We’ve all been there: the holidays season is in fulls wing, we’re eating more food than normal and we’ve begun to ignore the scale in the bathroom. But when we examine weight gain closely, we find that athletes, bodybuilders, marathon runners and active individuals have trouble keeping the unwanted pounds off. Why does this occur and what can we do to remedy the situation? Here’s what you need to know about diet and exercise.
Physical activity doesn’t guarantee fat loss
Do you know someone that’s constantly in the gym, but they’re always struggling with their weight? Even though exercise is critical for a healthy lifestyle and we often advise it to readers, studies are now showing the adverse side of an active lifestyle.
In fact, many scientific researchers have found that individuals who regularly participate in grueling activities dampen their results through negative lifestyle choices. Have you ever kicked your motivation into top gear and ran a couple of miles on a weekend? If you’re anything like the average person, after you completed this demonstration of mental fortitude you found yourself lying in bed or on the couch.
Scientists have begun to study the rebound effect that vigorous exercise has on certain individuals. When we burn calories and build lean muscle, our first instinct is to reach for a sugary treat or a much-needed marathon on Netflix to reward ourselves. This, in essence, keeps us from attaining the body of our dreams and crushing our weight-loss goals.
Now what?
Now that we’ve thoroughly scared you into thinking weight loss is impossible, allow us to give you some motivation. The good news is simple: once we can begin to introduce healthy habits into the food choices we make, we can begin to see lifelong results. The key to success in the field of fitness is to start small, steady and allow our actions to grow over time.
You have a homework assignment: in the following days and weeks, we want you to commit to a small, manageable meal that can be cooked a few days a week within 10 minutes. Before you claim that this action is not enough to change your body, realize this: getting into great shape takes a lifelong commitment, not a few weeks. These tiny, easy-to-follow actions that you perform a few times a week will begin to grow organically over time. Within a few months, working out for an hour, cooking healthy and nutritious meals and tackling your weight loss will become something that happens naturally.
Furthermore, we need to address our diet. According to a popular source, substantial results rely more on your diet than your workout regimen. Rather than destroying yourself in the gym and making up for it with snack foods, change your mindset. Instead, tackle your diet with the same tenacity and vigor that you use when you enter the weight room. Although exercise is still important, food is the life force and gasoline that will ignite your motivation.
