Workouts Are S*** For Weight Loss (FACT!)

I hope I’ve caught your attention! 🙂

You might think I’m trying to put myself and all other personal trainers around Ely out there out of business by revealing the facts to you – but I have to be real! 🙂

But what I mean is that it’s so common to focus on exercise to ‘lose weight’ when there are other hugely important factors (that are usually ignored).

When folks wish to lose weight – they’ll start SOME form of an exercise regime. They’ll also usually look after their nutrition in come way (“going on a diet” or “being good“)

**Essentially these are an attempt to create the calorie deficit you’ve likely heard about (everywhere) which creates fat loss**

A typical pattern is this. Because they’ve begun to move more:

They’ll lose a few pounds.
Then it STOPS!
And then the exercise gets blamed as “it doesn’t work”.
And it’s onto google to find something else.
Or following a class that Tracey next door swears works!
And the cycle continues…….

Exercise gets the blame for a lot of stuff!!!

Because research shows that ‘workouts’ can contribute to as little as 5% of overall daily calorie burn. Yep – FIVE. PER. CENT!!!!

And most people will ignore the ‘BIG BURNERS‘ – the ones that together, will help to turn a person into a calorie burning furnace (even at rest).

TOP DOG: Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) – calorie burned by just living and existing. This can be as high as 70%.

This means all the functions in your body working normally – your heart beating, your brain working, your blood moving, everything!

(Now over time, this can be improved by increasing your muscle mass with strength training – which is why we always bang on about it). The more muscle we have the closer we get to that 70%.

SECOND TOP DOG: Movement During The Day

This is called NEAT – which stands for a fancy mouthful called Non Exercise Activity Thermogenisis. Basically, this is all movement away from workouts. Walking (a huge one), standing, going upstairs, even fidgeting. This all adds up to between 15% – 30% of energy use.

Can you imagine someone stuck to their desk all day – then working out 1-3 times per week. They’re doing so well but for the reason above their fat loss journey could be troubled! (At least not given the best chance!).

THIRD TOP DOG: Digestion.

By digesting food, our body burns calories. This equates to around 10% of energy burn. Better quality food burns more calories.  Example: Protein (steak) takes longer and is harder to break down than a muffin. Therefore more calories are burned digesting the steak. Of course!

**You’ll be more likely to be hungry, sooner, eating the muffin – but that’s for another day**

Now does this mean that we shouldn’t focus on exercise??????

A RESOUNDING ….. NO!!!!

Like an organism of moving parts, everything contributes to the end goal – fat loss. Strength training, More Movement, Better Nutrition. Together, you will get there, quicker.

And we feel that exercise is **SO MUCH MORE** than a means to burn calories

– You feel stronger
– Better quality of life
– Clothes hang more comfortably on your body
– More confidence
– Improved self esteem
– Flexibility as we age
– Fewer aches and pains

Please note our valued member Chris in the main photo. All we did with him was get him to lift weights consistently. Then we started to talk about simple nutrition strategies that he could follow or enjoy. It hasn’t really been a traditional ‘weight loss’ journey — meals plans, weighing scales, before and after photos etc ……..

Helping a person to FEEL better through exercise means empowering them to be consistent (and overcoming all the excuses we can easily make up), they end up making better food choices and with more energy, they naturally become more active away from ‘workouts’.

It’s quite simple really! 🙂