Yesterday we discussed the first 2 reasons why most are not losing weight. if you missed it you can find it here: 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight-Part-1
Below are the Reasons 3 and 4.
Reason 3) Not Exercising Enough
To truly lose weight we have to create a calorie deficit. Therefore we have to focus on burning enough calories each day and week to drop weight. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose one pound of fat a week you must burn 500 calories per day.
To burn calories, I tell clients that you can do this in multiple ways. One way is by having an active lifestyle. This is important and it does count in the calorie burning equation, however, things like chasing your kids, gardening, and everyday movements will not usually be enough to help lose weight and keep it off.
Another option is to exercise the old fashioned way. I recommend 3-4 days of resistance training each week. Resistance training is important for challenging and protecting lean muscle and increasing your metabolism. Resistance training should involve the larger muscle groups like the legs, back and chest. Make sure you give your body a day of rest in between each full body session.
In addition, you also need to focus on aerobic exercise like jogging, biking and fast walking. Aerobic (cardio) exercise is great for the heart and lungs, and using your lean muscle mass to burn calories. I recommend getting 4-5 aerobic sessions in each week at 20-30 minutes per session.
Reason 4) Exercising Too Much
We live in a society where most people assume more is always better. I often get this question asked “Can I exercise too much?” The answer is, “yes, you can!” No matter what your goals are, too much hard exercise can be counterproductive. Why? The right amount of exercise with proper nutrition can help your muscles burn fat at a high rate.
However, excessive exercise and calorie burning can actually prime your body to store fat. The body can only burn fat for a short period of time. Our body has a survival mode where it will try to hold on to fat for survival.
When you exercise too much or for too long your body will stop burning fat and actually shift to breaking down muscle. When we lose muscle we actually lose our ability to burn fat. Muscle is also linked to our metabolism so this will slow down as well. A large calorie deficit of 1000 or more will sacrifice muscle and most likely cause you to store more fat. Try to stick to the 500 calorie deficit per day. This will allow you to lose more fat and hold on to more muscle long term.
Look For Part 3 Tomorrow!
Your Fitness and Nutrition Coach,
~David Modderman
