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How Do I Lose Fat?

"Booty-Building Specialist" Says to Avoid These 3 Fat-Loss Mistakes, and Do These 3 Things Instead

People are moving away from being so caught up in what the numbers on the scale say — they're more concerned with lowering their body fat percentage. When trying to lose fat, Devon Peterson, a certified personal trainer from the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM), who calls herself a "booty-building specialist," says that "exercise and eating healthier are great," but there's more to it. You want to "Work SMARTER, not harder. 🤓" Find out what three mistakes you're making when it comes to losing fat and three things you should absolutely make a priority in order to see results.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Mistake 1: Working "Hard"

Devon says, "it's very common for people to prioritize intense workout sessions and workouts that *feel* hard, followed by some light weight training and then maybe focus a little bit on eating 'healthier'." Just because you're sweating buckets, with a beet-red face, running for an hour on the treadmill doesn't automatically mean you're burning fat. Meghan Nagel, the manager of fitness programming at Virtual Health Partners, agrees and says, "Sweating isn't the best measure of workout effectiveness."

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Mistake 2: Ab Work

Devon adds, "Doing a few exercises without challenging yourself with weight or getting stronger will not be enough to preserve or build muscle mass, which allows you to appear more toned, helps keep metabolism high, and makes fat loss more sustainable." Skip the spot-reducing easy exercises and the lightweight dumbbells.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Mistake 3: Eating "Healthy"

Healthy foods aren't devoid of calories — even a salad can run you almost 1,000 calories! When you consume hundreds of extra calories by eating high-calorie avocados, smoothies, cheese, nuts, whole grains, and meat, Devon says "it's far too easy to consume an excessive number of calories in a short amount of time and far too difficult to burn enough calories to put you in a deficit by exercise alone."

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Number 1 Focus: Calorie Deficit and Protein

Instead of focusing on "eating clean," Devon suggests controlling your calorie intake and being mindful about creating a sustainable calorie deficit. Aim to eat lots of lean protein, as she says it's "the easiest way to lose body fat," because the protein fills you up on fewer calories, keeps you satiated, and also helps preserve lean muscle mass. For protein, you need about 0.8 to 1.8 gram per pound of body weight, depending on how active you are.

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Number 2 Focus: Compound Lifts

Prioritize strength training with challenging weights — they'll help you slim down, not bulk up. Devon recommends doing at least two to four sessions per week. Focus on compound lifts that work more than one body part such as deadlifts, front squats, and thrusters.

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Number 3 Focus: HIIT

Devon adds, "Cardio can be thrown in here and there but shouldn't be relied upon. Proper nutrition and weight lifting following a smart plan are FAR superior to cardio for fat loss/body composition goals." HIIT workouts are quick and intense, so choose those over hours of cardio.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

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