Forget the B-12 injections, fad diets, miracle drinks, diet pills and quick fix workout plans. Ask anyone who has successfully lost weight AND kept it off and they will tell you that they ATE LESS and MOVED MORE. Burning more calories than you consume is the ONLY true scientific way to lose weight. In reality, this is easier said than done. So here are some helpful tips that have kept me on track during my weight management journey:
- I CAN’T out exercise a bad diet – No matter how much I hit the gym, it’s simply too hard to burn off all of the calories of a bad diet. Think about it, a burger and fries could be around 2,000 calories. This means 2 hours of high intensity cardiovascular exercise to work it off. There’s simply not enough time in the day to truly burn off the calories in a bad diet.
- I CAN use exercise to speed up weight loss – You must burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to legitimately lose 1 pound. So if you take on a low-calorie diet PLUS burn an extra 400-600 calories per day through an hour of exercise, you will obtain your dream body much sooner!
- HOW MUCH I eat is more important than WHAT I eat – Look, you can eat too many apples and still be fat. A calorie, is a calorie is a calorie. If you eat too many calories without burning them off, you WILL gain weight. Don’t be deceived by healthy foods. Too much of ANY food will still pack on pounds.
- MAKE yourself love fruits, veggies and water – No matter how much I try, I find it nearly impossible to get my body the nutrition it needs within my daily caloric budget without lots of water, fruits and veggies. No other foods are as low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins. Also, the water keeps my metabolism revved up and makes me feel full.
Keep these points in mind and you start your week. Even a small personal commitment to be more active during the day, eat less or drink more water can make a big impact on your weight management.
I love a good sweat session BUT it MUST go hand in hand with a low-calorie, nutritious diet!
What’s more difficult for you? Eating less? Or moving more?