Welcome to FunctionalTrainer.co.za

Woman are often faced with the question of how much energy they should be burning off with exercise to induce weight loss.
There are obviously body type and genetic differences between individuals, but having said this there are some fundamental principles that one can apply to start the process and shed some weight.

When it comes to weight loss, one of the most basic principles of weight loss is energy in versus energy out. To lose weight one needs to create a negative energy balance through a caloric deficit. This is created in two ways; by reducing food intake, and by expending more energy through physical activity.

Another thing to consider when reducing nutritional amounts is the quality of the food you are eating. You should not just aim to slash calories per se, but should also aim to consume those foods that are nutrient dense and more beneficial to your body’s physiological processes. After all, we are pursuing optimal immune function, health and longevity and not just a slim physique.
It is interesting to note that I have met many a model who survives on very low calories, but makes poor choices in food selection, and although they appear to have slim physiques, they are weak and susceptible to illness. That however does not account for all of them.

Sounds easy enough, but how much and how often are the two most common considerations for the energy deficit equation to work?
Typically a weight loss of no more than 2lb (about 900g) per week is often a healthy goal for the following reasons:
1. Smaller amounts of weight loss help to preserve lean body weight
2. The lower amounts of weight loss may result in better long term adherence and a better ability of the person to maintain the weight lost as the person has made lifestyle changes, rather than long-term unrealistic changes that cannot be maintained
3. Slower weight loss typically means less water loss and, thus, that a “false weight loss” has not occurred, as does typically happen on crash diets.

Did you know? Your body stores three molecules of water with one molecule of a stored form of energy known as Glycogen, which a complex chain of glucose. When you lower or eliminate carbohydrates, you first start to deplete these stores and therefore lose water along with it. This gives one the false impression that you have lost a lot of weight in a short space of time.
It is important to know that long term(12-16weeks) of carbohydrate depletion will cause Glycogen levels to drop low enough for the body to start looking elsewhere for energy, and one of the sources would typically be fatty acids from the fat cells, if your caloric intake is at the right amount.

To lose 1lb(454g) of body fat per week, a person should be in a 500kcal deficit per day, because 1lb of body fat stores 3500kcal. Not everyone can lose this amount per week, but it is an average guideline, as individual variation does occur. A person can achieve this deficit by exercising enough to burn 250kcal and decrease intake by 250kcal daily. This energy expenditure is over and above your resting metabolic rate or normal daily energy expenditure rate, needed just to maintain your current daily physiological processes and general movement.

It will take the average female about 35-45min of moderate aerobic intensity on a daily basis to burn off 250kcal-300kcal in a session, and about 20-35min of intense vigorous intensity to burn the same amount of energy. Couple this with some resistance training to stimulate lean muscle tissue, and you have a winning formula. Some people cannot train every day and so need to account for this by upping the intensity or duration of exercise on the days they do train, so that the overall weekly energy expenditure is on target. Don’t, however think that you can cram what is meant to be done on 3-5 weekly session into 2 sessions and expect great results. Your body does not work like that.

The differences between gender and weight loss:
Men often typically respond quicker and make progress faster on weight loss programs primarily due to gender specific endocrine differences. Men have more lean muscle tissue, which is the most metabolically active tissue in the body, due to higher levels of Testosterone produced by the Testes. As a result of this it often has a knock on effect on the thyroid producing more heat in the body due to a faster increase in lean muscle tissue when stimulated through resistance training.
Woman do produce smaller amounts of testosterone through the adrenal glands, but in much smaller amounts than men. This is not to say that woman cannot achieve great results, but in my experience woman do tend to lose fat mass at a slower rate. This is also why woman generally have a smoother appearance to their muscles and higher subcutaneous body fat %. This is most visible on a lean woman’s triceps and abdominal area, in comparison to lean men, who appear much leaner and harder in this area.

Summary:
Proper Weight loss takes time. People do not gain excess weight in a short period of time: therefore , they need to remember that weight loss will not take a short period of time. A small deficit in food intake of about 250kcal-350kcal, coupled with an increase in energy expenditure of about 250-300kcal per day, can lead to a weight loss of about 1lb per week.

Yours in Health & Wellness,
Jonathan Mannheim.