One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked is how to lose weight. As I study to become a CPT, I am reminded that the scope of practice for a fitness professional is to refer the individual asking, to seek the assistance from a medical professional, such as their physician, a registered dietician, or a licensed nutritionist.
While I must refrain from giving specific dietary suggestions, I can explain the concept of losing weight as it relates to nutritional consumption and exercise. This train of thought came about when someone, who was visibly upset stated, “I have been exercising for 3 months and I don’t see any changes.”
I have heard this particular statement before, and it usually follows that the individual who made it is serious contemplating quitting their fitness endeavor. Somehow in this world of instant gratification, individuals have grown impatient, and are deceived that although it took an inordinate amount of time for them to obtain their present physique, it should take less time to transform their appearance.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have noticed when you tell an individual that he or she did not get to their present out of shape state overnight, and they will not get leaner that way as well, they quickly become disheartened.
“Let’s see if we can shed some light on your particular plight. You have been exercising continuously for the past three months?”
“What do you mean by continuously?”
“Three months broken down would be twelve weeks, which meant that you did thirty-six resistance training workouts, if you went to the gym three times a week.”
“36!”
“Yes,” I said, detecting a note of skepticism in her voice. 24 cardio workouts, split evenly between 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval, or 45 minutes of Steady State.”
“I was supposed to do all of that?”
“The program was designed that way to maximize a reduction in weight.”
Just as I suspected she had not done even half of the prescribed workouts. She had wanted to lose weight, but bargained with the price to achieve that goal. She mistakenly thought that the path to reduce body fat and obtain a leaner physique could easily be achieved.
“I told you it would be hard work to transform your physique.”
“I know,” she said dejectedly. “I just didn’t realize it would take so much time.”
“Even if you had followed the workout program to the letter, you would not have achieved the result you sought, if that was all you did.”
“What!”
“36, one hour resistance training workouts, couple with 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training, and 45 minutes of Steady State Cardio is indeed a lot work, but it really is only the beginning.”
“You have got to be joking. What else is there?”
“All that work encompasses a small fraction of E.A.T. The majority to create a leaner physique will come from N.E.A.T.
B.M.Booth
Strength & Vigour 