How To Lose Weight
One of the most important posts you will read!
As much as I hate focusing on weight loss, it's still the one thing that keeps popping up in conversations with the people we work with. It's mostly debunking weight loss myths and explaining why the methods they have used in the past didn't work.
It's easy to overthink things, so here is a simple list FROM MOST IMPORTANT TO LEASE IMPORTANT when it comes to working towards a healthy weight.
Spoiler alert - it's not just about going to the gym 3 days per week!
1. HAVE A POSITIVE FOCUS
- Focus on getting fitter, stronger, having more energy, feeling healthier and adopting healthy habits.
- Find exercises and foods you enjoy so that it doesn't feel like a chore, or something that you can't wait to stop once you get to your goal weight.
2. NUTRITION
- Create a calorie (energy) deficit by eating a wee bit less than your body needs.
- Eat (mostly) healthy foods to help you have good quality exercise, and foods that help you recover from exercise.
- Cut out sugar, eat more vegetables and manage your portions.
3. INCIDENTAL EXERCISE
- Create a calorie (energy) deficit by moving more.
- More important than going to the gym, is the extra exercise you do each day. For many this means less sitting and more moving.
Some Incidental Exercise ideas are
- Making sure you are getting enough steps per day (using a step counter)
- Walking places instead of using the car.
- Parking further away from destinations.
- Movement reminders throughout the day (phone alarms)
- Taking stairs instead of the lift
- Extra home workouts or evening/weekend walks
4. PLANNED EXERCISE
The purpose of planned exercise (like going to the gym) should be to
- Get fitter, stronger and improve your quality of life.
- Improve your heart, lung, muscle, bone, and nervous system health.
- Improve flexibility and exercises for injury prevention.
- Include a regular mix of cardio AND strength training to ensure you will keep the weight of for longer.
5. STRESS AND SLEEP
- Hormones play a huge roll in losing weight. Two common areas that affect hormones are stress and sleep.
- Find activities that de-stress you.
- Find areas in your life that cause stress and come up with a plan to make changes.