Encore: What if I want to lose weight?

On todays show we revist one of our more frequently discussed topics:

But I want to lose weight.  Won’t working out MORE burn MORE calories??  

Before we dive too deep into this one - three things must be established:

 

1: Weight loss DOES require you to burn more calories than you consume. #science

 

2: We burn calories ALL DAY - even  when we are asleep - and MORE exercise isn’t the ONLY way to increase or alter daily calorie burn.

 

3: What you are probably really after isn’t “weight loss” - but FAT LOSS.  In other words, a body composition change.

 

Feeling that the best way to lose weight more quickly is to work out MORE is the wrong mindset to have - especially when the overall goal is fat loss/body composition change.  While the short answer is “yes - exercise burns calories” it’s not as much of the weight loss equation as you would think.

 

The truth is that this MORE WORKOUTS mindset is often a desire to bypass the very real need to change your nutrition - and instead exercise your way to your goal body.  If your goal is to lose fat, your best bet is looking into your total caloric intake, the quality of your food, AND hit the workouts with consistency and intensity.

 

The need for consistency when it comes to a fat loss goal is fairly straightforward.  Even on the days where we are approaching workouts with a “more than nothing” attitude in our pjs - we still see the benefit of burning a few calories, using our muscle, and keeping ourselves accountable so that we don’t fall off of the wagon completely.  And we know that consistency is the ONLY way that we are able to maintain any weight loss we have achieved.  So, trying to follow a program or schedule that is not sustainable - is a recipe for inconsistent training, and therefore inconsistent results.

Remember:  Exercise is more than a method to burn calories. Fitness improves our quality of life, ability to participate and enjoy life, longevity, mental clarity, mood, sleep, and so much more!