Exercising, eating healthy and not moving the needle to lose weight? A fitness expert says there may be a hidden reason why.
Experts agree that weight loss occurs when the body is in a calorie deficit, meaning you are burning more calories than you are consuming.
However, as UK personal trainer and nutrition coach Chloe Thomas explains to the Mirror, this deficit can cause what is called ‘metabolic adaptation’.
“Your metabolism slows down in response to low calorie intake,” Thomas told the media this week. “This adaptation can make it difficult to continue losing weight or maintain weight loss.”
Thomas asserts that everyone has a “set point.” Influenced by body composition, metabolic rate, genetics and appetite regulation, this marker represents the weight at which the body functions at its most stable and optimal level.
“While your set point weight may fluctuate slightly in response to changes in lifestyle habits or environmental factors, the body usually protects this weight range through mechanisms that regulate hunger, energy expenditure and fat storage,” Thomas said.
This defense mechanism kicks in quickly when we stray too far from this point and despite our best efforts, our bodies resist weight loss.
Another reason why your pounds are sticking to you? Prioritize cardio over strength training.
Fitness expert and online trainer River Hardy tells the Mirror that strength training should be the backbone of any fitness regime.
“Cardio is a great supplemental tool to burn some extra calories and get someone into a bigger deficit than they currently are with food alone,” Hardy said. “But the most important part of any training routine is lifting weights.”
While strength training may not immediately burn as many calories as a cardio workout, it does build muscle tissue—which requires more energy and calories over time to maintain.
Hardy’s advice echoes Jenna Rizzo, a Georgia-based women’s weight loss coach, who recently said that No. 1 recommendation for weight loss is strength training.
She explains: “You don’t need to waste your precious time doing hours of cardio at the gym. When you strength train, you can focus on specific muscles that you can tone and shape.”
Science supports the collection. Researchers at Stanford University reported that people who do strength training lose more fat and maintain blood sugar better than those who do cardio or a combination of strength and cardio.
A separate study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that strength training strengthens the muscles as well as the brain. ofwhether exercise lowers the risk of various medical issues, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, by improving the brain’s ability to access and process glucose.
Looking to get started? NYC-based fitness trainer and personal trainer Claudette Sariya shares the six basic moves you need to conquer.
She recommends that everyone master squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and deadlifts using only their own body weight before reaching the weights.
“Once you get comfortable with those moves, then you can combine them into more complex moves,” she advised.
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