Your Science-Based Guide To Losing Fat & Toning Up

This health coach researched the science and crunched the numbers so that you don’t have to:

Body by the numbers

Let’s get mathematical:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) consists of:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 70% of daily calorie burn (basic body functions, of which the brain is the single biggest calorie-burner)
• Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): 15% (the normal movements that occur as you go about your daily life)
• Exercise Activity: 5% (actual workouts, often overestimated)
• Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): 10% (energy needed for digestion)

Basic BMR estimate:

• Women: body weight (kg) × 0.9 × 24
• Men: body weight (kg) × 24

But yours may differ, so if you have a fitness tracker or other gadget that estimates it for you, go with that!

Note: muscle burns calories just to maintain it, making muscle mass crucial to increasing one’s BMR.

And now some notes about running a caloric deficit:

• Safe caloric deficit: no more than 500 calories/day.
• Absolute minimum daily intake: 1,200 calories (women), 1,500 calories (men) (not sustainable long-term).
• Tracking calories is useful but not always accurate.
• Extreme calorie restriction slows metabolism and can lead to binge-eating.
• Your body will adjust to calorie deficits over time, making long-term drastic deficits ineffective.

Diet for fat loss & muscle gain:

• Protein Intake: 1.5–2g per pound of body weight.
• Aim for 30g of protein per meal (supports muscle & satiety).
• Protein has a higher thermic effect (20-30%) than carbs (5-10%) & fats (2-4%), meaning more calories are burned digesting protein.
• Fats are essential for hormone health & satiety (0.5–1g per kg of body weight).
• Carbs should be complex (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.).
• Avoid excessive simple carbs (sugar, white bread, white pasta, etc) to maintain stable hunger signals.
• Hydration is key for appetite control & metabolism (often mistaken for hunger).

Exercise for fat loss & muscle gain:

• Resistance training (3-5x per week) is essential for toning & metabolism.
• Cardio is NOT necessary for fat loss but good for overall health.
• NEAT (non-exercise movement) burns significant calories (walking, taking stairs, fidgeting, etc.).
• “Hot girl walks” & daily movement can significantly aid weight loss.
• Women won’t get “bulky” from weight training unless they eat like a bodybuilder (i.e. several times the daily caloric requirement).

Some closing words in addition:

Poor sleep reduces fat loss by 50% and increases hunger. High stress levels lead to fat retention and cravings for unhealthy foods. Thus, managing stress & sleep is as important as diet & exercise for body transformation!

For more on all of this (plus the sources for the science), enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

How To Lose Weight (Healthily) ← our own main feature about such; we took a less numbers-based, more principles-based, approach. Both approaches work, so go with whichever suits your personal preference more!

Take care!