There’s a lot of information out there about how to lose weight. People have been successful with many approaches, but there’s a few out there that rise to the top that work for most people.
I’ve broken down some framework below with some explanation on the pros/cons of each.
Step 1: Accept The Reality Of Calories In Calories Out [CICO]
For the majority of people this is something you must write down, frame it, and hang it all over your house.
You will have to find a way to get into an energy deficit. How you do that can be up to you, but the math still has to make sense. There are different paths to take, but everyone has the same end goal in mind. Lose weight.
This is rule #1 and it can’t be forgotten and it will have to be revisited quite often.
——————————————————————————————————
Don’t Focus Just On Diet ❌
Focusing solely on diet for weight loss can be challenging for a few reasons:
- Limited Approach: Diet is a critical component of weight management, but it’s not the only factor. Weight loss and overall health benefit from a holistic approach that includes exercise, sleep, stress management, and lifestyle changes.
- Metabolic Adaptation: The body can adapt to a reduced calorie intake over time, slowing down metabolism, making weight loss more difficult.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Strict diets might lead to nutrient deficiencies if they lack variety or restrict certain food groups. This can impact overall health negatively.
- Lack of Sustainability: Extreme or restrictive diets are often hard to maintain long-term. Many people end up reverting to their previous eating habits once they achieve their weight loss goals, leading to regaining lost weight.
- Body Composition Changes: Focusing only on diet might lead to weight loss, but it might not necessarily improve body composition (ratio of muscle to fat). Exercise helps maintain or increase muscle mass, which is crucial for a healthy metabolism.
- Psychological Impact: Constantly obsessing over diet can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, potentially causing stress, guilt, or disordered eating habits.
A successful weight loss strategy typically involves a balanced diet combined with regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, and behavioral changes that promote a healthy lifestyle. This comprehensive approach is more likely to yield sustainable results and overall better health outcomes.
——————————————————————————————————
Don’t Focus Just On Exercise ❌
Exercising for weight loss isn’t necessarily a bad approach; it’s just that relying solely on exercise to shed pounds might not yield the expected results.
Here’s why:
- Caloric Balance: Weight loss is primarily about the balance between calories consumed and calories burned. Exercise helps burn calories, but it’s easier to consume excess calories than to burn them off through exercise alone. Diet plays a crucial role in creating a caloric deficit.
- Compensation: After a workout, some people tend to reward themselves with extra food or consume more calories than they burned during exercise. This compensation can counteract the calorie deficit achieved through exercise.
- Metabolism and Efficiency: As your body becomes more efficient with exercise, it burns fewer calories for the same workout over time. So, the initial weight loss experienced through exercise might plateau unless the workout intensity or duration is increased.
- Stress and Hunger: Intensive exercise might trigger hunger hormones, leading to increased food intake and potentially offsetting the calories burned during the workout.
- Misjudging Calories: People often overestimate the number of calories burned during exercise and underestimate the calories in their food. This misjudgment can hinder weight loss efforts.
You could do it entirely through exercise, but again I would not suggest this as a sustainable approach. It’s pretty hard to outwork the calories that can be consumed in seconds. But it is a healthy long term approach to incorporate exercise into your weekly routine for many reasons beyond weight loss.
——————————————————————————————————
Proven Successful Ways ✅
Hire A Coach ?
Hiring a weight loss coach can be incredibly beneficial for several reasons:
- Personalized Guidance: A coach tailors a plan specifically for you, considering your body type, lifestyle, and preferences. This personalized approach can increase the effectiveness of your weight loss journey.
- Accountability: Having someone to be accountable to can be a powerful motivator. A coach keeps you on track, accountable for your actions, and encourages consistency.
- Expertise and Knowledge: Coaches are trained and knowledgeable in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change. They can provide valuable insights, strategies, and advice based on evidence and experience.
- Support and Motivation: Weight loss journeys can be emotionally challenging. A coach offers support, motivation, and encouragement, helping you navigate through obstacles and setbacks.
- Goal Setting and Monitoring: Coaches assist in setting realistic and achievable goals. They track your progress and make adjustments as needed to ensure continuous improvement.
- Education: A good coach educates you about healthy habits, nutrition, and sustainable lifestyle changes, empowering you to make informed decisions even after your coaching sessions end.
- Long-term Results: Working with a coach can help you develop habits that promote long-term weight management, ensuring that you don’t just lose weight but also maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Ultimately, a weight loss coach serves as a partner in your journey toward better health, providing guidance, support, and expertise to help you achieve your goals.
Hire an expert to help you maneuver the messiness of weight loss and behavior change. A coach worth their weight in gold will not sit in the driver seat, they will sit shotgun and help you along the way.
No one can do the work for you, but having someone help you with education, accountability all while creating an environment of safety and non-judgment is huge. Most people who hire a coach either have a history of successful experiences or they’ve tried this on their own and are tired of failing or coming up short. Look for a coach’s testimonials, reviews, and social proof because there should be enough to ease your skepticism.
——————————————————————————————————
Nutrition + Exercise ?
Share the responsibility with exercise and food. This decreases the discomfort and pain of the entire process. It also increases the odds you will be able to keep your results long term, which ultimately is the name of the game.
Nothing has to come entirely from 1 entire bucket. Eliminate 250 calories from food. Burn an additional 250 calories a day and you hit your daily 500 caloric deficit. 500 a day equals 3500 calories a week, which is close to a 1 pound weight loss per week. You can shoot for higher or it’s ok if you lose ¼ or ½ a pound each week. You want to make it realistic for your lifestyle and ability.
It’s not about who makes it prettier or smoother. It’s about you being able to do this long term so you become healthier.
Diet and exercise complement each other exceptionally well when it comes to weight loss. Here’s why this combined approach tends to be highly effective:
- Caloric Balance: Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Exercise helps increase the number of calories you burn, while a well-balanced diet ensures you’re not consuming excess calories.
- Metabolic Boost: Regular exercise, especially resistance training, can increase muscle mass and boost metabolism. This means your body burns more calories even at rest.
- Body Composition Improvement: While diet alone might lead to weight loss, combining it with exercise helps maintain or increase muscle mass. This improves body composition, making the weight loss more favorable by reducing fat and preserving lean muscle.
- Health Benefits: Both diet and exercise contribute to overall health. A balanced diet ensures you get essential nutrients, while exercise supports cardiovascular health, bone density, mental well-being, and more.
- Sustainability: A combination of diet and exercise is often more sustainable than relying on just one. When both are part of your routine, you’re more likely to achieve long-term weight maintenance.
- Psychological Impact: Exercise can alleviate stress, improve mood, and boost self-esteem, complementing the mental and emotional aspects of weight loss. Moreover, the sense of accomplishment from exercising can reinforce healthy eating habits.
- Behavioral Reinforcement: Engaging in regular exercise can reinforce healthy eating patterns. People often find that when they exercise, they become more conscious of their food choices and are inclined to make healthier decisions.
You don’t have to be perfect. Every day doesn’t have to be the Super Bowl. Some days will get away from you and that is ok. It’s about getting back up the next day and trying again because ?practice will make it permanent. ?
The ultimate takeaway is balance and sustainability.
A moderate, well-rounded approach to both diet and exercise that suits your lifestyle and preferences is more likely to lead to successful, long-term weight loss and improved overall health.
Some people will and can do this themselves. Others should look into hiring a proven expert for the journey.
?Discipline might be uncomfortable, but continued disappointment is unbearable.
Set yourself up for success because you’re worth it.
In Health⚕️
Your coach, Matt
