What do you eat to reduce body fat?

I regularly see people saying that its what you eat that helps to lose body fat but what exactly should you be eating? I've just lost weight by eating what I feel like but at a deficit but I'm still a bit skinny fat not that I'm complaining as I look the best I ever have in my life but would like to be a bit less squishy.

Oh and before anyone says lift heavy I don't go to the gym so apart from lifting the kids I have no weights.
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Replies

  • Sugoiharris
    Sugoiharris Posts: 59 Member
    you have to build muscle, simple as that, you can keep loosing weight but until you build muscle and reduce body fat you'll always be skinny fat. you can do things at home to build muscle. I use my friends toddlers and babies as weights sometimes, 20 to 30 pounds right there and they love when I bench press them. Find creative ways to include your strength training, do lunges across the house, use your kids for resistence, use whatever you have around the house. When I was younger I would use gallons of water and cans of beans for my weights. I use our back yard playground to do pull ups and chairs to do all kinds of things.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Fewer calories than you burn...

    /captain obvious
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I eat not fat.
  • itsuki
    itsuki Posts: 520 Member
    You lose body fat by eating at a healthy deficit. There are no miracle foods (unless you have an actual documented medical condition). Just eat healthy. That's the only way.
  • kooltray87
    kooltray87 Posts: 501 Member
    What you eat: High protein, low carb, NO SATURATED/TRANS fat
    What you do: weight train!!! :-) Target sells cheap dumbbells NO EXCUSES
  • ShaneOSX
    ShaneOSX Posts: 198
    Protein, not carbs.

    Good fat, specifically Omega 3.
  • clarechieri
    clarechieri Posts: 60 Member
    What you eat: High protein, low carb, NO SATURATED/TRANS fat
    What you do: weight train!!! :-) Target sells cheap dumbbells NO EXCUSES

    It's not an excuse I live in the UK and can't afford them
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
    Weight loss is 80% nutrition.

    One line response to lose weight - be more active, eat more whole foods, track your intake, measure results and adjust as necessary.
  • redlion45
    redlion45 Posts: 155 Member
    The answer is; LESS than you burn.

    In terms of pure calorie reduction it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are below your TDEE (daily calorie burn). That said (and before the flaming reply posts appear) for your health it matters what you eat a great deal. In general, eat stuff that used to be alive. Lean meats (if that's your thing), vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains in moderation. Try to minimize sugar and processed foods as a general rule, and your weight loss will pretty much take care of itself. There are lots of variations on this theme, but in general everybody pretty much agrees on eating less processed food, sugar and salt. GOOD LUCK!
  • Eagles802051
    Eagles802051 Posts: 54 Member
    Yeah its all about what you eat. You should eat about 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight and about .4 grams of HEALTY fat per lb of body fat. So usually in a healty weight loss diet you want 40%protein 35%carbs and 25% fat. Still eat around 500 calories below maintenance. Keep working out and you'll see amazing results and feel alot better
  • Francesca3162
    Francesca3162 Posts: 520 Member
    Lift anything. Jugs of water. Children, small pets.... whatever you have.. !!!
  • slimmermomma
    slimmermomma Posts: 82 Member
    What you eat: High protein, low carb, NO SATURATED/TRANS fat
    What you do: weight train!!! :-) Target sells cheap dumbbells NO EXCUSES

    It's not an excuse I live in the UK and can't afford them

    Use canned goods or bottles of water, something like that - something that will add some resistance. Good Luck
  • di2losew8
    di2losew8 Posts: 131 Member
    Ok then use something else to lift weights with…cans of peaches, jug of laundry detergent, anything can be used!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Lots of raspberries for the raspberry ketones
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    less
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    What you eat: High protein, low carb, NO SATURATED/TRANS fat
    What you do: weight train!!! :-) Target sells cheap dumbbells NO EXCUSES

    It's not an excuse I live in the UK and can't afford them


    there's bound to be a puregym pops up somewhere beside you - they are about £12 a month and open 24 hrs.
  • misswager
    misswager Posts: 67 Member
    argos sells cheap weights im sure.... or amazon?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    What you eat: High protein, low carb, NO SATURATED/TRANS fat
    What you do: weight train!!! :-) Target sells cheap dumbbells NO EXCUSES

    You recommend avoiding ALL saturated fats and trans fats?
  • I surfed around looking for exercise ideas I could do on my own without having to buy anything. I think you'd have no problem with regular, dance or yoga type calisthenics. Weights are easy, anything in a tin or plastic, going up and down stairs, jumping jacks, jogging or biking. Get your heart rate up, keep it going until you sweat then something easy to cool down.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Push ups
    Squats
    Lunges

    ... pretty sure you will remain 'skinny fat' until you begin building muscle, which will require strength training of some kind.
  • KittahRahbet
    KittahRahbet Posts: 23 Member
    You can use your body weight for weight training until you can figure out how to get weights.
    Wall sits, lunges, planks, deep squats.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Fat.


    seriously
    .
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    use your body weight, u don't have to buy weights.
  • You can fill lift two filled up water jugs as weights. You can even lift your kids for weights. I have 3 kids ages 3 and under so it isn't really an excuse. In all reality there are many instances where you have to end up spending something.You have to invest in your healthy sometimes. See if there is something you can cut out of your budget. I got dumbbells from walmart for $11. But like I said there are things you can use around the house if you want to.

    What you can eat to burn fat is just eating healthy foods. Healthy fats,complex carbs, high protein foods but low in sugar and saturated fats. Very minimal amounts of processed foods.
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
    There are several people who do youtube videos of strictly bodyweight exercise. Search bodyweight circuit. I hear Craig Ballantyne is pretty good.
  • jehuster
    jehuster Posts: 168
    After your body gets use to the gallon jugs of water, Fill some empty gallon jugs with sand or dirt and lift those. Use your arms and also lift them with your legs. Lay on the floor with legs together and up, bend your knees so you assume the "Tabletop position" place the jugs on their side over your calves and slowly move your legs down then back to tabletop position. Make sure to hold your core muscles in while doing this. Build up to 3 sets of 15 reps.
  • The answer is; LESS than you burn.

    In terms of pure calorie reduction it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are below your TDEE (daily calorie burn). That said (and before the flaming reply posts appear) for your health it matters what you eat a great deal. In general, eat stuff that used to be alive. Lean meats (if that's your thing), vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains in moderation. Try to minimize sugar and processed foods as a general rule, and your weight loss will pretty much take care of itself. There are lots of variations on this theme, but in general everybody pretty much agrees on eating less processed food, sugar and salt. GOOD LUCK!

    Wait...less then you burn!? I burn 200-300 calories a day at a 1200 calorie deficit are u saying i need to burn morr then 1200 a day? Im so confused pahah
  • hparker2
    hparker2 Posts: 19 Member
    resistance bands are also inexpensive. I found mine for like $9 at tjmaxx. I use that in my turbofire strength training workouts and its really helping me get more defined.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    the leanest proteins I can find
    lots of nuts and berries
    zero dried fruit
    zero butter
    zero trans fats
    zero potato chips and fried foods
    tons of leafy green vegetables
    cooking with safflower and sunflower oil
    lots of fresh stirfries
    brown rice
    quinoa
    oatmeal
    low sugar high protein and fiber cereals
    whole grain pitas and tortillas
    corn tortillas
    tons of fish
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    Yeah its all about what you eat. You should eat about 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight and about .4 grams of HEALTY fat per lb of body fat. So usually in a healty weight loss diet you want 40%protein 35%carbs and 25% fat. Still eat around 500 calories below maintenance. Keep working out and you'll see amazing results and feel alot better

    I don't know where you got your info but I think you have carbs and protein mixed up. As far as I know 1 gram of protein per LEAN pound of body mass helps but your protein % should not exceed your carb % and should not exceed 35% maximum. That much protein is hard on your body and can cause as much liver damage as being an alcoholic.

    I'm studying nutrition and this is what I've found in my classes so far so if a fellow dietitian knows differently please correct me.

    Balance is good, 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats is a good starting point but everyone is different. Lifting weights is going to help you do lift household items, get creative, do body weight exercises. If you can't get weights go buy a resistance band and google some exercises.