Losing Weight and 6-Pack Abs FAQ

First of all, what is fat?

Fat is the most efficient energy reserve your body can produce, with minimal water retention. Fat is necessary for protection of vital organs such as the kidneys and serves as energy reserve in times of need. Excessive bodily fat (obesity) has been linked to cardiac disease, diabetes and many other illnesses.

How can I lose fat?

You need to burn more energy than you put into your body. Around 3500 kcal makes a pound of bodyfat, so if per day you stay 500 kcal below what is needed to maintain your bodyweight, then 1lb of bodyfat will be lost per week. Start by reading this guide on getting 6-pack abs and this excellent article on metabolism

How much should I cut my calories?

You need to calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) with this calorie calculator and cut your calories by no more than 20% below your TDEE if you dont want to burn muscle.

So what if I want to lose weight faster?

Sorry, you should have started your weight loss program earlier. You can lose weight faster by cutting your caloric intake more but you are going to burn muscle.

What do I need to eat when I want to lose weight?

For a sample meal that will help you achieve your fat loss goals, use this calorie calculator and set your goal in step 6 to "20% reduction" and it will design a perfect meal for you with the correct portion sizes. Remember that this is just an estimate. Try it for a month while monitoring bodyfat closely to see if you need to adjust your caloric intake up or down.
If you are not sure how to read nutritional labels you can learn here, this skill is critical if you are to be successful at losing fat.
You may want to cut back on fats as much as you feel comfortable, as this will lower your total calories significantly. It is also a good idea to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet.
For quick healthy bodybuilding meals check here or on our excellent bodybuilding recipies board.

What exercises do I need to do to lose fat?

First of all you can exercise as much as you want if you do not control your energy intake, as you can always eat more than run. Cardio simply lets you lose weight faster or lets you be able to not cut back on calories as severely and still lose fat.
Next make sure that you are fit enough to start a cardio activity. It's a good idea to check with your doctor first.
A decent cardio activity gets your heart rate up to 50-75% of the 'maximum heartrate' in beats per minute, which can be calculated as 220 minus your age. E.g. for a 20 year old this would be about 100-150 beats per minute.
A few typical cardio exercises are running / jogging, swimming, cycling, jump rope, dancing, football, basketball, volleyball etc. Basically anything that gets your heart rate up and keeps it at the above rate.
To get a decent amount of calories burned it is a good idea to perform 30-60 minutes of light cardio a day, or around 60 minutes 2-4 times a week.
Last but not least cardio is not only good for losing fat, but for your health in general.

Should I do cardio? I heard cardio burns muscle

Yes! Cardio is an essential part of losing bodyfat! No, cardio does NOT burn muscle!

What should I do for cardio?

Read about what is good cardio and the ultimate guide to cardio, an excellent article by HerrKaputt
Try running or jump rope for cardio you can easily do at home with a minimum of equipment.
If you find jogging, cycling, and swimming too boring then consider HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Many people opt to do HIIT using powerlifting exercises like in these complexes or barbell complexes covered in these two excellent postings.

When should I do cardio?

Can I build muscle and burn off fat at the same time?

This is entirely possible with a controlled diet, sufficient protein and working out. Read about gaining muscle and losing weight at the same time.

I heard that specific exercises let you target where you lose fat ("spot reduction"). Is that true?

How can I find out my body fat percentage?

Your best bet is a set of calipers. Read about measuring bodyfat and this thread.

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