This has been an age long controversy, clients constantly ask the
question, what if I workout super hard, can I then eat anything I want? Or what if I go on a diet, will I still have to exercise? Here is the deal:
If you want to maintain your current weight, you should eat exactly the number of calories your body needs for its day to day functions.
If you want to gain weight, you should eat more calories than your body need for its daily functions.
If your desire is to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit in your nutrition, meaning that you must eat less calories than your body needs, so your body can utilize the fat reserves and you can lose weight. Research has shown that it is easier to cut calories than to burn them off by exercising.
If you attempt to lose weight strictly by starving yourself, you will be losing a bit of fat, some muscles and even your bone density and your body will be deprived of necessary nutrients. This is why a balanced diet, in the right portions combined with exercising is the solution to your weight loss aspirations, it helps you to lose what you need to lose (think ‘fat’), to retain what is important and to have a toned body overall.
When you cut calories, remember not to eat too little or your body can go into starvation mode, wherein your metabolism slows down and your body holds on to every calorie intake, you may plateau and stall your weightloss in this mode.
To lose weight and to keep the weight off, try to add resistance
training to your cardio and include high intensity interval training for about 5 days a week.
Find the workouts that you love and incorporate them into your lifestyle for sustainable weight loss, use a personal trainer if you have to and get your nutrition requirements sorted out by visiting a nutritionist.
Once you have clarity from the professional advice given, follow the plan and enjoy your new quality of life.
Coach B.
