Losing Fat: Strategies | Maintaining | Healthy Weight

Bodybuilders surveyed on their training and eating for a living shared a recurring theme: the importance of food intake. These athletes trained their bodies to handle more calories without gaining fat, unlike typical individuals who eat one large meal and store fat. I've used modified bodybuilding eating strategies to help overweight individuals lose fat effectively.

The first step for fat loss is establishing a multiple-meal schedule. This divides daily calorie intake into smaller portions. My recommendation is to eat every three hours, typically resulting in five meals per day.

Next, clean up food selections. Foods like sugar, processed items, and saturated fats are easily converted into body fat. On the other hand, lean protein and fibrous carbohydrates are difficult for the body to store as fat, increasing metabolism due to the thermogenic effect of food.

Multiple meals allow the body to handle smaller amounts of food at once, and repeated practice of eating 5-6 meals per day improves digestion and distribution of nutrients. It’s better to consume 3,000 clean calories divided into six 500-calorie meals than one 1,500-calorie fast-food meal.

The results are impressive when overweight individuals adopt this approach. One client lost 40 pounds of body weight in 40 days while simultaneously gaining 12 pounds of muscle. This wasn’t a former athlete with muscle memory—this was a 48-year-old man with zero weight training experience.

When people slash calories, they often lose as much muscle as fat, leading to smaller versions of their former selves. However, this modified bodybuilding approach helps melt fat while building muscle, making individuals feel more energized during the process.

Adding functional muscle and improving body strength allows individuals to move more easily. Compare this to calorie-slashers who weaken their already fragile bodies. Severe calorie restriction weakens the immune system and can lead to frequent illness.

Those who live on 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day often feel deprived. In contrast, individuals consuming 3,000 calories a day with a boosted metabolism can handle occasional binge meals far better. I recommend a cheat meal once a week to allow for psychological relief, though the body often rejects these indulgences after maintaining a clean diet the rest of the time.

This counterintuitive approach—eating more to lose fat—comes from the playbook of champion bodybuilders and can be effectively used by anyone looking to lose fat while building muscle.