Calories burned don’t matter for fat loss. What does?

Hi! I am the author and founder of Old School Calisthenics

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How many calories you burn during the workouts is not a marker that should obsess you as fat loss is a physiological problem, much more complex than the simple math of calories in versus calories out.

Training does help, obviously, but whether you burn 400 calories in a workout or 1000 is almost irrelevant in the long run.

The more extended a training session is, the more days off you need for recovery, making you vulnerable to overeating. It’s better to train almost daily.

All training is efficient for fat loss

You should literally stop finding the best workout for fat loss because every workout is eventually efficient.

Some workouts like high-intensity training, hypertrophy and strength training will help increase the basal metabolic rate as a post-training effect. On the other hand, cardio training uses stored fat and oxygen to produce energy, and like other workouts, it will also speed up the basal metabolic rate.

I believe the best way to lose weight is by doing various workouts consistently. Therefore, train the muscles, do aerobics, include some strength workouts, and even do mobility training.

Increasing the basal metabolic rate will make you burn fat and get fit. So keep yourself physically active throughout the day, not just when you work out.

Do Intermittent Fasting, and You’ll Burn Fat

Carrying around extra pounds means you have huge deposited energy as fat. One of the best ways to eliminate it is by using it as energy throughout the day, so fast daily for 8-12 hours.

When you fast, the organism uses stored fat as energy to sustain all the basal metabolic functions. You can burn a lot of energy daily this way. But as I said, the workouts increase your metabolism post-training, so be consistent with them.

Meals, dishes and foods for fat loss
The food I eat to stay fit and in shape

The only way to burn fat effectively is by eating right

Fasting, like training, does help the organism manage its resources a lot better, especially the glucose you probably eat very often from overly-processed products. But eating trash doesn’t help you lose weight, even if you fast, because you may eat way too many calories than required. Doing this every day for a very long time leads to being fat.

Meals for burning calories and losing weights
Dishes I eat to stay in shape

Some athletes fast and actually grow muscles and size. Eventually, you will get heavier if you constantly eat more than you need. Strength and cardio training prevent getting fat and building more muscle tissue instead.

This works if you make better food choices. You must replace high-calorie-density foods with low-calorie-density foods. 

It’s harder to prepare and cook your meals than training. It’s simply time-consuming, but it is worth the effort. Your digestion will improve, positively affecting your mood and energy throughout the day. Plus, you will provide the organism with all the required nutrients.

Low-calorie-density foods or meals that you cook are not that high in calorie content. Eating fresh and warm meals rich in water and fiber is very helpful for the digestive system. You don’t eat empty calories, which works great for fat loss. You will never put the pounds back.

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