So you have a few kilograms to lose and you are contemplating your options to shed them. No doubt you've tried before with little to some degree of success. It is frustrating when you end up in the same place as you began months or years prior but don't worry, you are not alone. The reality is most diets and weight loss strategies fail within a year of starting (head to Weight Loss Methods, the Good the Bad and the Ugly for more)!
The Inspire Wellness Team have over 20 years experience in the personal training and fitness industry, and during this time we have seen clients thrash themselves in the gym and on the pavement to help drop the pesky extra kilograms. These clients push their bodies to extremes and understandably, end up very upset when their hard work doesn't translate to kilograms lost on the scale. The reality is, that by changing exercise alone, you will not see the results that you are after. There is no doubt that exercise is GREAT and very healthy for us when done in the right amounts. However, the old saying is true - "you can't out-train a bad diet."
The mentality that you should "run-off" or "burn off" extra calories to make way for a doughnut or chocolate is a vicious cycle to be entering into. It places stress unnecessary on the body and actually promotes an inflammatory response. When we look at the amount of time it would take to burn off large amounts of treats (we're sure you have seen the dreaded easter egg calorie burn meme, if not, it's below), you would be running all day!
Let's be clear here. We do not condone this attitude and don't like to focus on the old school calories in, calories out model. Yes, scientifically this does play a role however it is certainly not the true and full picture. Our bodies are so intricately complex and energy in energy out is not enough to help our digestion, hormones and metabolic processes. Instead of focusing on calories, we like to focus on nutrients.
Our goal is to always teach our clients how to nourish their bodies to the point where (their bodies) are so happy that they re-adjust and re-balance themselves. At this point, all body systems begin to work in harmony and the body's natural state of wellness is restored. Our philosophy is, if you give the body what it needs, it will heal (and in the case of weight loss), it will release extra weight.
This is a much more gentle and nourishing way to treat the body. Hardcore restriction only creates room for failure and over time, inevitably this will happen.
As we mentioned earlier, we believe that it is imperative to our health that we do exercise regularly in addition to having a well-balanced diet. All of our clients have got their diet down pat so, in the coming weeks, we will share our top tips on how to gain motivation include exercise into your lifestyle too!