Working Out For Weight Loss 101

You are showing up for your workouts but nothing is happening.

 

 

Worse yet, maybe something IS happening.  

 

You are gaining weight or losing weight that comes right back every time you miss a workout.

You want to stop “sweating for nothing” now and get some serious payback for your sweaty efforts.

 

I get it because I was there too.  After I graduated college and entered the working world, I was working out for more than six hours a week. I would even turn down social engagements for my Monday night step class. 

 

I felt proud of my dedication and… my clothes were just getting tighter.

 

How is it possible that I could have been working out that much and gaining weight?

 

My nutrition habits needed a LOT of work.  My workouts were actually contributing to my poor nutrition habits because they made me SUPER HUNGRY.  It was a MESS that wasn’t going to get better from working out more.

 

I am laughing at myself because what I haven’t mentioned yet is that part of my Monday night routine included rolling through Wendy’s after my step class to order… a small fry and kid’s frosty.

 

Are you laughing? You should be.

 

As ironic as it sounds, I was convinced that my practice of portion control would keep that starch, fat, and sugar off of my hips and thighs- especially after sweating for an hour. WRONG! If it weren’t for the fact that the class did increase my athleticism, I would say it was a total waste of my time. It definitely wasn’t contributing to my weight loss success.

 

While I understand why you flock to the nearest group training class to sweat off the pounds, it simply isn’t working for most of you is it?

 

Not to be judgmental at all but the next time you attend one of these classes, look around the room. How many people actually look like what you are trying to achieve? Probably very few and after over a decade of working in commercial gyms, I am willing to bet you that the ones who do have toned, lean bodies didn’t build them in the classes that you may spy them taking at the local gym. Here’s a perfect example.

 

Back when I worked at New York Sports Club, there was this woman who had an amazing body. Many of the ladies in the gym would take the same classes that she took hoping to get her results. The ironic and sad part is that they didn’t realize that she only took those lunch time classes to blow off steam from her stressful job.

 

What did she do to get that tight body? Meet with her trainer each morning for weight training and conditioning workouts.

 

So enough with the stories, here’s my very simple formula for building a workout regimen that will actually support your weight loss goals.

#1: Lift weights regularly.

Weight training will help you build or maintain muscle. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the less you will struggle to drop each pound of unwanted fat because you will literally burn more calories while you are sitting around doing nothing. How’s that for efficiency?

 

But wait… I have so many ladies tell me that they have tried to lift weights and that they “bulk up” and their clothes get tight. If that has ever happened to you, check out the blog I wrote on why weight training rocks for weight loss and how to do it in a way that supports your weight loss goals- rather than turn yourself into Shira the princess warrior.

#2: Do conditioning sometimes.

I explained what conditioning is and how it differs from cardio in my blog “Conditioning vs. Cardio” so if you don’t quite understand why I am suggesting conditioning, check it out.

Even though conditioning boosts your metabolism just like weight training, you don’t want to do a lot all the time. So if you are in a #challengemode- going after significant weight loss over a short time, you may need to add one or two conditioning workouts in each week. However if you are in #lifestylemode- maintaining your weight or losing at a slower pace, you may not do conditioning at all.  In this blog, I wrote all about the difference between the two modes and how to cycle them for significant, sustainable weight loss.

#3: Walk daily.

I am not talking about your mother’s walking routine where you wrap yourself in garbage bags or a sauna suit, strap on the ankle weights, and speed walk as fast as you can. You got that visual didn’t you?

 

I am talking about taking a leisure walk that is slow enough that you can drink coffee or talk to a friend without gasping. I wrote all about how to walk for weight loss in this blog.

 

If you don’t have the time to officially go for a walk each day, use an activity tracker and walk as much as you can during your day.  The most common recommendation is ten thousand steps a day; however, to start, track your steps for a normal day and then aim to move more each day.

 

Seem too simple to work? The simplicity of this plan is exactly why it does work. Following my WCW (weights, conditioning, walking) approach will give your body the exact stimulus that it needs to firm up and drop unwanted fat.

 

BONUS TIP… don’t follow my example and go through the drive thru for post workout “snacks”. Remember you can’t out train poor nutrition. The good news is… this workout approach won’t turn you into Cookie Monster.  You will have more than a fighting chance at following a sensible nutrition approach.

 

If you use this approach to construct your workout plan, you can stop Googling weight loss workouts for good.   This approach is perfect to make your fitness a part of life rather than the central focus.

What do you think about all of this?  Do you follow this approach or a different one when you start working out for weight loss?  Sound off in the comments below.