Getting started on a fat loss journey can be exhilarating, and intimidating, and great and difficult and so many other things; there is also a TON of conflicting information out there on how to do it the “right” way, or the “easiest” way, or the “quickest” way. Maybe you’ve tried many different diets and workout plans and have fallen back to where you started each time… wondering what’s wrong or why it isn’t working. 

I hear you. It can be really hard to get started on this journey, especially if you feel like you’ve been let down before after putting everything you had into countless diets and workout plans that “swear” to work, just to feel horrible about yourself because you ended up back where you started. This article is for you. Let’s clear up all the fad diets and insane and unnecessarily intense workout plans, and dive into the most basic and simple path to take, that works. 

In this article I’ll be laying out exactly what to do to get started losing fat, step by step. The goal is for this to help you get started today on your fat loss journey, knowing exactly what to do along the way if you run into any obstacles. Let’s take out the guesswork and give you a clear path to your goals. Here we go! 

First, this article is mainly going to be about nutrition (the most important part of losing fat), but I do want to make it clear that getting into a strength training routine is extremely beneficial and will help you get to your goals more efficiently (and enjoyably). So, get started with a strength training routine! The best option would be getting a trainer to make a program specifically for you, next best would be making your own, and another option could be paying for one online. The biggest thing here is to find a routine that you can stay consistent with, even on your toughest day. 

Onto the nutrition side!

1. Track Data

The best and most accurate way to determine whether you’re going in the right direction is by gathering data! We have 5 different data points we’ll collect so we can see what’s happening and so we can make educated decisions on what path to take next; progress pictures, circumference measurements, scale weight, muscle mass, body fat percentage, and strength progress. Let’s talk about how often to do each one, how to do each one, and why to do each one!

Progress Pictures

Progress pictures will be taken monthly; the easiest way to do this is to take progress pictures the 1st of every month, in the morning right after waking up, and before you’ve eaten or drank anything. You do want to make sure not to take progress pictures while on your period, or during the time when you’re holding on to extra water (or feel bloated). 

To take these you’ll want to set up your camera in the same position each time (using a tripod is helpful) or lean it up against the same corner. Do your best to wear the same outfit each time, whether that’s your bathing suit or exercise attire! You’ll take 4-6 different pictures (the last two are optional); standing relaxed you’ll take one from the front, each side, and back. And then you can also take flexing ones from the front and back to see the muscle you’ve built! 

The reason we take these is so you can see the progress you’ve made. It’s difficult to notice changes when we see ourselves every day. BUT if we take pictures monthly, that gives our body a chance to make visible changes. Keep in mind that you won’t see SUPER obvious changes in yourself immediately, this takes time! After about 3-6 months of staying at least 85% consistent with nutrition and exercise you’ll start to see very obvious and visible changes. Usually people around you see those changes before you do! 

Circumference Measurements

Full circumference measurements will be taken monthly, and waist measurements will be taken every 2 weeks. Again, make sure you aren’t taking these while on your period, or whenever you’re holding onto more water than usual. 

To take these measurements you’ll need a floppy tape measure (the kind you use when getting fitted for a suit or dress). This is much easier if you have someone do them for you, but you can definitely do them on your own. You’ll want to record all of these (I recommend in your notes app along with the progress pictures). You’ll be taking 9 different measurements; chest, each arm, waist, hips, each thigh, and each calf. Here are the points you’ll want to measure at for each: 

-Chest: Nipples

-Arms: Middle of the bicep

-Waist: Smallest part; below floating rib, about 2 inches above the belly button

-Hips: Largest part of your glutes; bladder area

-Thighs: Middle of the quad between the knee and hip

-Calves: Middle of the calf between the knee and the ankle

The reason we take these measurements is so you can have another point to get your progress information from. Sometimes we can’t fully see the progress we’ve made in our progress pictures, and the scale weight alone isn’t an accurate show of progress, so we use circumference measurements to see more clearly. 

Scale Weight

Scale weight will be taken monthly. Depending on your relationship with the scale, we could either do monthly weigh-ins or daily weigh-ins. The only reason I would have a client do weigh-ins daily would be to demonstrate the natural weight fluctuations of our body, to show that it’s very normal for a woman’s body to fluctuate drastically throughout the month, and that it doesn’t mean we’re going backwards or plateauing. But, you’ll be able to see the main changes monthly, so that is why I recommend that first and for most people. 

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that the scale weight is NOT a determination of our value as a person. The scale does NOT tell us whether the scale went up from fat, water, or muscle, so using only the scale to show progress can be inaccurate on its own. This is not by any means the most important, valuable, or helpful show of progress. Once you get to a certain point in your progress, I would recommend doing away with the scale completely, because it won’t help or give us valuable data after a certain amount of time on your journey. I want to make sure to make all of this clear. If this isn’t fully making sense, I’d like you to think about seeing someone with a body you’re amazed with and respect, and then ask yourself… What’s their number on the scale? Is it advertised on the back of their clothing? No? Exactly. Because you’re amazed with how they look, not how much they weigh. From my own personal experience I can tell you that I weigh MORE than I ever have, and I feel BETTER and look the BEST that I ever have. The scale number is useful to a POINT, but not forever. 

If you decide to take your scale weight as part of the data collecting and tracking process, then make sure you do that first thing in the morning, before you drink water or eat (it could be helpful to not eat a super high-sodium meal the night before too, so you don’t hold onto as much water and we can get a better reading), and not during your period. 

Muscle Mass and Body Fat %

Muscle mass and body fat percentages will be taken monthly as well. Just like with scale weight, you get to see more of an accurate depiction of progress since it takes time to build muscle and lose fat. 

In order to get these readings I recommend using the same device each time. There are at-home scales that you can use for this (the more expensive ones tend to be more accurate), In-Body scanners at gyms you can use, and if you want to get the MOST accurate reading, you could do a Dexa Scan (this is more expensive and a little tougher to find, but doable). I have a scale I use for my clients to take body fat and muscle mass percentages, and even though it isn’t the most accurate it does still work well enough since we use the same one every time. 

The reason we take these measurements is to understand what is happening with our training and nutrition so far, so we can make decisions from there. If muscle mass percentage is going up that means you’re gaining muscle, which is a good thing! If body fat percentage is going down that means you’re losing fat, which is also a good thing! This is just another way for us to get multiple data points so we can make the best decision possible on which step to take next with your training and nutrition. 

Strength

Lastly, we will measure your strength progress. This isn’t going to be important for everyone, and I would like to highlight the importance of strength training while working on losing fat at the same time. Muscle is metabolic tissue, so the more muscle you have the more calories you’re going to burn during the day. Having more muscle helps in many other ways too; muscle helps you define your physique so as you lose fat you get to show the body you’ve built, more muscle means more protection for your joints which is incredibly valuable as you age, and the more muscle you have the more things and activities you can do (run with your kids, sit on the ground and get back up again, hike, run, jump, protect yourself during a fall, walk long distances on vacation, be independent for much longer, and so SO many more things).

Strength will be measured every single time you do a workout. I recommend keeping track of your workouts and strength in your notes app or on a workout app, to make it easier to track quickly and efficiently as you go through your workout. This is just as valuable as all the other forms of measuring, because if your strength and endurance is going up, then you’re moving in the right direction! If things are feeling tougher (more tough than they should) or you’re feeling sluggish consistently, that can give us an idea of which things to change up and what direction to move in next. This could mean you need more quality sleep, rest days, more calories, more water, to change up the programming, etc. Keep in mind that while working on fat loss you’ll most likely be in a deficit, which means it will be normal to feel slightly hungry and slightly more tired than you would when eating in a surplus or at maintenance, but as long as you keep track of your strength you’ll be able to notice any MAJOR changes we’d need to be aware of. 

The goal isn’t to move up massively in weight every workout; the goal is to just push a little further each time. Whether that means you increased the reps for one or more set, you increased the number of sets for an exercise, you increased the weight, or you took a shorter break. Those ALL count as progress. 

Disclaimer

Remember that how you feel is an important way to measure progress too. I could write an entire article about just THAT, but I’ll save that for later! Feeling more energized, confident, happy, or positive can be signs that you’re moving in the direction you’re aiming to go; so make sure to give those amazing new feelings the credit they deserve!

2. Calculate Beginning Calorie and Macro Numbers

Next, we’ll want to calculate your beginning calorie and macro numbers. The way that I’ve found to be the most helpful with this is by downloading the free app “Mike’s Macros” from the app store. It costs nothing (ever) and is easy to use, and you’re able to update and track calories and macros simply. After downloading the app it will calculate your numbers for you by asking about your age, gender, height, weight, goal, how active your day is, and what your body fat percentage is (if you don’t know this, then there are pictures to help you guess). 

After that you get both training and rest day calories and macros you can start tracking with. The goal here is to accurately, honestly, and consistently track and stick to these calories and macros for 2 weeks. After that, we take data measurements again and decide the next course to take from there. 

The MOST important part of this is for you to STICK TO the exact calories and macros the app gives you for 2 weeks. This way we can see what we need to do to change things up, or if we can keep them the same. 

3. Check Data after 2 Weeks

After 2 weeks of consistently tracking your macros and calories and sticking to them as closely as possible, we’ll check back in and see how your body has responded. 

We’ll only be taking a few measurements this time around; waist circumference measurement, scale weight, and body fat %/muscle mass %. These are the only numbers that will change just enough for us to get a good reading on. If you have moved in the right direction on any ONE of these measurements, then you are on the right path, keep doing what you’re doing! If your waist measurement has gone down, and/or your weight has gone down, and/or your body fat % has gone down, and/or your muscle mass % has gone up, you are on the right track. 

Something common you might see would be some of your data points going up, and some going down, and that’s normal! You may see your scale weight go up, your muscle mass go up, and your waist and body fat % go down; that’s great!! That means you’ve gained some muscle and lost some fat, perfect!

There are a LOT of different scenarios that can happen here, so if you have any questions on specifics, please never hesitate to reach out to me through email at [email protected]. I respond to all emails and messages within 24 hours, and I do this completely free of course. The goal is to help, and that’s what I’m here for. 

To make this simple, if any ONE of those measurements have gone in the right direction, keep the same calories and macros for another 2 weeks staying as CONSISTENT as possible, and we’ll check back in! 

4. Check Data again after 4 Weeks (2 more weeks since the last check-in)

This time around we’ll take ALL the measurements, since it’s been a month total. We’ll take progress pictures, all circumference measurements, scale weight, and body fat % and muscle mass %. 

You won’t see anything super drastic in these data points just yet, but you will start to see a slight change! After taking these measurements we’ll check in with how things are going and how your body is responding. Again, if you have gone in the right direction for any ONE of these measurements, then keep doing what you’re doing! To make it clear on what you’re looking for to see fat loss, here’s a list to refer to: 

*Progress pictures: any slight change in your body, more muscle definition

*Circumference measurements: circumference getting smaller on areas (waist is the best determination for fat loss), circumference can and will go up on areas such as the hips, legs, and arms (that is due to muscle growth and definition, so yay!).

*Scale weight: scale weight may go down, it also may go up or stay the same (this is normal if you’re gaining muscle, so no need to panic! Remember that scale weight isn’t the most accurate way to measure fat loss). 

*Body fat %/Muscle mass %: body fat % goes down, muscle mass either stays the same or goes up

These are important as well for your overall health and well-being, and are good to check in with: 

*Strength: strength goes up in any way (reps, sets, weight, less break time, etc.).

*Energy: you feel good, energized, have a more positive mood, increase confidence, etc.

If any ONE of the first 4 measurements have gone in the right direction, you’re on the right track and can keep the same macros and calories! We’ll check back in another 2 weeks, and you can keep this pattern of checking in and measuring and keeping track until you feel confident in your direction; then you can transition into checking in once a month, then every 3 months, and once you feel super confident in where you’re at, you can start being more intuitive with your eating and less “strict” with the tracking, now that you’ve build up some wonderful and healthy habits and routines! 

5. Measurements are the Same for MORE than One Month; Trouble Shooting/ Problem Solving

So now, if your measurements have gone in the direction you’re not trying to go, and they’ve continued doing that for more than one month, let’s see what we can do! 

First, be super honest with yourself, have you been tracking your macros and calories consistently, and have you been sticking to them at least 85% of the time? If the answer is a genuine and honest yes then let’s move to the next step. If the answer is a no, that’s totally okay, there’s absolutely no reason to beat yourself up! The next step for you will be to figure out why staying consistent isn’t working, and to brainstorm changes you can make so you can stay as consistent! There are MANY paths you can take; if you need help narrowing down the first one to test out, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] and I’ll give you some guidance!

If you have been consistent the last month, then the next step will be to drop calories by 200. From there you’ll test that out for the next 2 weeks (again staying at least 85% consistent) and take measurements again to see if anything has changed! If not yet, no worries, check back in another 2 weeks and see if anything has changed at that point. If not, then follow the same steps again; take away 200 more calories and keep checking back every 2 weeks-1 month until you see a change (even an itty bitty tiny one; that still counts) and then maintain that calorie and macro range. 

A lot of this is very different for each individual, so if you have a specific scenario and aren’t sure how to handle it, what it means, or what step to take next, then please feel free to send me an email outlining the trouble you’re having, and I’ll help out as best I can! 

Conclusion

This was a LOT of information all at once, I hope I was able to give some insight into steps to take and what things to look for to see if you’re making the progress you want to make! And like I said throughout this article, I am happy to help, so if you need some you can always shoot me an email. I do offer both online and in-person training, and take care of this nitty gritty stuff for all my clients to keep it organized so they don’t have to think about it. If that’s something you’re interested in I’d love to get in contact you and set up a consultation to see how I can help! 

I wish you the best of luck in your fat loss journey!! And I hope you find your confidence and strength along the way!! (Secret is, you’ve always had it, it’s just hard to find sometimes). Keep in mind, this NOT a fast journey. It’s slow, has ups and downs, and isn’t always easy. Consistency is key! Trial and error is key, and you believing in yourself and the fact that you CAN do hard things is KEY. You got this!!