Summary

The author describes a personal journey of lowering body fat by 5% through working out less but with higher quality, prioritizing rest, and practicing self-discipline, only to regain the fat and accept the fluctuation as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Abstract

The article titled "The Three Simple Changes I Made To Lower My Body Fat By Five Per Cent" details the author's experience in reducing body fat from 15% to 10% by implementing three key strategies. Firstly, the author reduced the frequency of workouts but increased their effectiveness by focusing on Time Under Tension and pairing more body parts together. Secondly, the importance of rest was emphasized, not just for physical recovery but also for mental rejuvenation, which led to increased productivity in both fitness and writing. Lastly, the author adopted a disciplined approach to diet by allowing a reward of unhealthy food after three days of healthy eating, balancing immediate and delayed gratification. Despite subsequently regaining some fat and reaching 16% body fat, the author reflects on the experience positively, highlighting the natural fluctuations in weight and the importance of not letting it dictate one's life.

Opinions

The author believes that quality of workouts is more important than quantity, suggesting that intense, focused sessions can be more beneficial than frequent, less effective ones.
Rest is considered a critical component of fitness, with the author asserting that sufficient muscle recovery is essential to prevent injury and maintain performance levels.
The author advocates for a balanced diet approach that includes occasional rewards, promoting a sustainable and less restrictive method of fat loss.
The article conveys a non-judgmental attitude towards weight fluctuation, suggesting that health should be measured by more than just body fat percentage.
The author implies that personal goals and motivation can change over time, and it's important to adapt one's approach accordingly.

The Three Simple Changes I Made To Lower My Body Fat By Five Per Cent

And how I put it all back on again.

I started at fifteen per cent and got myself down to ten per cent. I was pleasantly surprised, as it hadn’t been my primary goal, but once I realised what I was doing, I made it my goal.

That was last December. Now I’m back up to sixteen per cent — more on that later. I know what you’re probably thinking, that isn’t bad at all. I know that, but it isn't the point. I naturally have a very good metabolism, so losing weight isn’t an issue for me.

What occurred to me, however, was how simple it was to lose body fat. All I needed to do was this:

1. I Didn’t Workout As Much

At the start of 2019, I had hit a pretty large plateau. In fact, I was stuck in it and had been for quite a while. My training was becoming quite boring.

So, to make my workouts more interesting, I decided to work smarter, not harder.

A bit of background: I broke my collar bone five years ago, and ever since then I had issues using a barbell when exercising, but I still did it as I thought it was the best option for bodybuilding.

It was quite uncomfortable, so I was required to expand my fitness knowledge and discovered something called Time Under Tension. Essentially, you rep slower, concentrating on form and using a lighter weight.

I was blown away. I was lifting lighter than I normally did, but I felt so much better for it. As the workouts were harder, I began to pair more body parts together, eventually going from four days to five.

By improving the quality of my workouts, I didn’t need to go as much. It gave me the opportunity to rest. Which, as athletes will know, is just as important.

You could exercise 7 days a week, but if the workouts aren’t of a good enough quality, you won’t get anywhere. As they say, “leave your ego at the door.” It doesn’t matter what you lift, how fast you run or how long you can hold a plank for, if you do it correctly, then you’re doing just fine.

2. I Placed A Higher Value On Rest

Not just with my fitness, but writing too. Just last week, I went on holiday and wrote one article while out there. That was it. It felt nice to have a break. Not only was it refreshing, but it reignited the passion to write. Now, I am in the most productive week of my life.

If you don’t rest your muscles sufficiently, you put yourself at a higher risk of injury. Moreover, your performance will significantly reduce. There have been several days where I can’t do my chest routine to the best of my ability because my triceps still burn from the day before.

Spread your muscle groups across the week. In the weeks prior to the 10% result, I was mixing muscle groups — chest/triceps, back/biceps. It gave me a chance to rest, recover from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and hit the other muscle groups as hard as I could.

3. I Disciplined Myself

Back at one of my old gyms, I asked the owner — a bodybuilding champion — if he had any diet tips for me. He said for someone of my young age, I needn’t worry too much. But, he did say if you eat something unhealthy, then you must wait three days until you can again.

This was perfect for me. It provided an excellent mix of immediate and delayed results. I could reward myself for the hard work I was putting in with a pizza, which provided immediate satisfaction, followed by three days of exclusively healthy eating which ensured delayed results in a drop in body fat.

Using this system, it was easy to discipline. Three days isn’t hard to go without eating something unhealthy, and the reward is worth the wait. Of course, everyone is different, so you may adopt a longer, or shorter waiting period depending on your goal.

I’ve Put It All Back On Again

Guess what? It’s okay! That was nearly a year ago, and I haven’t got back to that level since. The start of lockdown was promising — I was doing HIIT five times a week as I still had holidays as motivation, but they were quickly cancelled.

First body scan on the left, second on the right. Screenshot by author.

As you can see, your weight fluctuates. It shouldn’t dictate your life. I now sit at sixteen per cent body fat, with less lean muscle mass than before. To be honest, these aren’t big differences. I’m still very healthy. But if you want to shed some fat, adopt the three changes I’ve outlined:

Work smarter, not harder. Practice HIIT, which will burn fat for 2–3 days after you finish.
Listen to your body and take rest. Not only is it physically beneficial, but it can also do wonders for your mind. By resting, you will rediscover your motivation.
Discipline yourself. You don’t need to be ridiculously strict unless you’re an on-screen superhero. Make sure there are rewards within a feasible grasp.