CALORIE / ENERGY BALANCE does dictate the rate of loss so yes there does need to be some control / plan around what we are eating when body fat loss is the goal.
Weather it is mostly FAT or just simply a number on the scales dropping is determined by the approach taken to achieve the result.
Maintaining current lean muscle mass while cutting is the main focus & mindset to be in rather than just trying to lose weight.
If the number on the scales is the main focus lean muscle tissue often makes up a big percentage of the “weight” being lost, this is not a good thing long term.
Anytime lean muscle is lost metabolic rate slows, combined with fewer calories that drop can be quite significant & rebounding becomes more of a reality once the goal or deadline is reached.
This is done best by first being aware but also having macronutrient targets to hit each day rather than just going with the “less food approach”, refeeds & / or diet breaks should also be included & planned to reboost natural negative adaptations to a cutting phase.
With a sensible strength training program instead of just trying to burn calories off on a treadmill this will both at least preserve lean muscle optimally & go a long way to fueling workout performance & recovery.
Dropping body fat is easy, keeping it off is much more of a problem for most people because often the old habits reappear & post food restriction metabolic rate has dropped & weight gain is easier than it was to begin with.
A more sensible approach both during & post result will allow the individual to maintain theIr hard work much easier. There needs to be a plan put in place for post result, this is often coined the “exit strategy” – a phase where the goal is to maintain while calories are slowly built back up at the pace that each individuals metabolic rate responds to.
Keeping a client feeling good throughout our time together goes a long way to keeping them on track, I have a list of BIO-FEEDBACK questions that my clients get back to me weekly. This keeps me up to date with how they are responding to the overall plan in much more detail than how they are looking or what the scales are saying.
KEEP MOVING & HAVING FUN
GRAHAM 🙂