It is not easy to lose fat or cut. Complex matters are further complicated by the many crash diets that promise significant weight loss in a matter of days. They all result in hunger that is covered up with appealing marketing.
We can help you organize through all the noise.
These two commonly used methods of cutting fat can help you look ripped and ready to rock the long-term. You can weigh the pros and cons of each to determine which one is best for you.
Fat LossMethod 1 : Follow a Set Meal plan
Individual fitness instructors were available to help people lose weight and exercise. All details were included, including how much food and when. Many people who want to lose fat have found this regimented approach to fat-loss nutrition to be effective. Its effectiveness is unquestionable, but it has its advantages and drawbacks.
ThePros
A professional can help you eliminate all tension and mental tiredness associated with trying to lose weight by creating a meal plan. Follow the strategy and eat x amount of food each meal. In a few weeks, you’ll see results! You look great, slimmer, and more toned!
The meal strategy helps to avoid wasting food and the temptation to indulge. The shop will only allow you to purchase a limited number of products. That’s it. No meaningless snacking, no pointless impulse purchases, no squandered expenditure.
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TheCons
However, the downside to the set meal-plan approach is that it can become boring after a while. These strategies typically limit the foods you eat day after day. What happens if you don’t want to eat chicken or rice? Too bad. It’s not clear what the meal strategy says.
This is the problem with meal plans. They don’t teach you how to create a fat-loss plan. They tell you to eat this and not that. What happens after you have lost weight and you are ready to eat more often? You go back to your trainer and receive a new meal plan for bulking or preserving.
You will never know how to create a sustainable and efficient way of eating. This brings us to the next step in fat-loss.
Fat-LossMethod 2: Counting Macros
Macronutrients are short for macronutrients. They include the protein, carbs and fats in the food you eat. Every food has different amounts of each macronutrient. This allows you to determine how healthy the food is and how much it meets your needs.
All calories aren’t developed equivalent. Although a 16-ounce regular soda contains about the same amount of calories as a 4 ounce chicken breast, they have drastically different macronutrient profiles. The soda contains no sugar while the chicken has 98 percent protein and a little bit of fat. This will allow you to target the macronutrients you need every day.
It is important to pay attention to protein when tracking macros for weight reduction. Protein helps fight cravings and preserves muscle mass in a calorie deficit. After protein, you will set your fat macros. Carbohydrates make up the majority of calories.
ThePros
The counting-macros approach allows you to eat whatever food you want to meet your macronutrient goals. This allows you to be liberated and opens up a whole new world of food options. You don’t have to eat chicken or broccoli if you aren’t feeling like eating them. However, you can still eat steak, asparagus, yogurt, and berries as long as you meet your daily carbohydrate, protein, and fat goals. This way of eating is also known as the “if you fit your macros” (IIFYM), method to dieting.
IIFYM helps to reduce the monotony and mental drain that can come with a strict meal plan. You can indulge in ice cream or chocolate if you have the space in your macros. You might also find it helps to lower the stress associated with dieting.
The macro-counting approach to weight loss is not perfect.
TheCons
The downside to macro counting is your ability to eat a lot of cookies, doughnuts, and pizza. These foods may be suitable for some people’s diet plans, but if your food choices are calorically dense and nutrient-poor, it will make it difficult to hit your macros for the day.
The downside to macro-counting is that it can be too tedious for some people. You need to not only weigh your food down to every gram but also determine how carbohydrates, fats and proteins are broken down. Next, determine what foods you should eat for your next meal to meet your macronutrient goals.
It’s not necessarily more difficult or better to follow a recommended meal plan, but it is still tiresome. It is just another way to help you lose weight and make your life easier. Some people find counting macros not annoying and some even enjoy it. Others find it tedious and overwhelming to handle all the details of daily life.
TheBottom Line
It is not easy to lose weight. However, it can be done in a variety of ways. The most popular options are the set-meal plan path and tracking macros. Each method works, but each has its own advantages.
