
I hope by now your bored of me repeating this, but I'm still going to remind you again; the only way to lose weight is by putting yourself in a calorie deficit, consistently, over time. This means either eating less or moving more. That's it, we promise it will work if you stick to this. However most people hear the phrase 'burning calories' & reach straight for the lycra or hop on a treadmill until they can no longer function on two legs. This WILL work & (provided they don't eat more calories than they've burnt over the day) they WILL eventually lose weight. But is there a better way?
Cardio can be great for a whole host of things including mood, body function & heart health, so we reccomend you include it in your weekly training plan. But when it comes to weight loss we like to think of it as more of a tool. It is the cherry on the cake in your good weeks, & the way you make up for the extra margarita or six in the bad weeks. If you enjoy it then by all means use it as a key way to get into a calorie deficit. But if, like us, you don't dream of half-marathon PB's, then here's some other great options for you!
Sport
This seems obvious when you say it but it's one of the best tools for weight loss. You're more likely to stick to something if you enjoy it! So swap out those 40 minute sessions on the cross-trainer for an activity you enjoy. Whether it be Sunday League footy, martial arts, CrossFit, dance or even rock climbing, the list is endless. you'll benefit from the fun, the community & the cardio elements of the activity & you'll even be able to look forward to burning some calories doing something you love!
Nutrition
This is the eat less approach to weight loss, which can be done in a few ways & it doesn't have to be miserable. The first is by opting for lower calorie food options, the second is by measuring your calories using calorie counting apps or food logs, & the third is using restrictive techniques such as fasting (but don't go too extreme). All of these are just ways to achieve the same goal of a calorie deficit, however if you like your food like most of us do, consider using this all in conjunction with moving more! It also doesn't have to be set in stone, some weeks you may be in a deficit through eating less, some weeks through activity, & some weeks not at all. This is okay, this is very normal! Weight loss is a journey with ups & downs, so look at the bigger picture & be flexible.
NEAT
NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is a sexy term for all the calories you burn outside of the gym, sleep, & digestion. Walking, talking, blinking, fidgeting & yes, even lifting that ice cold lager to your lips all count (although that last one might not help your cause). If you can up this by taking the stairs, getting out for a lunchtime walk or making an effort to take the dog on a longer route than you used to, then your calories burned over the day will increase without having to spend 5 days a week with Andrew from the local endurance swimming club. NEAT is, of course, a huge topic & one we could spend a long time talking about. So rather than do that, you can watch a great video on it at the very bottom of this post.
Community
More of an addition than a method in its own right, but it has been consisitently proven over & over that training in a group (class, team, online etc.) has massive positive affects on adherance & how far you push yourself. So take advantage of this free motivation by going on the journey with a friend or family member. This links back to all three of the above methods & is part of the reason they are so effective. This is a good point to mention how much this will help once the excitement of training for a calorie deficit has worn off (which it will). You will have to graft at times, you will have to sacrifice things at times, but you will also have empowering moments & rewards in how much better your everyday life will feel.
Stick at it & those results will be worth it! To learn more check out this article we wrote on that forever mentioned calorie deficit. It will help you to really understand why it is so important in literally EVERYTHING we do!
Get in touch if you'd like to understand more about mastering your weight & we'd love to help! See you next week <3
Elliot Hutchinson // 07.07.2024
© 2024 The Coaching Collective
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