Losing 5kg of fat without counting calories!

In the 5 months leading up to my wedding I lost exactly 5kg of body fat whilst increasing my muscle mass. If you've ever heard people talking about 'body recomposition', this is what they mean!

January 2024

March 2024

May 2024

January > March > May 2024

I found my weight had been slowly creeping up over the past few years, and whilst weight certainly isn't everything when it comes to health, I would sometimes look at pictures of myself and not really feel like me. My wedding was the perfect motivation to break some old habits, set some new ones, and find an exercise routine that I actually enjoyed and could stick to. So I did!

December 2023

April 2024

December 2023 > April 2024

It's never as simple as 'eat these 5 foods to lose weight', but here are 5 things I did which undoubtably helped:

Started strength training regularly

I went to the gym at school and uni but I never learned how to do weights. They seemed intimidating and I didn't want to look 'bulky.' I was wrong! They're so fun! Feeling strong is amazing and is so important for health, especially for women as we get older.

HOW IT HELPS

Having more muscle means your body is more sensitive to insulin. As a result, when we eat sugar/carbs, our body is better at getting it into the muscles. This is good because that's where sugar is used up so it's lowering our blood sugar levels.

Increased my general activity levels

I doubled the number of classes I was doing. I went from doing 8 classes a month at 1Rebel to 16 classes a month, split between strength sessions at F45 and reformer pilates at Absolute. I also made sure I was walking daily - ideally 7000 steps at least.

HOW IT HELPS

Both classes are resistance training so they build muscle. Having more muscle means your basal metabolic rate is higher i.e. your body burns more calories at rest. However, whilst it's all very well doing a 45 minute class 4 times a week, that doesn't mean we've 'done our exercise' and can sit at our desk or on the sofa for the rest of the day. Walking helps to burn more calories, preserve muscle, and lower stress levels. High cortisol levels (stress!) can trigger sweet cravings and it also causes us to release more glucose into our blood stream. This gets stored as fat, often around our stomachs.

Cut out sugar for 2 months

This was my final pre-wedding push. I set myself the challenge because I didn't like how habitual my sugar consumption had become - I was having chocolate (albeit dark chocolate!) pretty much daily and I found it difficult to say no in the face of cookies/brownies/pastries. I was most interested to see the impact on my skin, but actually the effect on my weight was what really surprised me - I lost about 3kg over the 2 months.

HOW IT HELPS

Eating fewer calories (i.e. being in a caloric deficit) is important for weight loss, so whilst I wasn't counting calories or intentionally reducing my calorie intake, cutting out sugar meant I naturally consumed fewer calories. Eating sugar can also create blood sugar spikes, and when we have chronically high blood sugar levels we store the excess sugar as fat.

Ate protein at (almost!) every meal

I aimed for 90g protein a day, so roughly 30g at every meal. Most mornings I'd have a protein smoothie for breakfast, protein-wise, lunch would often include hummus or lentils and some smoked trout or eggs, and supper usually involved minced turkey / cheese / beans / steak / sardines / roast chicken - you get the picture!

HOW IT HELPS

Protein is what keeps you full, so you're less likely to snack. As it's so essential for our bodies, we're wired to keep eating until we've reached our necessary protein intake. If you feel like you can't stop snacking, a lack of protein could be why. Protein is also really important for balancing our blood sugar, which means your body can burn stored fat instead of glucose.

Chose food which has life in it

This one might sound weird, but so much of the food we eat nowadays has been grown in dead soil and doused in chemicals, then processed in huge factories before sitting on the shelf for months. It has no vibrancy, no life, and very few nutrients. I looked for food which had been grown well, was fresh, and made with recognisable ingredients.

HOW IT HELPS

It means you make more conscious choices with what you're spending your money on and putting into your body. You're more connected to your food, so you're less likely to be eating mindlessly. It also means you're eating more whole and fresh foods, so you're getting more nutrients. All in all, it's better for your body and your soul - both are so connected!

I did absolutely no calorie counting or portion restriction and at no point did I feel hungry or like I was missing out. Simple changes sustained over at least a couple of months really make all the difference. No quick fixes here!

Please send me a message if any of this resonates and you're looking for some help :)

P.S. if you're wondering how I know I lost 5kg body fat and gained muscle, I got an InBody scan in December at F45 and then another the week before my wedding in May. You can also buy 'smart scales' which measure this for you at home, but I think they're slightly less accurate. I don't have a specific recommendation I'm afraid, but what I can tell you is do NOT buy the Garmin smart scales, they are infuriating.