At the time of writing this it’s late March, which means the majority of people who made a health-related New Year’s Resolution have fallen off the wagon. One of our Core Values is honesty. As a coaching staff, we’ve taken a hard stance against the misinformation in the fitness industry. There is no “perfect workout”, supplement, ab routine, diet plan, or superfood that will unlock the secret to weight loss. I’ve opted for “losing 20 pounds” as our case study because it is the most often-cited exercise goal I’ve heard from people first starting an exercise routine. So, let’s examine what that will actually take. Honestly.
Simply put, you can lose 20 pounds in several months by eating fewer calories than you do now and exercising vigorously for three to five hours per week using resistance training, interval training, and cardio training. Simple enough, right? So why, then, does everyone who sets out to lose 20 pounds not succeed? Because the truth in weight loss – and pretty much anything you wish to achieve – is that the process is incredibly simple (eat less, move more), but undoubtedly difficult.
This is your litmus test – if your weight loss solution involves a complex “system” or “plan” with anything short of complete sacrifice and lifestyle modification on your part – it probably won’t work. Let’s examine what it actually takes to lose 20 pounds.
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Before you continue, I’d like to throw out an offer: Come in, meet with a coach, and receive a complimentary Body Composition Scan. No pressure. No sales. We’re here to help you navigate the confusing, frustrating world of weight loss.
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Diet
Eating less seems simple enough. But, truth is, a healthy diet permeates more of your daily habits than you might think. Here are a few examples:
- Buy, prepare, pack, and eat raw vegetables at every meal
- Eat food that you prepared for each meal
- Spend time every week doing meal preparation
- Men – drink 5 or less alcoholic drinks per week. Women – 3 or less
- Minimize or eliminate sweets – especially around the office or when you’ve had a “hard day”
Exercise
Move 3-5 hours a week. Simple enough. Why is it so rare that people actually stick to it? There are plenty of factors that contribute to non-exercise – schedule, not knowing what to do, difficulty forming a habit, losing interest, and budget. Here are some examples of what it actually will take to stick to an exercise routine:
- Chances are, you’ll need to hire a coach or trainer. Most access (“globo-gym”) facilities are set up to where less than 5% of people paying a membership actually go. Read: You probably won’t either.
- You’ll need to wake up early. Meaning, the first number on your alarm clock will probably be a 5.
- You’ll need to pack a gym bag everyday. If you go home before the gym, you probably won’t make it to the gym.
- Childcare – you’ll need to make arrangements.
- Be proactive – block out your workout time in your schedule. Leaving it up to chance means it won’t happen.
Consistency
Underpinning every truth in weight loss is consistency. Using our 20 pound example, you can expect to lose this weight in five months. Four if you’re incredibly diligent. Two if you plan to gain 30 pounds back (read: crash diet and over-exercising). When was the last time you stuck to something for five months? Truth is, most folks can maintain for 3 weeks.
There will be sacrifice. You will need to plan. You will need to adjust pretty much every part of your day. Your likelihood of success goes up with someone in your corner. Find a trainer, a coach, friend, or significant other. Behavior change happens in the context of relationship. Losing weight is behavior change FIRST, diet and exercise second.
Here for you.
Did you know most people who lose 20 pounds end up gaining it back? Here’s a promise: we’ll never promote a fad diet or exercise plan that is unsustainable or unhealthy. Our goal is to help you feel your best for a lifetime.
When's the last time you weighed yourself? If you can’t remember or you don’t even own a scale, read on to find out how weighing in may help you peel off pounds.
According to a first-of-its-kind study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers from Duke University Obesity Prevention Program and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill reported that those who weighed themselves daily lost about three times as much weight and body fat, compared to those who were less diligent about stepping on the scale.
The six-month study included 47 overweight men and women who were randomly assigned to the “intervention” group, which included the use of electronic scales that were networked to the researchers' computer network. All 47 subjects were instructed to weigh in daily and were given some basic advice about healthy eating and exercise behaviors to promote steady weight loss (i.e., increase water consumption, walk more, eat fewer snacks, enjoy more fruits/veggies). Using objective data from the subjects' e-scales, the researchers could objectively track the frequency of weigh-ins as well as the subjects’ weights.
Results? Compliance to frequent weigh-ins was very high, with 75 percent of the subjects weighed in at least six days a week. Those who weighed in daily (51 percent of all subjects) lost an average of 20 pounds, compared to an average of 7 pounds lost among those who weighed themselves an average of five days per week. Subjects who weighed themselves daily were also more likely to report following through on recommended diet and lifestyle behaviors.
According to one of the study’s authors, Dr. Deborah Tate, director of the Weight Research Program at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, “Daily weighing helps with self-regulation and directly linking eating and activity behaviors with weight. You can quickly see very small daily changes in weight of 0.1 or 0.2 lbs. that tell you whether your current eating and activity are enough to help you lose weight or if you need to do more.” This study adds to previous studies that also reported that those who weigh themselves more frequently lose more weight and are less likely to gain weight over time.
However, many dietitians don’t recommend frequent weigh-ins for fear that their clients will be discouraged if the number increases or obsessed with the scale. However, according to Tate: “We conducted two other studies – both included overweight and obese adults without eating disorders – and both studies showed that beginning to weigh daily was not harmful in terms of eating disorder or depressive symptoms.”
Other dietitians are against traditional scales because they can’t account for body composition. “I don't recommend using the scale at all,” says registered dietitian Stephanie Mull of the George Washington University Weight Management and Human Performance Lab in Ashburn, Virginia. “We have many clients who see little changes in overall weight, but have significant reductions in body fat. That is why we use dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or InBody assessment to accurately measure fat and lean tissue of our clients."
Bottom line: If you like setting goals and can use the number on the scale as objective data (without judging or attaching negative emotions to the number), I recommend trying frequent weigh-ins. If you're in the market for a new scale, consider a scale with bioelectric impedance so you can see changes in percent body fat. Other ways to help determine if you’re losing body fat is to measure your waist circumference every three weeks; if you’re losing inches from your waistline, you’re reducing body fat. You may just be surprised to find out how this simple daily habit can help improve your diet.