The Hierarchy of Fat Loss

by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Sep 16, 2022 | Diet Mentality, Fat Loss / Cutting, Podcast

Most of us are blown away when we learn the shocking truth that cardio is not the be-all-end-all of fat loss.  It can take some time to fully wrap our heads around the concept (especially if you’re the type who actually ENJOYS it and can’t imagine life without it).   Not surprisingly, one of the questions we receive most often in the early stages of discovering EM2WL is: “OK. So, where exactly does cardio fit? How much cardio can/should I do? In this podcast, I’m going to share with you The Hierarchy of Fat Loss and what’s most important.
 

The Hierarchy of Fat Loss

 
The Hierarchy of Fat Loss (a concept coined by Alwyn Cosgrove several years ago) is a simple way to self-regulate and decide for yourself if/when it’s time to add cardio to your fat loss protocol. It will also help those that can’t imagine a cardio-less existence to work in their love of endurance in a way that does not contradict their physique goals.

The hierarchy outlines the top five factors you must nail down in order to achieve fat loss. The five levels are listed in order of importance, as is the nature of any hierarchy.  This means that if you’re looking to do/add/focus on items that are NOT listed here, they are being given far too much importance in your journey.  Let’s take a look at each of the five and why they’re so important in the fat loss equation.

Level 1- Nutrition

Here’s the reality. No matter how hard you work out, run or lift, you can’t outwork a bad diet. Period. If your nutrition is not on point, yet everything else is, you will not optimally achieve results or reach your fat loss goals. The main changes to make in your diet are to eat more protein, more fiber, and more food. Oftentimes, people aren’t eating enough food for fat loss- less isn’t always better. If you’ve to spend periods of time eating low-calorie diets (1200-1500 calories), then you may want to consider a metabolism reset. Before you can expect to lose weight, you must fix your metabolism so it is in proper working order.

Level 2- Nutrition

Nope, that’s not a typo. Level 2 is the same as level 1- nutrition! Why? It’s that important! If you have time for one thing and one thing only with regard to fat loss, nail your nutrition. Make sure you’re hitting your fiber, protein, and calorie goals, and that you’re eating enough to sustain the type of workouts you’ll be doing.

Level 3- Activities that Burn Calories, Promote/Maintain Muscle Mass and Elevate Metabolism

This means lift! Lifting promotes muscle mass growth. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest due to an increased metabolic rate. Not only is muscle good for boosting your metabolism, but it has great cosmetic benefits as well- it looks good! If you’re not comfortable with lifting on your own, consider seeking out guidance from a personal trainer.

Level 4- Activities that Burn Calories and Elevate Metabolism with EPOC (after-burn effect)

If you find yourself having an extra day to work out or time left over at the end of your lift, add in HIIT/Tabata/Interval/Metabolic Resistance style training. If you are short on time but still want to burn fat, these types of workouts are crucial for you. While this type of exercise may not promote muscle mass growth, it certainly can help maintain the muscle mass you already have.

Level 5- Activities that Burn Calories but Don’t Necessarily Maintain Muscle or Elevate Metabolism

Cardio is considered the icing on the cake, and in the puzzle of fat loss, is considered the least effective. This lines up with what we here at EM2WL always preach- cardio for fun, weight to transform.” Cardio works best when it’s not done frequently, because it shocks the body. If you do cardio all the time, your body adapts. If you continue to do the same amount of cardio and burn fewer calories, or don’t see an elevation in heart rate, that may be a good sign you’re doing too much, too often.

Putting it all together:  What the hierarchy means to you

If you’re short on time (let’s face it, who isn’t!?) and can’t get to the gym, focus on your nutrition. When you do find yourself having some time, get a lift in. If you can commit to 1-2 days of exercise a week, lift weights those days. If you have 3-4 days, lift and do some HIIT (Level 4) training. If you have more than 4 days a week, then have the icing on the cake and do some cardio and fun aerobic activities you enjoy- Zumba, Body Pump, etc.

For my cardio-loving followers reading this, don’t freak out. Oftentimes people connect a regular cardio routine to results. If you go from doing nothing to doing just cardio, of course, you’re going to see results. But once those results stop, the enjoyment of your workout(s) may stop also. When your cardio workout comes to an end, so does the calorie burn. On the other hand, with lifting, you may not burn as many calories initially during your workout but you’ll continue to burn calories up to 36 hours after your workout is over (called the after-burn/EPOC). This is more beneficial for you compared to just burning calories while you’re on a piece of cardio equipment and not a minute more thereafter. If you’re looking to elevate your metabolism, then going for that after burn is what you want and need.

Especially if you’re a newbie to the world of proper nutrition, it’s important to take baby steps into your new healthy eating journey.  Adequate consumption of protein, fiber, and water is key. Focus on adding in or improving upon each (of the three listed above) into your daily intake until you nail it. For example, if you’re currently not drinking enough water, make it a goal to drink at least a gallon a day. Once you can consistently do so for several weeks/at least a month, next tackle eating more protein. Continue this process until you’ve aced all facets of a proper nutrition plan. In order to ensure adherence, eat the types of foods you enjoy while hitting your macronutrient totals. Keep in mind that the foods you consume have to work for your lifestyle and fit your taste preferences in order to be most successful and stay on track.

If you don’t have much time to lift, that’s okay. Do more compound movements and work multiple muscle groups (not isolated movements like bicep curls). Make sure you’re regularly alternating rest periods, sets, and rep ranges. This is important because if you don’t change these variables, your body will adapt and not respond as desired. Rest periods are especially important because they are needed in order for the body to replenish its energy stores. Over a period of time, rotate through the following rep/set/rest schemes (also known as periodization). A sample 12-week rotation could be:

4 weeks: 30 seconds rest, higher reps (12+), lower weight

4 weeks: 45-60 seconds rest, lower reps (8-12), higher weight

4 weeks: 60+ seconds rest, low (5-8) reps, heavy weight

The problem with fat loss is most people approach the process in the opposite order, doing cardio first, then HIIT, then deciding to lift, and then tackling nutrition – no wonder the process can be so frustrating.  When you turn the hierarchy on its head, you’re not going to see the results that you want. If you follow the fat loss hierarchy in order, you’ll see better and faster results. Work smart, not hard, and you’ll be more than impressed with the results awaiting you.

Here’s a sneak peek into today’s episode…

> [0:42] Fat Loss Ladder and What it means for your journey.
> [1:22]  How much time do you have to dedicate?
> [2:31]  What’s Your Goal?
> [3:32]  Common Goals
> [5:06] Fat Loss Order of Importance
> [16:21] Closing Remarks

Click Here to Listen To This Week’s Podcast

About The Diet Rebel Podcast

This podcast is for you if you are a woman who hates having to choose between loving your body and changing it. In this podcast, we talk about everything from loving your body exactly as it is now to becoming the fittest, leanest. Most toned you’ve ever been – no matter HOW old you are, how many tiny humans you’ve birthed, or how many times you’ve lost & regained the same (15 or 50!) lbs! Seriously, you don’t want to miss it! So grab a snack, preferably protein based (lol), sit back, and enjoy the Diet Rebel podcast. Brought to you by Eat More 2 Weigh Less @ eatmore2weighless.com

To support The Diet Rebel Podcast with Kiki Smith, make sure to follow, download, and share the podcast with your family and friends! Enjoy!⁠

Links

Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide

Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar

SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel

Download our Workout App

8 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting The Results You Want

by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Sep 13, 2022 | Diet Mentality, Fat Loss / Cutting, Podcast

Are you working hard in the gym but not seeing the results you want? You’re not alone. In this podcast, I’m going to share with you 8 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting The Results You Want. By understanding these reasons, you can take steps to correct them and start seeing real progress!

This episode is one you don’t want to miss! I go into detail about each of these reasons you’re not seeing results but here is a little taste of what we will be digging into…

8 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting The Results You Want

#1 Not Lifting Heavy Enough

Before you get offended at my insinuation that you are not lifting heavy. Let me explain…. One of the things to keep in mind is that your body parts all require different weights. Thirty or forty pounds may feel light for a bigger body part like your back, leg, and glutes and heavy for something like your arms or shoulders. The progression of upping your weights may come slower to your smaller muscle groups versus your stronger ones, so when you are not lifting the proper weights, that can become an issue.

#2 Basing Results On The Scale

If you are judging your progress based on the scale, that can actually hinder you from achieving your goals. Determine what that goal is. Are you looking to gain muscle? Build power and endurance? Lose fat? These are all separate goals and your measure of success can therefore not be based on one source.

#3 Retaining Water

If you are lifting weights then guess what? YOU ARE RETAINING WATER. Love it or hate it. That’s the reality and not a bad one at that. Think about it, what is meat without water?…. Jerky. That’s what it is. And who wants that?

Retaining water comes when you are actually doing things right! And in the podcast, I detail why this is.

#4 Not Doing Compound Movements

Lifting weights without doing compound movements could be hindering your results. Compound movements are exercises that work for multiple muscle groups at once, instead of just a single muscle. For example, doing biceps curls versus pull-ups. Bicep curls isolate just the bicep muscle and pull-ups work so much more. A lot of lifting newbies make this mistake.

#5 Not Hitting Entire Body Enough

Instead of doing certain body parts on certain days, focus on full-body workouts multiple times a week. This is going to allow you to see results at a faster pace. Then as you advance in lifting, things start changing and you can focus on certain muscle types.

#6 Comparison

I think everyone knows that comparison is the thief of joy. But we still do it! You have to make sure that you are setting goals that are going to be best for you. For example, if I am 5’3 on a good day and everyone I look up to are 5’8 fitness models. It can be hard to have realistic expectations for myself and how I look at my best!

#7 Not Consistent

Let’s face it, without consistency, you will not reach your goals. That’s just how it is. If you don’t take the time needed to have real and lasting results, then you won’t see them.

#8 Not Realistic or Patient

This one really ties together the reasons before. Good things take time. So be patient with your results. Fad Diets and Quick Fit Routines get you instant gratification that ends up hurting you in the long run. Patience builds something that is lasting. Be realistic with your goals and do the work. I promise it’s worth it.

Here’s a sneak peek into today’s episode…

> [0:41] How long is it gonna take for me to get results?
> [1:29] #1 Not lifting heavy enough
> [6:32] #2 Basing results on scale
> [13:33] #3 Retaining water
> [19:16] #4 Not doing compound movements
> [21:44] #5 Not hitting entire body enough
> [23:57] #6 Comparison
> [30:45] #7 Not Consistent
> [35:04] #8 Not Realistic or Patient

Click Here to Listen To This Week’s Podcast

About The Diet Rebel Podcast

This podcast is for you if you are a woman who hates having to choose between loving your body and changing it. In this podcast, we talk about everything from loving your body exactly as it is now to becoming the fittest, leanest. Most toned you’ve ever been – no matter HOW old you are, how many tiny humans you’ve birthed, or how many times you’ve lost & regained the same (15 or 50!) lbs! Seriously, you don’t want to miss it! So grab a snack, preferably protein based (lol), sit back, and enjoy the Diet Rebel podcast. Brought to you by Eat More 2 Weigh Less @ eatmore2weighless.com

To support The Diet Rebel Podcast with Kiki Smith, make sure to follow, download, and share the podcast with your family and friends! Enjoy!⁠

Links

Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide

Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar

SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel

Download our Workout App

5 Common Diet Pitfalls That Are Keeping You From Losing Weight

by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Sep 3, 2022 | Diet Mentality, Fat Loss / Cutting, Podcast

This week’s episode discusses the 5 Common Diet Pitfalls That Are Keeping You From Losing Weight (as a DIYer). It’s no secret that losing weight can be hard. It’s one of the hardest things you can do. But what might surprise you is that oftentimes, the very thing preventing you from dropping those last few pounds is something you’re doing to yourself. Here are five common diet pitfalls that could prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals. Are any of these holding you back? Listen to find out!

In full transparency, I’m pretty sure I’ve done all of these at some point – but that doesn’t have to be the case for you! If you’re going at this (or any!) journey (mostly) alone – it’s important to avoid these success killing habits!

Dabbling

Ok, Hear me on this… You will never dabble your way to success. EVER. A lot of people wait for proven results before they actually commit to doing what it takes to achieve those results. They have one foot in the door and one foot out, researching for a faster way and never fully committing to the current thing.

Dissecting The Data Prematurely

These DIY dieters typically don’t fully understand the difference between correlation and causation, so they don’t know how to read/assess data without forming an identity or false assumption about themselves. They tend to attach unnecessary meaning and identity to data. For example, they equate being carb bloated to possibly having a gluten intolerance and can no longer eat carbs if they want to lose weight. When you don’t know how to dissect data properly, this can lead to excessive, extreme, and INCORRECT “conclusion jumping” – deciding that it’s “too hard” or “not working”.

Detachment From Current Lifestyle

DIY dieters tend to compartmentalize their weight loss journey, making it nearly impossible to ever actually stick with it. When you compartmentalize, you’re more likely to allow an “overhaul mentality” to sink in. Meaning to you, it seems completely reasonable to suddenly remove 13 things from your diet, eat 100% organic/raw/paleo/keto/vegan, start a 6-day/week exercise routine, and get 12 hours of sleep/night. Here’s the thing – Physique goals cannot be created in a vacuum or separated from your LIFE goals, priorities, and preferences. It needs to be sustainable otherwise, it’s a setup for failure.

Downplaying Your REAL Goals

Those DIYers tend to be too vague about or flat-out deny wanting what they want. For example, saying “I just want to be fit” when you ACTUALLY want to go from a size 26 to a size 6, is denying your goal. Focusing on weight loss, when you really want to quit your job and travel the world is downplaying your goal. No matter what you really want, precious time is wasted executing the WRONG strategy for your goals which keeps you feeling STUCK.

DIYing Any and Everything

I know it’s hard, but sometimes you need to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. Just because you CAN do something alone doesn’t mean you should. Wanting to do it all yourself leads to not valuing your own time and priorities, by underestimating the amount of time that passes while you’re experimenting/trying to “figure it out.” There’s no pride in running yourself ragged to DIY everything, especially if the stress from it sabotages your results, costing you more in the long run, and eats up the precious time that you could be doing stuff that actually matters to YOU.

Now that we have scratched the surface of these pitfalls, I highly encourage you to listen for a more in-depth look into them. Are you “guilty” of any of these things? I know I am…

Here’s a sneak peek into today’s episode…

> [1:09] 5 Common Pitfalls Of DIYers.
> [3:44] Dabbling Until Discouraged
> [8:09] Dissecting Data Prematurely
> [15:14] Detachment From Current Lifestyle
> [23:48] Downplaying / Denying Your Goods
> [37:40] DIYing Any and Everything
> [50:20] Diet Mentality Shows Up In Everyday Life

Click Here to Listen To This Week’s Podcast

About The Diet Rebel Podcast

Links

Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide

Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar

SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel

Download our Workout App