The pooch, the spare tire, the love handles, the winter pudge, the midline jelly doughnut. Now I’m not here to make you chase down the closest Dunkin’, but we have all heard about these terms in the battle for fat-loss.
Anyone who is looking to lose body fat, gain strength, or increase muscle mass is going to have some requirements that we aim hit throughout the week. You will need to consume a certain amount of calories, ideally coming from food with a proper nutrient profile. Depending on your goals, you may also benefit from creating a small daily deficit in these calories. Mind you, I said SMALL. This deficit can come from a decrease in energy consumption (less food) or increased activity. It can be as simple as upping your overall cardio or aiming to walk 10/15k steps a day etc. This small deficit daily, adds up to a larger one over time- giving us healthy fat-loss rates.
You won’t get to your goals by over-doing it two days per week on the stair mill or by only eating a cube of cheese every time you feel like you’re about to pass out. Anyone who is a Devil wears Prada fan will understand why this is comical.
One frequent problem is that many people habitually have 1-3 alcoholic drinks a night. Seems innocent enough right? Wrong. These drinks can range from 75 to 500 calories a piece. Now imagine that over the span of a week… those 1-3 drinks a night just undid your hard work. BAM Monday rolls around and no fat loss, because your caloric deficit no longer exists- and while calories can vary you could even gain weight because your drinks could total the 3500 calories that make up a pound of body fat loss.
The impact of these drinks on your fat loss is more complex than calories in/calories out. Alcoholic drinks also create hormone swings in the body. These hormone fluctuations, even small ones, can prevent you from losing body fat regardless of your caloric deficit.
Contrary to popular belief, alcohol negatively impacts your sleep quality. Going to sleep and passing out are not equal, especially when it negatively impacts your recovery. Sleep is one of the most important pieces of your fat loss journey.
Because alcohol is socially acceptable and often celebrated, we are conditioned to look beyond the negative impacts of it on our health. This seemingly small habit can derail your entire weight loss journey. I can’t tell you what to do, but this might be why you’re spinning your tires when it comes to decreasing your body fat.
-The Meatball
Kommentare