesha Malik
Treadmill session in the YOUGYM weight loss programme

Fat loss and weight loss are not the same goal

The number on the scale moves for reasons that have nothing to do with fat — water, gut contents, glycogen. If you optimise the scale you will chase it by eating less, and the result is constant hunger and lost muscle. Optimising for fat loss instead means you eat enough to keep your muscle and lift enough to protect it, and the scale tends to follow.

Set a deficit you can hold for months

A deficit of roughly 15 to 20 percent of your maintenance is enough to lose fat steadily and is far easier to sustain than the crash levels that dominate quick-fix diets. The practical test is whether you can hold your food habits and your training sessions for eight weeks. If you cannot, the plan is too aggressive regardless of what the maths says.

Protein protects you while you are in a deficit

During a calorie deficit the body will readily break down muscle to cover the shortfall, unless something prevents it. Adequate protein and continued resistance training are what protect you. This is the single most important technical point in weight loss, and it is why lifting belongs in a fat loss programme rather than being replaced by more cardio.

Use food you can buy in Gujrat

A plan built on ingredients you cannot get nearby will fail in week two. Chicken, eggs, lentils, yoghurt, seasonal vegetables and fruit are all widely available and inexpensive here. The most effective diet is the one you can still follow in a month when you are tired, busy and not in the mood to be careful.

Expect a plateau and plan for it

Weight loss slows and stops periodically, and this is normal rather than a sign that the plan failed. A plateau is usually a maintenance break for the body. The correct response is a small calorie adjustment and a check on whether your training volume has dropped — not a further-aggressive cut. Members who push harder through a plateau are the ones who end up giving up.

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