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Understanding The Disconnect Between Exercise and Weight Loss


When you're diligently hitting the gym, breaking a sweat, and sticking to your exercise routine, it's disheartening when the numbers on the scale refuse to budge. The common belief that exercise directly translates to weight loss isn't always accurate. More effort is required outside, and inside the gym to achieve results. If it were that easy, we would all be walking about with six packs!


Are you truly in a caloric deficit?


Weight loss fundamentally boils down to expending more calories than you consume. While exercise contributes to calorie expenditure, it doesn't guarantee weight loss unless paired with a sustained calorie deficit. Simply put, if you're not burning more calories than you're consuming over time, shedding pounds becomes an uphill battle.


Tracking your food intake through a meticulous food diary and monitoring your daily activity levels can unveil potential obstacles hindering your progress. By pinpointing areas where you might be overindulging or underestimating calorie intake, you can fine-tune your approach and ensure you're maintaining a consistent calorie deficit.


You're not doing the right things


You will often hear about a 70/30 rule, 70% of health and fitness goals are achieved in the kitchen, and 30% in what you do for exercise, this does not discount the importance of performing correct movements, exercise techniques and sequencing. For example, if you are going to run multiple times per week wouldn't you want to know if your gait pattern is optimized? Wouldn't you want to know how to lift weights correctly without injuring yourself?


We have an on-going joke in the gym I work at, that people as well as training bodyparts in the day also train their 'personality' meaning the gym is more of a social occassion than exercise retreat for them. This is where a Personal Trainer or Coach comes in handy.

How to consider non-exercise activity levels


Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) encompasses the energy expended during daily activities that aren't formal exercises, such as walking, cleaning, or fidgeting. This can significantly contribute to your daily energy expenditure, potentially comprising up to 50%.


Avoid falling into the habit of counting your daily steps, which include the steps you make from your house to your car, your car to your workplace, or your kitchen to your bedroom. You have metabolically inherited these steps, they're considered baseline. I like to incorporate a 30 minute rule, in which you only count the steps where you are on your feet for a minimum of 30 minutes.


Prioritize maintaining an active lifestyle throughout the day, aiming for a minimum of 10,000 steps daily.

Are you consuming more calories than you think?


One common pitfall is overestimating calorie expenditure from exercise while underestimating daily calorie intake. The notion of 'earning' extra calories through exercise often leads to indulgence or larger portion sizes, offsetting the calorie deficit created by physical activity.


Subtle cues of increased hunger may prompt additional snacking or larger meal portions, gradually undermining your weight loss endeavors. Combatting this requires vigilance in monitoring food intake, whether through calorie tracking or portion control. Maintaining an objective view of your dietary habits can prevent unconscious overeating and align your calorie intake with your weight loss goals.


Conclusion


While exercise undoubtedly plays a crucial role in overall health and fitness, its direct correlation with weight loss isn't as straightforward as commonly perceived. By reassessing your approach to calorie intake, prioritizing non-exercise activity, and practicing mindful eating habits, and exercising in the correct way you can bridge the gap between exercise and weight loss effectively. Remember, sustainable weight loss stems from a balanced combination of dietary modifications, physical activity, and consistent lifestyle habits.

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My take on Health and Fitness

Im working out regularly, but im not losing weight?

By Jay Shreddinger • 02 May, 2024
"Im doing classes everyday, why am I not losing weight?" "Im hardly eating.." Two common things I hear, and whilst it sounds unbelievable, sometimes exercise does not equal to weight loss. Here are three questions you should honestly ask yourself. Are you really in a calorie deficit? To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit consistently over time. Essentially, burn more calories than you’re consuming over a long enough period, and you will lose weight. Exercise burns calories so it must automatically lead to weight loss, right? Not always! Unless you are maintaining that all-important deficit in your energy balance. This is why tracking your meals in a food diary and monitoring your daily activity levels with step count can be useful tools to highlight any areas which might be holding you back. Perhaps you are not a calorie-counting type of person. A caloric deficit will feel like you are starving yourself. This is where people fall into a trap and go on 30-hour fasts because they're not used to eating to a state of satiation, instead they eat to satisfaction, to the point where eating to satisfaction feels like its just enough. Eating to satiation is giving your body just enough nutrients and calories to go about your day, by today's standards its like starving yourself (do you get my drift?!). Are you moving less outside the gym? Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) plays a significant role in weight loss—it's the energy expended in activities like walking, playing, or even fidgeting. Starting an exercise program can sometimes lead to a decrease in NEAT, which reduces energy expenditure and undermines your calorie deficit. Maintaining a high NEAT by aiming for at least 10,000 steps daily can counteract this effect.

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Maintain Your Transformation Goals While Enjoying Holidays Are you worried about maintaining your fitness journey during the holiday season? Fear not! With the right strategies and mindset, you can stay on track with your transformation goals without sacrificing the joy of festivities. Here's how: Prioritize Planning for Success To ensure you stay on track with your fitness goals during the holidays, it's crucial to plan ahead. Schedule your workouts and meals just like you would any other appointment. By making a plan and sticking to it, you'll be less likely to succumb to temptation or make excuses for skipping workouts. Embrace Flexible Eating During the holidays, it's inevitable that you'll encounter a variety of delicious treats and indulgent meals. Instead of depriving yourself completely, practice flexible eating. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday foods in moderation, but be mindful of portion sizes and balance them with nutritious options. 

Here's why training with a partner is a mistake

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