Weightloss Details: Exercise

This is part two of the three part series devoted to the three aspects that I believe comprise a successful weight loss program. Last week’s post was all about calories. Today’s post will deal with exercise. The post on accountability will follow some time next week.

Exercise, exercise exercise. We either love it or loathe it. I exercise because I love to sweat. I love the way I feel after a particularly tough work out. I love to see the changes in my body that exercise induces.

But let’s face it, if you’ve been a sedentary individual for an extended period of time, exercise can be brutal. I’ll say it again, if you’re just starting a new exercise program, it can really suck. Besides, some of us DON’T like to sweat and some of us have never felt a “runners’ high.”

If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, you already know how I feel about exercise. After all, it is one of my three key components to weight loss. But hold on! It’s not what you’re thinking! This is not another one of those posts that say you have to puke in the gym if you want to lose weight. I promise! Keep reading and you’ll know where I’m coming from on exercise.

There are many benefits to being an active individual; exercise is important. It strengthens your heart, lungs, muscles, bones and perhaps most importantly, your mind! Below, I’ve got some ideas for those of you just beginning your diet and exercise journeys as well as those of you who are a bit further along. Feel free to skip ahead to the part(s) that pertain to you.

Beginner’s Guide To Exercise & Weight Loss

Before we get started here,I’m going to make a few assumptions.

• You’ve already determined your BMR.
• You’ve already determined your calorie deficit to achieve your weight loss results.
• You’ve tried out the numbers in real life and are getting the results you want–without subtracting calories burned through exercise!

My reasons for these assumptions are very simple. As a beginner, you’ve got enough on your plate to worry about. You don’t need to throw another variable into the mix! When I first started losing weight, I definitely viewed exercise as a way to increase my calorie deficit and speed up my weight loss rate. This is a very common thing to do. It’s also a reason, in my opinion, that many people give up on their weight loss goals pretty early. You see, for a lot of people, exercise makes us hungry–very hungry!

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve just burnt 500 calories in the gym and increased your calorie deficit for the day. An hour later your famished. You hit the fridge and eat way more than those 500 calories burned in the gym. You may even be so hungry that you totally out eat your dietary calorie deficit and create a calorie surplus.

I believe that it is very easy to “out eat your exercise plan” and get deleterious effects on the scale.Yep, for beginners, I think exercise can actually make it harder to lose weight.

So how do you solve this problem? Here’s the thing that worked for me. It wasn’t my idea, but it sure did work. After I accomplished all of the things in the above list, I started exercising. I started off slowly and I think you should too. You don’t want to be too sore to move the next day and you don’t want to be hating life while you’re exercising. Find something you enjoy. It can be anything from walking the dog to hiring a personal trainer. It doesn’t matter, just get moving.

Now that you’re moving, track the calories to the best of your ability. Don’t forget that the calorie counters on the gym machines are usually over estimated and your body burns calories at different rates than everyone else. So be careful with your estimates here.

Once you’ve established a reasonable estimate of the calories you’ve burnt through exercise, go ahead and eat that same number of calories through the day. You may be a little surprised to read that last statement, so go back and read it again. Finished? Good. Now let me explain.

You’ve already created a caloric deficit with your diet plan. There’s really not a need to make a bigger deficit. The bigger the deficit, the hungrier you’ll be. The hungrier you are, the more likely you are to fall of the wagon–unless, of course, you are more disciplined than most of us.

So go ahead, if you burned 500 calories in the gym, eat 500 extra calories that day. BUT replace them with healthy fuel so that your body can recover from the stresses that you’ve just placed on it and so you’ll be ready for your next session.

Try this for two weeks, or a month. You should still be losing the same amount of weight that you were losing before you started exercising. If you’re not, you’re either not burning as many calories as you thought, or you’re eating more calories than you burned during the exercise. Adjust as necessary and you’ll get back on track. Remember, this is your new lifestyle, and a week or two of suboptimal weight loss is worth it if you’re getting back on the move.

Now that you’ve figured out this whole beginner’s exercise bit, you’re ready to move on to the next phase of how exercise can help you with your weight loss goals.

Intermediate Guide To Exercise & Weight Loss

Just like in the beginner’s section, I’m going to make a few assumptions:

• All of the assumptions from above are still true.
• You’ve been able to add exercise to your plan and still lose weight.
• You’re NOT starving all the time.

So you’ve already established good eating behaviors and you’ve been working on your exercise habits. You’re still losing weight and feeling good. Now is the time. Now you can focus on the real power of exercise with respect to weight loss. Here’s the secret, the big ticket item. Exercise has the ability to transform your body into a more efficient calorie burning machine. And more efficient calorie burning machines can eat more calories, right?

Here’s what it looks like. Fat is more or less, metabolically inactive. It doesn’t burn many calories, it just sits on you and weighs you down. Obviously, we need some fat to survive. But we should all really work to get rid of that excess baggage.

Muscle on the other hand, is a veritable energy expending powerhouse. It’s chock full of those calorie burning machines called mitochondria. The more muscle your body has, the more calories your body burns. Besides, building muscles tightens your body and makes you look fitter. But be careful when you decide to start throwing some weight around. Make sure you’ve researched what you want to do and know how to properly perform each of the exercises.

Now that you’re ready to start building muscle, here’s what I’d recommend. Remember, I’m not a personal trainer, and I’m not an expert at weight lifting. Basically, what follows is a list of the types of workouts that I’ve tried starting with my least favorite and ending with what I’m currently doing.

• Traditional weight lifting–I’m a product of the 80′s. I spent much of my high school gym time on my back underneath a bar that held way too much weight for my own good. I hated every minute of it. I didn’t put in the time and I never got any better. In college, I continued this behavior with my buddies and did see some improvement because they kept me motivated–but I still hated it. I’m not supplying many details for this type of workout on purpose. It’s not really what I’d recommend for neophyte weight lifters because I think it’s boring, difficult, and easy to get injured if you don’t know what you’re doing.
• Group weight lifting classes–Many gyms today offer classes, similar to aerobics or step classes, that emphasize weight lifting and building muscle. I actually quite enjoy these classes. They’re set to music, the instructors are usually motivated and inspirational, and you are surrounded by peers. I think it’s a great way to learn proper techniques for many different weight lifting exercises. If you’re new to the weight lifting scene, and aren’t intimidated by the group aspect of the classes, then this is where I would start.
• Functional fitness–Functional fitness prepares you for the activities that life is going to throw at you. Those activities vary from person to person, and so should your functional fitness routine. Derek Jeter would have a much different fitness routine than LeBron James, Payton Manning, or Phil Mickelson. And all of them would have a much different routine than you or me.

  I believe that functional fitness gives you the most bang for your buck. These routines get your heart rate up (improving your cardiovascular system) and simultaneously build muscle by simulating activities that you normally do. Rarely will you sit under a bar and isolate your chest muscles by performing a standard bench press. My workouts these days consist of lots of body weight exercises with lunges, twists, pushes and pulls. I punch a heavy bag, I jump up and down, I roll around on top of stability balls. By the end of a typical workout, every single one of my major muscle groups from my calves to my neck can feel the effects of the workout. I’m dripping in sweat and totally spent. I love it.

  But you know what the best part of this kind of workout is? Your body spends the next 24-48 hours repairing and building muscles. And guess what? That process burns lots of calories. Then the new muscle that you just built is primed and ready to continue burning calories for you. The more you do it, the more calories you burn.

This terribly long post summarizes just a few of the benefits that exercise can have for those of us who are trying to lose weight. When I was first started trying to change my health and body, I used exercise as a means to speed my weight loss. I was always hungry, grumpy, and frequently gave in to my cravings. It didn’t work for me and suffered many setbacks.

Then, on the advice of some GFS readers, I got smarter and started using the old “If I exercise today I can eat more later” philosophy. When I flicked this switch in my head, I was very successful at maintaining my 1 pound weekly weight loss. I kept this up for a very long time.

Finally, at the beginning of this year (2.5 years after starting the process), I’ve been able to switch to the intense types of muscle building activities that I find really effective. They help me to maintain my weight loss, firm up my body, and give me a newly found confidence that I love.

Oh yeah, and I get to eat more food too. Which we all know is a good thing!

If you liked this post about weight loss and exercise, please be sure to check out my guest post on trouble shooting your weight loss program like a scientist over at No More Bacon. It’s chock full of more advice about how to be successful with your weight loss program! I hope you like it.