What factors really matter in changing weight and leanness?

One of the biggest, most common, and most important questions is “What’s more important?  Workouts?  Calories?  Quality of food?  Sleep?”

I’ve always tried to keep the answer as simple as possible, but it’s time to upgrade that answer.  Here is a pretty massive update to the way scale weight and body composition are broken down in Fat Loss Happens on Monday.

I used to, in an attempt to keep it simple, say that:

Scale weight = Quantity of Food

Body Composition = Workouts + Quality of Food 

And while that’s nice and snappy sounding, it’s a little bit too simple.  So I had, in the last six months, updated it to:

Scale weight = Quantity of Food

Body Composition = Workouts + Protein

Fullness = Quality of Food

But I was still concerned I was oversimplifying it.  And while I try to stay up on research and keep things evidence based, I’m still not the best expert on physiology of body composition.  That’s why I ran it by my genius friends Georgie Fear, RD and Roland Fisher.  And, after an amazing talk with them, this is the final and most accurate version:

Scale weight = Calories

Body composition, level 1 = Workouts

Body composition, level 2 = Protein

Body composition, level 3
= Optimize carbohydrate and fat intake

Body composition, level 4 = Stress/lifestyle/sleep

Body composition, level 5 = Quality of Food

Health, fullness, well being = Quality of Food

And while that’s a little less simple, it’s a lot more accurate!

At least scale weight is still super simple (calories).

There are kind of a lot of factors in body composition, but now at least you know where to start and what’s most important (workouts) and work your way up (next protein, then optimizing carbohydrates and fat, and so on).

And that’s the thing — just make sure, if fat loss is your goal, to handle the one next step.  Start at #1.  It’s more about what not to focus on.  Don’t focus on 2-5 if you really need to handle 1.

Focus on the most important stuff.

Ignore the less important stuff.

If you aren’t getting a handle on portion sizes (calories) then that’s the biggest thing to work on.  For body composition, the next most important thing is getting the workouts in consistently.

Focus on *one* thing at a time.  When you get that moving in the right direction, you can work on the next thing up the list.

And remember, these are all essentially outcomes.  The calories or protein you end up eating in a day is a result of habits.  The work to do is work on your habits, like planning, shopping, cooking, eating balanced and whole food meals that have you feel full, eating slower, ect.

I can’t thank Georgie and Roland enough for sharing their education, experience, and genius, in helping pull this together.  They made this so, so, so much better.

Remember, it’s as much about what this tells you not to focus on.  Focus on the most important stuff.  Ignore the less important stuff (unless you’ve already totally nailed the important stuff).

Just start at #1 on both pyramids, and look at what habit would be the next most important step to impact that.  That means that, for most people, it is going to come back to:

Scale weight = Quantity of Food

Body Composition = Workouts + Protein

Focus on the base (#1 and #2) of each pyramid, get the most important things handled.  After that (and after you’ve hit most of your goals), you can work your way up to the other details.

by Josh Hillis