How to Reduce Body Fat Percentage

Fitness enthusiasts know that weight isn't the most important factor – what really matters is your body fat percentage. A fat percentage of 21-24% for women and 14-17% for men is considered optimal, though everyone has their own personal goals. Regardless of where you currently stand, reducing body fat is no easy task. However, with a combination of diet, exercise, and mindful fat management, you can achieve an ideal fat ratio and shape.

Consume More Protein and Fiber. You've likely heard this before: to shed stubborn fat and begin building muscle, your body needs protein. While the body can burn protein for energy, it prefers carbohydrates and fats. When the bulk of your food intake is protein, the body will burn off the carbohydrate and fat stored previously. This process, along with the protein, helps build and repair muscle!

• Fish and chicken are excellent sources of protein – lean white meats are your best bet. Low-fat dairy is also beneficial, as are soy products, beans, and eggs. An average person should aim to get 10-25% of their daily calories from protein.
• Don’t forget fiber! Fiber digests slowly, helping you feel fuller longer while acting like a sponge that absorbs water and fat. Include foods like beans, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, and berries in your diet.

Remember, you still need healthy fats. Some people believe that a low-fat or fat-free diet is always the best approach. Yes, low-fat diets can be effective, but only when done properly. You need to choose healthy fats like unsaturated fats, omega-3, and omega-6.

• Healthy fats to include in your diet are fatty fish such as salmon, olive oil, avocado, and nuts. However, just because they’re healthy fats doesn’t mean you can overeat them. Every food should be consumed in moderation.
• If you didn't know already: fats to avoid are often found in processed foods, including frozen ones! Stay away from cookies, pastries, chips, fast food, and deep-fried items. The calorie content in these foods isn't worth it.
• Saturated fats, which solidify at room temperature, should be avoided. These include butter, lard, and coconut oil.

Plan your carbohydrate intake. This is where things can get a bit tricky. There are many conflicting views on carbohydrates. The Atkins diet strictly says no to carbs. Yes, you will burn fat this way, but it’s not sustainable, and any diet that recommends cutting 60% of the body’s preferred energy source should be scrutinized. Instead, consider some other strategies:

• Carb cycling. The science behind this method is that you’ll have a few days of low-carb eating (about 1g for every 0.5 kg of body weight) to push the body into a fat-burning state. After that, you’ll have a day of higher carb intake to boost your metabolism. Without these higher carb days, your metabolism will slow down.
• Carb timing. You can consume complex carbs (such as brown rice, beans, and oats) before 6 PM (generally, eating late at night is not recommended). However, simple carbs (fruits, sweetened yogurt, honey) should only be eaten after physical activity. When the body is recovering post-workout, these simple carbs will be stored as glycogen, not fat. In all other instances, try to avoid simple carbs.

Consider calorie cycling. We’ve talked about carb cycling, but there’s also calorie cycling. The science is similar: if you don’t consume enough calories, your body will go into a state of dysfunction, stop operating effectively, and start burning muscle. Therefore, when following a low-calorie diet, you must include some high-calorie days to maintain bodily functions and boost metabolism.

• When you drop below 1,200 calories, your body often enters ‘survival mode’. If you’re interested in calorie cycling, you must first determine how many calories you need before experimenting with different calorie levels. You can go below this threshold for several days, but remember, these should not be consecutive.
• To find the right number of calories for your daily needs and goals, consult with a doctor or nutritionist.
• This method is best for those who have already reached a stable state. If you’re just trying to shed the last few pounds, give it a try.

Eat regularly. Losing body fat is all about metabolism, especially when you're just 3-5 kg away from your goal. To keep your metabolism going, you need to eat consistently. But wait! You’ve probably heard the rule of eating 5-6 small meals a day. Yes, that’s close, but not quite perfect. The issue is:

• When you eat small meals all the time, your body is constantly producing insulin and never enters a fat-burning phase. That’s the problem, and you’ll never feel completely full. Instead of eating 5-6 small meals daily, try 3 moderate meals and 2 light snacks. The idea is similar, but this approach is more effective.
• Don’t skip breakfast! We must agree on this: always have breakfast! It’s crucial. Your body needs a signal to start burning calories, and breakfast is the key.
• There’s no magic food that will burn fat by itself. While a healthy diet can help you lose weight, exercise is what transforms fat into muscle.

Incorporate both cardio and weightlifting. While cardio exercises help burn calories faster than weightlifting, if your goal is to burn fat maximally, you need to include both types of workouts. For a leaner body, use lighter weights and perform more repetitions when strength training. For bulkier muscles, increase the weight and decrease the reps. Both approaches work!

• Cardio activities come in various forms – swimming, boxing, running, and cycling are popular, but don’t forget sports like basketball, playing with kids, walking the dog, and even dancing! Any activity that gets your heart racing counts!

Alternate cardio activities. There are two things you need to handle: monotony and boredom. Each one has its own way of holding you back. So what’s the best way (if not the only way) to combat both of these issues? Interval training. Basically, you’ll mix different activities, providing variety for both your mind and body. This way, your brain won’t get tired of thinking "Ugh, not this again?!", and your muscles won’t grow accustomed to the same exercises, making them work more effectively.

• For example, you could run on Monday, swim on Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, use the elliptical on Thursday, and bike on Friday. Simple, right? You could even mix activities within a single day.

Time your workouts. This is a topic that sparks plenty of debate. Some say the best time to do cardio is at one point, while others insist weightlifting should be done at a different time. There are those who believe the ideal workout time is whenever you feel the most motivated. Here’s the issue:

• Some believe cardio on an empty stomach in the morning is best since your body has fasted all night and will burn stored fat right away. Others disagree, saying muscle mass will be sacrificed. So what’s the truth? If you feel dizzy or nauseous when working out, go with the second approach.
• Some suggest weightlifting should be done before cardio. Cardio depletes your glycogen stores, leaving you too tired to lift weights effectively. Without proper strength training, you won’t build muscle. However, this advice is more relevant to bodybuilders than those just aiming to shed fat.
• Others think cardio and weightlifting should be completely separated. Some say it depends on your goals (if weight loss is your target, do cardio first). Others argue it doesn’t matter, just KEEP WORKING OUT. In other words, go with what works best for you – every method has its merits.

Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT has become incredibly popular today. Studies show that this method burns more fat in a shorter time and is highly favored. It boosts your metabolism instantly and keeps it going even after your workout – hence the term 'afterburn'. So, even if you only have 15 minutes to exercise, don’t make excuses!

• There are no strict rules for HIIT. You just need to alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity bursts. For example, you could walk for 1 minute on the treadmill, then sprint for 30 seconds. The ratio is entirely up to you!

Remember to rest. You might feel like an endless energy machine, but your body needs rest. Especially if you’re weightlifting every day, your muscles need recovery time. So take a day off. You don’t need to sit on the couch all day, but let your body heal.

• Weightlifting should only be done consecutively if you’re working different muscle groups (for example, legs one day, arms and shoulders the next). On the other hand, cardio can (and should) be done most days of the week.

Get enough sleep. Your body needs sleep to function properly. Research shows that people who sleep 7-8 hours a night burn more fat than those who don’t get enough rest. Additionally, those who sleep less tend to have higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, making them feel hungrier and eat more.

Drink plenty of water. This is one of the easiest dieting strategies. Water helps flush out toxins and curbs your appetite. Not to mention the other benefits water provides for your skin, hair, nails, and organs.

• Women should aim for about 3 liters of water a day, while men should drink 4 liters (including water from food).

Drink coffee before working out. Studies show that caffeine stimulates the nervous system and increases epinephrine levels. This surge in epinephrine signals your body to begin breaking down fat tissue. These fatty acids are then released and burned off in the bloodstream. If you want to see if it works for you, try drinking a cup of coffee before your workout.

• Caffeine will have less of an effect if you’ve already eaten a large meal, so it’s best to consume coffee on an empty stomach or with a light snack. Yes, it's caffeine, not just coffee – but most other caffeine sources (like soda) aren’t ideal for you. However, a 30g piece of dark chocolate isn’t a disaster, and it contains caffeine!

Avoid rapid weight-loss diets. Anything excessive is unhealthy. Whether you’re doing a juice cleanse, fasting, or cutting out an entire food group, if it isn’t sustainable, it’s not good. You might see quick results at first, but in the long term, it will disrupt your metabolism and cause you to become unbalanced. So, steer clear of these diets and focus on maintaining your health.

Using Multiple Methods to Measure Body Fat Percentage. There are several ways to measure body fat percentage, but none of them are always completely accurate. It’s important to measure at the same time each week (for example, every Monday morning) and under similar conditions (before breakfast or after drinking a glass of water). Try using multiple methods to get the most accurate result.

• Common methods include calipers, body fat scales, air displacement methods like Bod Pods, hydrostatic weighing, and DEXA scans. Generally, the more expensive the method, the more accurate it is. If you're on a budget, try using different methods to get a reliable result. Even a few percentage points matter!
• A personal trainer or nutritionist can help you measure and calculate your body fat percentage using scales, measuring tapes, or calipers. Some healthcare facilities and gyms also offer more expensive methods such as Bod Pods, hydrostatic weighing, and DEXA scans.
• A woman is considered 'fit' with a body fat percentage of 21-24%, but 31% is still acceptable. For men, a range of 14-17% is considered fit, while 25% is still acceptable. Everyone needs a certain level of essential fat (which is lower for men) that cannot be eliminated without harming the body. Therefore, you need to understand what's best for you and what’s realistic!

• Establish a routine that you can maintain and enjoy.
• Get enough sleep, but avoid lounging around in bed all morning. You’ll only feel lazy the rest of the day!
• Join a gym and hire a personal trainer. They know exactly what you should be doing to reach the goals you have in mind.
• The essential fat percentage for men is 2-4% and for women, it’s 10-12%.
• Remember, walking is also a form of cardio – even doing chores around the house counts.
• Drinking water can affect your body weight calculation results.

• Avoid overtraining. Take rest days and don’t skip workout days.
• You can't burn fat just by dieting. While dieting can help you lose weight, you need a proper workout plan to transform fat into muscle.