People frequently ask me what kind of training is best for weight loss. Should I be doing high intensity interval training, low or steady state cardio or resistance training, or perhaps a combination of these? The truth? It actually makes very little difference which method you choose in terms of weight loss. Physical activity of any kind will help you to manage your weight and probably consistent daily movement at low intensity will have more influence on this than hammering yourself for an hour in the gym, then sitting down for the rest of the day. Overall you will burn more energy this way. I will return to this question in future blog posts, but the message I want to get across today is that exercise plays a fairly minor role in weight loss, however beneficial it may be to your general well-being.
It is primarily nutrition that decides whether or not you lose weight, not exercise. Don’t believe this calorie counting nonsense that tells you that you can eat whatever you like as long as you burn massive amounts of calories on the treadmill. Anyone who has tried this will know that it just doesn’t work. What is important is the speed of your metabolism. If you eat the right kinds of food, i.e. real food that you were designed to eat, then you can eat as much of it as you like and will have the energy to burn it up naturally. Then it won’t matter what kind of activity you undertake, your body will regulate its weight naturally, as every other animal does.
My general advice would be to minimise sugar and processed carbs in your diet – the body has no nutritional need for dietary carbohydrate, despite government guidelines to base your diet around starchy carbohydrates ( look where that advice has got us!). Base your diet rather around healthy fats and protein, which take longer to digest, consuming energy in the process and do not promote big fluctuations in insulin levels, because insulin leads to fat storage.
Or, just keep doing what you’re doing and pray for different results!
Call David on 07504439555 or email me at davidperry57@sky.com
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