There are a lot of people who join the gym to gain muscle mass, but in reality, there are more people who want to lose weight than gain it.
But how do you lose weight and fat?
Do you go on the treadmill 2 hours a day?
Are you starting to feel hungry?
Do you take all the classes at your gym?
What do you really need to lose weight and fat?
Rule number one? Calories
Rule number one is simple and it is also the most important.
Calories.
You have to ingest fewer calories than your body uses.
You need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight.
If your body uses 3000 kcal per day, you should consume less.
How do you know that?
Take a look at the our article dedicated to calculating calories.
In the case of 3000 kcal, if you were to start losing weight now, a good value to start with would be 2800 kcal.
The slower and more gradual your calorie reductions, the better.
You will maintain more lean mass, and the more lean mass you maintain, the better the results will be not only at an aesthetic level, but also at a metabolic level.
No matter how many tricks you try, supplements you take or workouts you invent, if you consume more calories than you use, you won't lose weight.
You can continue to follow your current diet in terms of food, but you will have to reduce the quantities.
Less oatmeal for breakfast.
Less rice at lunch.
Fewer peanuts for snacks.
Small reductions, which together, will have a significant impact.
Rule number two? Patience
No great description is needed for the second rule.
To lose weight, you need patience.
Just as you don't gain 5kg in a week, you can't expect to lose it in that period.
It takes some time, depending on your goal, and sometimes you will feel unmotivated.
When you feel unmotivated, remind yourself of the results you have already achieved.
As they say, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
If you have a proper training plan and diet according to your goal, and if you follow them correctly, it is not a question of whether you will get the results you want.
It's just a matter of when.
Be patient and consistent, it will be worth it.
Rule number three? Cardio
While the first and second rules are mandatory, the third is less important.
It is possible to lose weight without doing cardio.
In fact, if you have to choose between weight training or cardio training, choose the first option.
However, by using cardio training, you will be able to lose weight faster.
Not only will you be able to lose weight faster, it will also be very useful at a later stage.
At a stage where it becomes difficult to progress and the weight seems to not budge.
Not only does it allow you to burn extra calories, it is also extremely beneficial for your health and endurance.
You can do low, medium and high intensity cardio.
Which one is the best?
See our article on what is the best type of cardio to lose weight.
Conclusion
Combine a calorie deficit with patience and you have a simple but effective recipe for losing weight.
If you add cardio, you will get faster results.
If you notice, we didn't talk much about weight training, nor did we even include it in the rules.
Why?
Simply because we assume it's something you already do, after all, you're on a gym website.
If you don't, start.
A calorie deficit combined with weight training, patience and some cardio is a perfect combination.
Not only to lose weight, but also to maintain lean mass and achieve an aesthetic body.
