How to Lose Weight Through Exercise

How to Lose Weight Through Exercise

Most people underestimate the role of diet in weight loss and overestimate the role of exercise. Losing weight without changing your diet is difficult because you would have to invest a lot of time in exercise to really see results. A person weighing 70 kilograms burns around 700 calories in a ten-kilometre run, for example.

The big problem here is that unless you are a seasoned athlete, it is difficult to exercise for over an hour, or the amount of time it would take you to lose enough calories to effectively lose weight. If you're not used to long workouts, it can be difficult to get used to them off the bat and could be dangerous if you don't start gradually. This makes it hard to make sustainable changes to your workouts.

Also, it is very tempting to reward a hard workout with sweets or our favourite foods, which often nullifies our efforts.

How do you lose weight?

To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you eat. To lose weight slowly, we need to make sustainable changes in steps and keep up these changes long term. It is unfortunately not possible to lose weight and keep it off without keeping up your exercise or diet routine. If you would like to lose weight through exercise, this means you need to consistently exercise enough to burn more calories than you consume, which means making workouts a daily commitment.

Lifestyle is crucial

Your lifestyle is crucial in determining your weight. If you want to make a lifestyle change, it needs to be sustainable to be effective. Taking small steps to change your current lifestyle is most effective. You could try to burn 100 more calories per day, for example. You could do so by walking instead of driving, or by hopping on a stationary bike at home while you watch your favourite shows. The most important strategy is to choose an exercise you enjoy to make doing it as effortless as possible. If you enjoy the exercise, it is a reward by itself and you won't feel like you need an extra reward. Over time, you can create a habit of exercising. Once you've conquered this step, you can move on to the next step. This is not a great way to lose weight quickly, but it is a great way to keep weight off and build a healthier life.

Make sure you have enough energy to exercise efficiently

Make sure you have enough energy to exercise properly. Yes, in order to lose weight you need a calorie deficit, this is true. However, you still need carbohydrates and protein to fuel your workout and help your body recover afterwards. If your body does not have this energy available you won't build up any muscle.

Instead of starting a crash diet, it is better to make consistent, small changes that you can stick to over the long term. This takes a fair amount of patience but pays off! Best of luck finding your way on your fitness journey!