There are some things I thought I knew at the time about fat burning.

I was wrong.

So today I want to share with you the things I wish I knew sooner when it comes to burning fat (and getting the body you desire)

I've tried dozens of 'diets' and different things to lose weight.

I've 'failed' more often than I've succeeded.

But all of those failures have actually led me to an incredible amount of learning and knowledge about what works for my body.

And I've been able to apply those same principles to help hundreds of other men get the same results.

I've found what works time and time again.

And I've found how overrated and unnecessary most information and advice is out there.

So if I could do it all over again, if I was just starting out, or I was frustrated about a lack of fat loss, here is what I've learned over the years and what I would do differently to burn more fat:

1) Weight Loss Is Not The Same As Fat Loss

What you focus on is what you will get. If your only concern is losing weight, there are a lot of ways you can do that. But not all of those ways are beneficial.

Here's what I mean.

If you set out with a goal of 'lose 20 lbs', you might get there.

But HOW you're getting there is just as important as IF you get there.

There were times on my health journey where I prioritized weight loss instead of fat loss.

This led to me losing weight, and hitting my goal weight, but still being unhappy with how I looked or felt.

This was typically because I lost weight too quickly (and therefore lost more muscle along the way)

Read #3 to avoid this same mistake.

Instead of focusing only on the number on the scale, you want to make sure you're losing fat as well.

The best way to track this is through getting your body composition tested every few months to make sure you're actually losing fat (and not too much muscle)

2) Calories Aren't All That Matter (But They Matter More Than You Think)

Eating less calories than you burn is going to be necessary to lose fat. 

Any diet that tells you otherwise is just not true.

Now it's important to note - this does not mean you need to track calories.

If you lost weight on a low carb/carnivore/whole 30 diet/etc it was because you were eating less calories than you were burning.

There are too many fad diets out there that claim that you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight.

While some styles of eating make that easier than others, it's still total calories that matter most at the end of the day.

But that doesn't mean that calories are the only thing that matter either.

Protein is also incredibly important, especially when you're losing weight. This helps you lose more fat while also holding onto more muscle.

The amount of fiber you're getting also matters a lot when it comes to overall satiety.

At different times in my journey, I used to pretend that calories were all that mattered, or that calories didn't matter at all.

The truth is, the amount of calories and the type of calories matter a lot.

Focus on both.

3) Muscle Makes Everything Easier

The number one driver to how many calories you burn at rest, that is within your control, is going to be how much lean muscle you have.

Therefore, if you want to burn more fat (all the time, even when you're not working out), focusing on building your lean muscle is going to be key.

Having more muscle will also help with achieving the look that you desire (remember point #1)

There were times when I went low carb, didn't focus enough on strength training, didn't get enough protein, and/or exercised too hard.

This led to me losing muscle along the way.

Which led to me losing weight but not much fat.

Focus on slowly adding lean muscle mass over time, and minimizing how much muscle you lose as you lose weight.

This is exactly why the strength program that's included with our Legacy Lifter community is set up the way that it is.

4) Low Intensity > High Intensity When It Comes To Fat Loss

I used to think harder workouts and higher intensity was the key to fat loss.

This led to me overtraining, feeling worn down, or being hungry all the time.

I've found one of the secrets to fat loss is not to exercise more, but to move more.

The best way to do this is by tracking/increasing your daily step count.

8-10k steps per day (or 60-90 minutes of walking) is a great place to work up to.

But any more than you're currently doing is going to help.

Increasing your low intensity activity will help you burn more fat without feeling worn down or increasing your hunger the same way that high intensity activities will.

5) If You're Going To Do '80/20', Pay Close Attention To The 20

The 80/20 principle basically says eat clean 80% of the time and enjoy yourself 20% of the time.

While there is certainly some truth to this, I'm not a huge fan of it at the same time.

This is because people misuse this principle all the time.

I was one of those people for a lot of years.

I thought that this meant I could eat clean 80%, 90%, or even 95% of the time...and then eat whatever I want at the other times.

This led to me being frustrated with a lack of progress when it came to burning fat.

If you eat within your limits for 90% of the time, and then you overeat (or drink) even one time during the week, you can easily cancel out all of your hard work.

That ends up being extremely discouraging, because you feel like you're doing so well only to lose all that hard work in a single meal (or single weekend)

If you're going to follow the 80/20 principle, you can certainly do that while enjoying foods you love.

In fact, I recommend that.

But that doesn't mean the 20% of the time of enjoyment can be eating whatever you want (see point #2)

You still have to play by the rules.

If you eat too many calories, you're not going to see the progress you want.

The solution?

Pay attention to the 20% of 'enjoyment'

Eat the foods you enjoy, but keep it in the proper quantities, and you can still burn fat without feeling so restricted.

Which one resonates the most with you? Reply right here and let me know.

Dr. Dave