7 steps to guarantee fat loss ✅

I asked on instagram the other day for ideas on content. I wanted to see what people were struggling with and how I could help them.

Surprisingly to me, many people said they just don't know where to start.

Since 2014, I’ve been sharing what I learnt when it came to fitness, nutrition and changing the shape of our bodies.

My message has become a little more mixed at the moment, as I share more of my life on my instagram, which still involves a lot of fitness - but I’m not so obsessed with changing the shape of my body. And I want to help other people to stop obsessing over it too.

But for now, I am going to break down the very simple steps in fat loss.

In short, you need to be in a calorie deficit.

Yeah, yeah… you probably know that. But here are the practical steps.

1. Take measurements, first thing in the morning, on a couple of sites on your body. I usually suggest the narrowest part of your waist, a spot on a leg that you can go to again, the widest part of your bum and a spot on your arm. (freckles are handy for this)

2. Find a starting calorie estimate. There are soooo many calorie calculators out there. I have one built into my tracker in The Furnace, but you can just google the Harris Benedict formula, or even easier - click here.

 (But how do you know if they are “right” for you or not? Read on…)

3. Plan your calories for the day/week. In The Furnace, we look at averages for the week but MyFitnessPal gives you a daily target. Ignore the set up suggestions and targets, and manually change them to the amount you got from the Harris Benedict formula.

4. Stick to those calories, on average, for a week, at least.

5. Take measurements again.

1. If the total measurements (all spots added together) have reduced, you are more than likely in a calorie deficit.

2. If the total measurements stay the same or have increased, it means you are at maintenance or perhaps a slight surplus, OR there may be other factors, like the time in your menstrual cycle.

6. Make adjustments if necessary:

1. If you notice a big change (say, more than 2cm off your waist in a week), I would suggest increasing your average calories by about 100.

2. If you need to create a bigger calorie deficit, you can reduce your calories by about 100, OR increase your activity  - whichever would feel easier for you. I wouldn’t suggest doing both at the same time because you want to keep a “tool” in your “toolbox”

7. Test it out again for another week or two, by checking measurements, making adjustments and testing again.

That’s it.

I know it seems overly simplified but that is how fat loss works - by consuming less energy than you need.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Not exactly.

There are a lot of factors that control how many calories that our body actually need, but I will go into more detail on that in my next email.

If you want help implementing it, or need the support of an excellent coach, come join us at The Furnace. 

€89 per month for three months, and there is no obligation to stay on after the first month, if it’s not for you.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan “What gets measured gets managed” O’Hagan