Weight loss vs Gains

Often people start an exercise program to lose weight. A healthy weight is a crucial part of our overall health and longevity, so it is a great reason to make positive changes to your lifestyle.

However, if you are only focusing on weight loss, or a number on the scale, it can make the journey a lot more difficult and a lot less fun. And if you don't see results as quickly as you want, you are likely to give up altogether or jump around to different activities looking for the one that will give you results. They will all give you results if you are consistent.

Nothing will work unless you do.

This is why I encourage clients to focus on the process; to slowly build habits that will help them seamlessly create a healthy lifestyle that is right for them.

The best part of this strategy? The weight loss happens when you aren't looking. You are focused on making small, consistent changes to your nutrition and completing your workouts, regardless of what life throws at you each week. You are focused on walking as much as possible and creating an evening routine that allows you to get to bed early; maybe even read a few pages of that book that has been sitting on your nightstand for months. You are focused on the process. And when you focus on building healthy habits, everything else falls into place.

So, if your goal is weight loss:

Focus on your nutrition first. To lose weight you need to maintain a slight calorie deficit and consume enough protein to maintain muscle. Ideally, you will consume 0.8-1.0 grams of quality protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

Get your daily steps in. NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is a huge part of the energy we burn every day. It is everything we do outside of exercise: clean, run errands, take the stairs, fidget, stand instead of sitting, and of course reaching your step goal.

Strength train at least 2-3 days a week. Building muscle will increase your resting metabolism and improve your quality of life and longevity. 

Stay hydrated. Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water and add electrolytes.

Improve your gut health. Skip the alcohol and reduce sugar intake. Eat enough fiber, ideally from real foods like complex carbs and vegetables and eat fermented foods and pre- and probiotics daily. Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are simple ways to add healthy probiotics to your diet.

Focus on quality sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, try taking a magnesium blend, inositol, and glycine about an hour before bed.

Skip the scale and take progress photos every 4-6 weeks. Often your body is changing but the scale may not reflect that.

Focus on the process and the results will happen. 

Ready to take the thought out of your fitness routine? Join us on the Move 365 app. The workouts are programmed to fit your schedule and fitness goals. We focus on the basics, but keep them fun and engaging!