The Surprising Secret to Weight Loss (and Maintenance)
You know how it goes: We need to lose some weight so we hop on the treadmill, elliptical and head to the gym twice a day to burn those extra calories. But what if I told you all that extra work is probably not as good as you think it is?
Don't get me wrong, as a gym owner, I love when members dedicate themselves to the consistency of their workouts. But when it comes to weight loss, control or maintenance, workouts are not king of the hill.
Factors of Weight Loss (In order of importance)
1. Proper Nutrition: The old adage is true, "You can't outwork a bad diet." No amount of burpees will ever be more important than the food we put (or don't put) in our mouths. The key with proper nutrition is to find a non-restrictive, balanced approach focusing on slightly less calories than needed. Yes, there's more advanced tips but one thing is for sure, restrictive dieting never works for long.
2. Stay NEAT: No, I don't mean clean (although that's probably a good idea too). NEAT stands for Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This is just a fancy way of saying, "how much are you moving other than when you are intentionally exercising". Few people realize our NEAT plays a greater role in weight loss/maintenance than our actual exercise program. This is exactly why people who sit at work have a tough time with weight gain while the factory worker on their feet all day may not.
3. Exercise: "And in last place....EXERCISE." Surprised? Probably not since I gave it a way in the intro but this certainly isn't the narrative we hear in today's fitness/advertising world. Is exercise important? 100%. I'd argue that's it vital for a healthy/happy life. However, we'd be better served to focus our exercise/workouts on goals such as building strength, improving movement skills, increasing performance and improving our mood. These are things that exercise excels at. Yes, exercise plays a role in weight loss, but it's a clear 3rd place finisher.
Now What?
It's possible you are learning this information for the first time. That's entirely fine. Use it as a stepping stone to what you do next. Need to lose some weight? Dial in the nutrition. Be non-exercise active (ex. take the steps instead of the elevator). Focus your workouts on becoming stronger. Do these consistently and I guarantee you over time, you'll not only reach your goal weight, you'll stay there longer.
For assistance with weight loss/maintenance
3 Pillars recommends
(Click images for more product information)
Nourish:
To help with overall gut health, digestion and reaching daily recommendations of green leafy vegetables
Soothe:
To help improve metabolism and digestion
