5 most underrated habits for fat loss

Okay, so we know that to lose fat, we need to be adhering to a calorie deficit. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't other things you can do to make your dieting phase more successful. Sometimes, people can become so obsessed with their deficit, that they ignore other factors that may be detracting from their progress. Fat loss is more simple (and more effective) when you focus on nailing the basics, and remain consistent with seemingly small behaviours that lead to big results. So, what are these small behaviours? 

Here’s a list of 5 underrated habits you can implement for better fat loss results! 

Daily walks (or hitting a step target)

Simply moving more throughout the day is a great way to increase your overall energy expenditure, which will increase the size of your deficit without you having to reduce calories. Hitting a daily step target is a great way to ensure your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) stays consistent throughout your deficit, which can be a useful tool to keep energy expenditure up once you start to experience metabolic downregulation. 

Good quality sleep

Sleep is hugely underrated, especially if your goal is fat loss. Poor sleep can limit our recovery, which makes training more difficult. It can also affect our hunger hormones, which can increase your cravings and make you more hungry during the day (which obviously makes adhering to a deficit much harder). Evidence has even shown that those who get less sleep in a deficit can lose more muscle mass than fat. Aim for around 7-9 hours per night, and try and create a solid wind-down routine to help with this! 

Staying hydrated

It’s easy to confuse thirst for hunger, so making sure you are always hydrated is a great way to reduce hunger and cravings during a deficit. Make sure you have your emotional support water bottle handy throughout the day, and try to drink water with all of your meals. 

Protein intake

Hitting a protein intake is super important for muscle maintenance during a deficit. Aim for around 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per KG of bodyweight in order to preserve your muscle mass. 

More fruit + veg

Bulking your meals up with fruit and vegetables is great for both your satiety and overall health. This will increase your fibre intake and help you feel fuller between meals, and because these foods are ‘high volume’ (you can eat more of them for less calories) they will fill you up and keep you feeling more satisfied. 

Soph x