This Confuses Alot Of People...

There are so many dieting systems out there which profess to be the best way to burn fat, this creates polarization and people attaching themselves to one type of dieting. What any successful fat loss diet will undeniably provide you with is a calorie deficit - this is one of the few things which cannot be debated, the law of thermodynamics are absolutely rigid when it comes to losing body fat.

If somebody used a keto diet to get lean, they were also in a calorie deficit.

If somebody used intermittent fasting to get lean, they were also in a calorie deficit.

If somebody used carb backloading to get lean, they were also in a calorie deficit.

If somebody used carb cycling to get lean, they were also in a calorie deficit.

If somebody used a vegan diet to get lean, they were also in a calorie deficit.

Forgive me for the repetitiveness here, I just want to be absolutely clear that any fat loss diet must ultimately put you in a calorie deficit. However, there is also a lot more to consider beyond this. While being in a calorie deficit alone will be enough to lose fat, it might not be sufficient for your health, performance, muscle retention and ability to sustain it as a lifestyle.

You should always focus on maintaining performance because this will help improve body composition faster, along with boosting muscle retention. Health is clearly a huge aspect to consider as well, micronutrient dense foods are always going to be better for you!

Some dieting systems are inevitably more suitable than others when trying to lose fat. Some people will naturally work better with an intermittent fasting protocol because they enjoy the freedom of infrequent meals, prepping less food and not having to eat in the morning. Other people would really dislike this, therefore it would probably not be a long term strategy for them. If somebody really enjoys food rich in healthy fats then a ketogenic diet may well appeal to them.

On top of matching an appropriate dieting strategy to your preferences and lifestyle, it is imperative that your protein intake is catered for. It is generally always better to consume a higher protein diet for fat loss and muscle retention (ketogenic dieting will have a lower protein count due to the specificity of the protocol).

To summarize this, always remember that to burn fat you need to be in a calorie deficit. No matter how clean and consistent your diet is if you over consume food you won't burn body fat. Understand that your micronutrition is hugely important, even more so when dieting because your body is under more stress because there is less available fuel to recover.

As part of the Health Kik membership, there are numerous nutrition guides for you to utilize!