Unpopular Fitness Opinions Part 1
Unpopular Opinion #1: Do not use exercise to lose weight
Can it help? Yes! But only to a degree.
⚖️ A workout doesn’t cancel out a poor diet or sitting down the rest of the day.
A workout is usually less than 5% of your day… so let’s not oversell it as the key to weight loss.
Here’s why I hope you want to workout:
⭐️Workout because it makes you stronger for now and when you’re older.
As we age, our muscle mass naturally decreases. We can minimize age-related muscle loss with regular exercise, especially strength training! Exercise today and your future self will thank you!
⭐️Workout because you’ll do something you couldn’t do before!
Talk about an adult adrenaline rush that doesn’t involve jumping out of any airplanes! When you do something you didn’t think you could ever do, like run a 10k or lift 50 pounds, you get this mental high that spills over to other areas of your life too. You start thinking, “wow, since I did that, what else have I been missing out on???” and you find more possibilities that are exciting!
⭐️ Workout to see muscle definition that makes you feel proud- or at least a muscle soreness that says hello! I’m here!
Nothing puts a pep in your step like seeing your own reflection and noticing some muscle when you flex! It’s exciting proof of progress that has nothing to do with a scale! You don’t have to be all the way to your goal to get that good post workout soreness from doing something new! Allow yourself to feel proud of the work you’re doing and let that propel you to healthy choices to support your body!
If you have questions, or love this, let me know!
I strongly recommend against thinking your workouts will make you lose weight. They are important for your body absolutely, but they are not going to and can not outweigh unhealthy habits that often interfere with weight loss such as prolonged sitting the rest of the day, poor nutrition quality, eating too much food, not getting enough rest, extreme or chronic stress.
By all means, workout and workout regularly for your health and overall well-being and longevity, but not because it’s your silver bullet for weight loss. I’m a lover of fitness for sure but I’m also a health coach and I take a holistic approach to weight loss by focusing on the habits—- aka daily actions that lend themselves to good, long term heath and mobility.
Are you excited to start a workout program? Do you need something new with accountability and tracking to keep your motivated? I’d love for you to try my training app for free for two weeks!
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