Weight loss TOUGH LOVE!
You KNOW we care about so much more than weight loss here at Team Body Project.
We do not believe people should be working out just to lose weight…BUT at the same time, we understand and support the many people whose perfectly valid goal is to lose weight.
First things first, if you’re not losing weight and you want to, its not all bad news.
Far from it.
In fact, we believe that even viewed from the narrow viewfinder of ‘aesthetics’ what you are achieving with working out is far MORE important than weight loss.
If you are working out every day you can be pretty certain that:
1. Your Body composition is improving and you have less FAT and more MUSCLE.
2. Your muscles are looker firmer and more toned.
3. Your dress size/belt notch is dropping.
However, if YOU want to lose weight and you are NOT then there is just ONE reason.
You are consuming more calories than you burn.
I’m afraid it is that simple.
Could your metabolism be unfairly slow?
Yes, it could.
Yet, fair or not (life has a frustrating habit of being unfair) if you are NOT losing weight you are consuming more calories than you burn.
It all comes down to calories. Not types of foods, or types of workouts or flavors of protein shakes or the brand of exercise clothing you wear.
Weight loss is only about calories.
Now, I’m going to go one step further and stick some real TOUGH love out there.
Lets take a rough guess that with every workout you participate in you’re burning around 300 calories.
THEN, if we then take into account EPOC (calories burned post workout due to high intensity) we could reasonably suggest you are generating an additional 200 calories on workout days.
THEN, lets estimate the extra muscle you have built during your workout session has given your metabolism a boost to the tune of 50 calories per day.
That makes you around 550 calories a day better off than you were before you started working out.
Now lets imagine that you are working out 6 times a week. (Body Project workout plans average).
That would mean, through exercise, you are now generating a deficit of 3300 calories per week AND we know that 3500 calories = 1lb of bodyweight.
Yes, it is perfectly possible that you could lose 1lb a week without changing a single thing about your diet and ONLY exercising.
Even if we imagine these estimates are generous and you are only generating 1800 calories through the work you do with exercise, you would still be losing ½ lb per week…
…so…
If you are working out every day and NOT losing weight (even a small amount) then you are eating MORE than you were before you started working out!
OR…
Your calorie levels BEFORE you started working out were too high and you were slowly gaining weight and you have now stopped this in its tracks.
That’s a good thing!
Why am I taking the time to write this?
Body Composition is ultimately MORE important but for an individual who has a BMI of 44, weight loss really DOES matter.
There is no secret out there. No special format will enable you to circumvent the laws of physics.
If you’re doing all the right things, working out daily, eating the right TYPES of foods and drinking plenty of water…the ONLY thing you can do or indeed NEED to do to move the number on the scale is eat LESS calories!
This is where I get uncharacteristically harsh…if you think you are eating LESS calories but the scales aren’t shifting, YOU AREN’T.
You may REALLY believe you are, but you AREN’T.
If you are ‘tracking’ and counting them but you aren’t losing weight I am afraid to say you are miscalculating the amounts!
If you are eating less calories and/or the same amount of calories alongside working out you WILL lose weight.
Weight loss may be VERY slow. It may be painfully slow…but if you are eating LESS calories and/or burning MORE calories the number WILL go down.
The only reason I write this post is to HELP people.
To help them realize that there is no secret reason another person has lost weight and they haven’t.
No powder, pill, diet book or even workout plan can escape the laws of thermodynamics.
Some things are absolute.
You can take the scenic route or the quick route. You can walk, fly, catch a train or go by sea…but if the destination you are looking to reach is to weigh LESS, your route will need to include a calorie deficit!
Stay strong, stay focused, stay determined.
Wonderful post! Finding Team Body Project is the best thing I’ve found to help my overall health! I’ve joined gyms and belonged to gyms, but they were basically a waist of money. I’ve tried home exercise programs, but none motivated me like Daniel and Alex and Team Body Project! I have about 40 more pounds to lose, but my main goal is getting healthy and enjoy moving my body!
wonderful post and very informative anyone would be benefited, the strategy you explain is very easy and simple to follow.
thanks
wow nice article.
With regards to counting calories and getting fit, a great many people are searching for prompt outcomes while wandering into a losing weight and get-fit program. Following quite a while of devotion to weight reduction and wellness, I know methods for kicking off your digestion so you can get in shape speedier. In any case, it’s not quick and it requires some commitment and diligent work for your benefit.
I really liked Weight Loss tough love. With so many different dieting tips out there it is really nice to read something that tells the truth in simple terms. Eat less calories, exercise more = weight loss. Just a great reminder to get back to basics 🙂
Great info about weight loss
Thanks for give us nice and helpful article.
I had never thought
about this before.I like it.Thanks for sharing.
Hello! I am. All new to this. I would just like to stay in shape and loose up to 5 to 10 pounds. Also i want to eat healthy. I need help with eating healthy. Please write back when you have a chance.
Hello! I am all new to this i want ro lose maybe 5 to 10 pounds. I weigh 139 . i need help with what to eat. I have been drinking lots of water.
Hi Daniel!
Thanks for your post.
A couple of questions:
1.- Some people say that if you don’t eat carbohydrates at dinner is better, I mena, you will lose wight easly. Is that right?
2.- Some people talk about the GI diet? What do you thing? That can help?
Thanks,
Moisés.-
I came across your TBP workout on youtube about two weeks ago. I tried it, and found as a beginner it has an ideal balance that leaves me drenched in sweat, but able to complete each workout. I actually look forward to waking up and pushing myself while following Daniel and Alex’s workouts. And yes! I want to lose weight, especially to win the Biggest Loser competition going on at the office. But feeling good about my health, FEELING the difference in the way my clothes fit and being less tired during the day has proven to be more important than weighing myself everyday. Thanks Daniel and Team! I really appreciate your support. Great job TBP team!