15 MUST-KNOW Fat Loss Facts (PART 2)
This is PART 2 of the “15 MUST-KNOW Fat Loss Facts”. To see PART 1, click HERE.
FACT 9: Carbs do not directly make you fat.
In Part 1, I’ve already mentioned that fat gain/loss is an EXECUTIVE decision, decided by the body from your OVERALL energy balance. And what makes you fat is only decided by this ONE AND ONLY DIRECT factor: calorie surplus. All other reasons are NOT direct factors, they’re at most “indirect influences”.
In other words, if you’re in a calorie deficit, but all the food you ate are carbs, you’ll still lose fat. And if you ate no carbs, but overall you’re in a calorie surplus, you’ll still gain fat.
And if you say “but carbs spike your insulin, making your body store fat”, then that’s false. It doesn’t MAKE your body store fat, it only makes your body more INCLINED to store fat over thousands of other things it could do. However, the mandatory prerequisite for fat storing is that your body is in an energy surplus. So no matter what your insulin level is, if your body is lacking energy (in a calorie deficit), it just doesn’t have the extra energy there to create fat. Your body cannot create body fat out of thin air!
I’ve explained all of this in more detail in PART 1. So please check it out first if you haven’t done so yet.
FACT 10: No one single type of food or nutrient can make you fat.
I don’t care if it’s loaded with sugar, deep-fried, covered in fatty sauces, or how “unhealthy” it is, if you’re in a calorie deficit, none of those alone can make you fat. If you’ve read all the facts up to now, you should know what the overarching law is: CALORIES.
FACT 11: No one single type of food can help you “boost metabolism”, significant enough to be relied on for fat loss..
Before we get into this, you must understand what metabolism is? The scientific definition is rather complicated, but as far as we’re concerned in terms of physique transformations, metabolism is simply ALL the energy your body needs to do anything and everything, whether that’s internal bodily functions, or your intended actions you do everyday. In other words, it’s your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
And scientifically, TDEE consists of 4 major parts. Please see HERE for detail.
But let’s simplify it down to 2 parts: 1) RMR (the metabolism that your body MUST go through), and 2) “all other stuff you do, consciously or not consciously”.
RMR consists of around 75-85% of your entire TDEE. That means THAT’s the big chunk you need to worry about. And RMR doesn’t really change. You can’t really “boost” it.
The other part can be “sort of” boosted, depending on what you do, and stimulants you may take (such as caffeine). HOWEVER, it’s a tiny part of your total TDEE. Thus, any boost here is often NOT significant enough to be relied on for fat loss.
Now, some people may say “what about the ‘thermic effect of food’? Can’t some foods increase metabolism from digesting and breaking down food?”
While it’s true that your body uses up energy to digest and metabolize the food, that effect itself NEVER contributes to a deficit.
Your body will only use a small chunk of the total calories consumed from food to digest it. For example, if you ate 300 calories of food, your body may use 2-3 calories to digest it. Yes… it’s not that much. Your body won’t burn more than 300 calorie to store 300 calories…
Because think about it. Why would it make sense for you to “eat more to boost metabolism”?
If you’re trying to deposit $300 into the bank, it’d make sense for the bank to charge you a service/transaction fee of $2. You’d still have $298 to store. Would it make sense if the bank charged you $350 for the $300 you’re trying to deposit? Then you’d be left with less money than you began with.
The conclusion is, food CANNOT “boost” metabolism great enough for fat loss. The energy you use to digest food can NEVER outpace the actual energy content of the food you eat.
FACT 12: “Just eat healthier” doesn’t automatically lead to fat loss.
Again. The overarching direct law of fat loss is calorie deficit.
So even if you ate only “healthy” foods, it doesn’t mean you’ll lose fat. It also doesn’t mean you can eat unlimited amounts of “healthy” foods, and you won’t gain fat.
When it comes to fat gain/loss, your body could care less about how “healthy” you think the food is. Again, it’s an executive decision, decided purely on your body’s overall ENERGY balance
There are lots of “healthy” foods that are high in calories. For example, the oh-so-popular avocados, nuts and seeds (almond, cashew, walnut, chia seeds, etc.), egg (yolk), coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil, etc. The list goes on.
These are all foods that are “healthy”, but since they’re high in calorie density, you can easily accumulate a calorie surplus with them.
Eating healthy is great. But it doesn’t mean it’s a buffet.
FACT 13: Any diet, if it causes fat loss, works because it intentionally or accidentally puts you in a calorie deficit, NOT because the diet itself has some magical fat loss properties.
We’re on fact #12, so I don’t think we need to repeat this again LOL.
FACT 14: Artificial sweeteners don’t make you fat.
In terms of whether or not artificial sweeteners will make you fat, it won’t because it has 0 calorie content.
There has been science research showing a “link” between drinking diet sodas and obesity. So some people may point that out. However, here’s the truth, and what scientists call it “the Big Mac and Diet Coke” mentality.
First, we must understand that when A is “linked” with B, it doesn’t mean A caused B.They’re just more likely to happen together.
The fact is, these studies were observational. That means scientists watched people behave naturally.
And what happened was, people who drank diet sodas were more likely to also eat fast food. They’d order a Big Mac meal, along with a diet soda (presumably to feel less guilty for eating a Big Mac meal).
So yes, they drank diet sodas, but the Big Mac meal is like 1000 calories. So what is the fact here? Was it really the diet soda and the artificial sweetener in it that caused obesity? Or was it the Big Mac.
FACT 15: You don’t need to be precise with all the “macros” to lose fat and get that lean toned body you want.
This one is for those who already understand calories, and is also “advanced” enough to understand that foods are made up of 3 major macronutrients: protein, fats, and carbs.
However, on a practical level, many people are too concerned with all the macronutrients (particularly fats and carbs), that they end up draining their willpower battery way too quickly.
The fact is that, 1) as long as you’re in a calorie deficit, and 2) consuming enough protein to tell your body you need muscle, thereby maximizing fat loss, those 2 things are all that you need to worry about.
In terms of what ratio or combination you should eat for carbs and fats, it really isn’t all that important. My personal recommendation is, go with how you feel.
If you feel like eating slightly fattier food, that means your body is likely to need more fats. If you feel like eating some carbs, that’s also self-explanatory. Just try not to go too extremely low in fats (below 20% of your total calorie intake) - because your hormones need them.
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ALRIGHT, these are my 15 MUST-KNOW fat loss facts. Once you get these straight, I’m sure you’ll have much more clarity as to how to lose weight, get lean, and build your dream physique.
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