What It Takes For An Already Healthy Person To See Weight Loss Results
By admin
“I already eat pretty healthy”.
“I eat nothing but whole foods.”
“I’ve been clean eating for years.”
These are just a few of the responses I hear regularly when I ask clients about their nutrition.
Often times people are at a loss for why they aren’t seeing results when they look in the mirror.
Many people think that if they already eat healthy and add in fitness then the results will come. So when they don’t, they’re at a loss.
The first thought is that they aren’t working out hard enough. They’re wrong.
You Can’t Workout To Eat
How many times have you heard someone say, “I workout so I can eat!”?
I have friends and I read blogs that claim this. Yet, it’s a Big. Fat. Lie.
Of course exercise burns calories, but not to the extent where we can eat whatever we want.
It takes about 60 minutes of vigorous exercise to burn 500 calories. Which if done every day, would lead to a 1-pound loss per week.
The chances of this happening 7 days a week? Slim, I hope, because the body needs rest and shouldn’t be put through vigorous exercise every single day.
Yet, many people rely solely on exercise for weight loss. It’s not going to happen friends. Not going to happen.
Not to mention, do you know how easy it is to eat those calories if you’re not paying attention to your food habits?
Yes, even with healthy foods… it’s still possible to overeat.
The Nutrition Trends To Consider
Since the 1950s, Americans are eating 25% more fruit, 54% more veggies, and several HUNDREDS more calories per day. Source
Just goes to show that even with eating “healthier” we’re still eating too much. In fact, obesity rates since the 50s have increased 214%. Crazy, right!?
So, how are you supposed to see changes in the mirror if you are already eating healthy?
How A Healthy Person Can Tone Up And Lose Weight
- Are You In Calorie Denialism?
We know tracking food is important, but have you ever skipped on little things, thinking it won’t make that much of a difference?
The small bite of chocolate after lunch. The leftover chicken nugget on your kid’s plate? The banana you put into your protein shake?
On one study, researchers discovered people miscalculated their calories by as much as 63%. ← That’s HUGE!
While I am all about avoiding counting calories, for some people it is necessary to get a true view of where you are right now.
Like I mentioned, even healthy eaters can over eat.
Want to know a quick story?
A few years ago, I was talking with a new client about her diet. She went on and one about how she was eating healthy but not dropping weight. When I asked her what she was going to eat when she got home from her workout…
She said a watermelon.
Not a slice of watermelon… an ENTIRE watermelon.
Can’t avoid serving size people.
- Are You In Workout Denialism?
Above I mentioned how it takes about an hour to burn 500-600 calories. Yet, with fad workouts and intense killer programs all the rage, it has us believing that we can do that in 20-30 minutes.
Which means we assume an entire hour must burn 1000, right?
Well, for some people, this is the case. But that depends on how much weight you have to lose and what kind of shape you are in. For example, the more weight you have and the more out of shape you are, the more calories you burn.
For those of us in great shape, we have to workout longer and harder to burn more calories. Our bodies are more adjusted to fitness. Make sense?
To put it into perspective, I used one of those calorie burning calculators for a 7 mile run.
If I weighed 175 pounds… I would burn around 978 calories.
Yet at real weight of 122 pounds… I burn around 675 calories.
It’s important to be realistic with the calories we burn during exercise so we don’t overeat those calories right back in!
- Afraid Of Change?
No matter what, to see change, you have to make changes.
Even if you’re a healthy eater, to see results you are going to have to tweak your habits a bit.
I know this first hand, because I’m experiencing it right now (more below).
If you’re a clean eater, perhaps you’ll have to cut back on fruit (sugar). Cut back on grains. Add more fats, more proteins or increase water while decreasing calorie filled drinks.
Cut back on “clean” desserts.
For example, I LOVE dates. Dates are natural, they’re delicious but they are also high in sugar. A single medjool date has 66 calories. Who eats just one? I can eat an entire container.
Remember y’all… healthy foods have calories, sugar, and limitations too.
There is always room for improvement.
- Are You Changing Workouts?
Been running 3 miles consistently for 3 months? Working out with the same program for the past 2 months?
It’s time to tweak a few things. You’ll burn more calories and see your body tone and tighten faster if you continue to challenge yourself.
Strength training will help to increase metabolism, muscle, and tone. That, paired with the nutrition habits above, will lead to the results you want.
Again… change is good!
If you don’t change, don’t expect results.
Naked Truth: What I’m Doing To Change
Last week was a BIG one for our boot camps. We kicked off a new 6-week transformation challenge. With before pictures and all. Don’t judge my post workout, non make-up face. Haha.
These challenges are a blast and the motivation many women need to really make some changes. Myself included.
I’m using this 6 week challenge to push myself. I’m committed to see what I can do! Which is hopefully a 6-pack. Haha.
So this morning, my clients were asking me… what do am I doing? After all, I already eat so healthy. What else can I change?
Here are a few of the changes I have to make to see the results I want to see.
- Heavier weights and a more focused training program. I’m currently working on a new 6 week training program to help build more muscle, increase speed and help with incline training. I’ll share more as I finish it.
- Cut back fruits. I am a fruit addict. Thought I don’t eat a lot of sugar, I do love my fruit. So, to lean out, I have to cut back. This means no more fruit in my protein shakes. And Having just 1 serving per day of either water packed melon or berries. I am avoiding tropic fruits, apples, grapes, etc.
- Increase protein and fat. Instead of protein bars, I’m eating chicken breasts. Instead of pancakes for breakfast, it’s eggs and avocado. Naturally increasing protein and fats, decreases carb consumption. For me, cutting back carbs (sugar) is the key to leaning out. This is just what works for me.
- Cutting back alcohol. Not that I drink a ton, but we all know I love my weekend wine nights. For the next few weeks, I’ll be limiting myself to just 2 glasses. It’s hard, but it will help! Sipping wine makes me crave snacks, and let’s not forget the extra calories I consume with each glass.
- Drink water! Water is key to my lean out. I’ve mentioned so many times before I am terrible at drinking water. So during the 6 weeks, I’ll be drinking up to a gallon per day. Last week I consumed a little more than ½ gallon each day. This week it will increase to ¾ gallon and then finally, I’ll get to the gallon. Progression is key so I am not running to the bathroom 100000x per day!
There you have it!
The tricks for the healthy woman to tone up!