Is your workout standing in the way of your weight loss goals? Though diet and exercise might go together like Batman and Robin, I have shocking news for you. Despite everything you’ve ever heard or read, one inconvenient truth remains. Physical activity is not always associated with weight loss. While exercise certainly does burn calories and can help with creating that calorie deficit, breaking a sweat is no guarantee that the scale will move. Why is that, you ask? Today I’m sharing with you some of the sneaky ways your workout might be hindering your weight loss goals. We’ll take a look at 7 common workout blunders and more importantly, what you can do to get the most out of your sweat sessions–whether you’re under the bar or on the scale.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop using these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

You’re burning less than you think.

When it comes down to it, many people greatly overestimate just how many calories they’re burning during exercise. Whether relying on machine readouts or overly optimistic calculators, they assume that their workouts must be churning through the maximum number of calories. As a result, they bump up their caloric intake and end up eating too much to make weight loss possible.

So let’s look at an example to see how this might play out. As a little thought experiment, let’s imagine that you’ve just slogged it out on the treadmill for 3 miles. You really pushed it and finished that 5k like a champ. How many calories did you burn? Depending on your size and conditioning, your run likely burned anywhere from 240-450 calories.

Since you totally slayed that run, you assume that you burned 450+ calories and adjust your diet plan accordingly. But in reality? Let’s say you actually burned the lesser amount. When mistakes like this are made repeatedly over time, any accrued calorie deficits will soon vanish and the scale will come to a dreadful standstill. Though you think you’re creating a 500 calorie deficit and should be losing a pound per week, you’re really only burning half that amount and the scale proves it. Most people simply are not burning as many calories as they think they are.

I find that in most cases, it’s best to base a meal plan on your typical activity throughout the day and then allow the calories burned from workouts to be icing on the cake. While I might shift calories around to ensure adequate nutrition to fuel and recover from workouts, most people do not need loads of extra calories for training bouts lasting less than an hour. If anything is needed, an extra snack will usually suffice.

You reward yourself with extra food after a workout.

The second workout blunder to watch out for is the reward mentality that dieters can fall into after a sweat session. You think to yourself, Man! I killed it in that cycling class today! I totally earned this brownie! Afterall, I’ve been soooooo good today.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the occasional treat and they can even be worked into your eating plan. But chasing your gym class workout with a Snickers bar will negate those burned calories in the 60 seconds it takes to eat it. If you want to indulge in a treat, by all means work it into your meal plan and enjoy! Just don’t fall into the pattern of ‘rewarding’ a workout with extra goodies only to wind up blowing your calorie budget and hindering your goals.

You’re adding unnecessary sports drinks, bars, etc.

There’s just something about hitting the gym that makes people think they need whatever’s being sold at the snack bar. Smoothies, shakes, bowls, bars–the options can be endless! And while there is certainly a good use for many of these, most folks just don’t need them. These gym counter goodies usually end up being extra calories that negate whatever you just burned on the cycling deck.

So when should you consider snagging something from the snack bar? Here are a few situations where I’d recommend stopping by:

• You’re about to work out and it’s been a few hours since you’ve eaten (grab a piece of fruit or a low-fat yogurt!)
• You’ve planned an exceptionally long workout or back-to-back classes (grab a sports drink!)
• It’ll be a few hours before you get the chance to eat something after your workout (grab a small smoothie made with fruit and protein powder!)

The bottom line here is to watch out for extra calories that you don’t need and to pay attention to your calorie budget. If you do choose to fuel up at the gym, just be sure to choose wisely and work it into your meal plan.

You’re not lifting.

When it comes to weight loss, a lot of people think cardio, cardio, cardio! And while cardiovascular exercise certainly does burn calories, you are really missing out if you are not incorporating strength training into your routine.

Being stronger makes you better at pretty much everything, from running a 10k to loading groceries into your car. It improves your health and lengthens your life–but that’s not all! Strength training has an important role in weight loss as well!

Though weight lifting might not burn as many calories as a high-intensity cardio session, the calorie burn doesn’t end when you rack the weights. Because strength training involves a process of recovery, muscle growth, and adaptation, you can expect an increase in your metabolic rate into the next day and beyond! Call it weight training’s after burn effect.

Another benefit to focusing on strength? As your body responds to training and gets stronger, you will increase your lean muscle mass. This is a huge plus for anyone who has lost weight (and as a result, some amount of muscle) or who is getting older and seeing the decline in muscle that can come with age. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue–even at rest–and increases can help to stave off the effects of weight loss and aging.

So if you’ve been trying to lose weight and just aren’t seeing results, consider adding a solid strength training routine to your strategy!

You’re not pushing yourself.

One of the benefits of working out is that, with a happy mixture of training, nutrition, and rest, our bodies get stronger and better over time. We don’t stay the same–we adapt in order to meet the challenge and rise to greet the next one.

This also means we get more efficient. That workout that totally killed you a few weeks ago is so much easier today. The thought of running a single mile seemed impossible before, but now you’re thinking of signing up for a 5k. Your body gets better at what you make it do.

So let me ask you something. These days when you lace up and get after your workouts, where is your head at? Do you zone out and let your mind wander? Or does your workout demand your focus and attention? Whether you’re hitting the gym or hitting the trail, if you can do your workout on autopilot it is time to take it to the next level.

If you’ve been working out consistently and the scale is no longer moving, you have double the reasons to push your training sessions. Climb higher, bike farther, run faster, lift heavier. Challenge yourself each and every time you lace up and you’ll be blown away by the changes–both in your fitness and your physique!

You’ve been doing the same workout for months.

If it’s been a number of weeks (or months!) since you switched up your routine, it’s time to get a refresh. Remember what I was just saying about efficiency and all that? Well you can bet if you’ve been logging the same workout week after week, your body is now a well-oiled machine and can grind that session out with much less difficulty than before. Your muscles remember the movements and have gotten better at doing them–a phenomenon appropriately termed ‘muscle memory.’

This is good right? Most definitely. But resting on your laurels isn’t going to give you results–either under the bar or on the scale. If you want to maximize that calorie burn, don’t get too cozy in your routine. Pick a new group exercise class. Add a fartlek to your run (yeah, that’s a real thing). Get with a strength coach and start training. Find ways to challenge your body in new ways. Not only will you burn more calories, but you might just find your next favorite workout!

You work out…and then take the elevator.

When it comes to physical activity, there are two main categories. There’s the purposeful exercise you do to get your heart rate up and break a sweat–the training you do to get stronger, faster, and better at your favorite activities. Then there’s what we call ‘incidental activity,’ the activity you get throughout the course of the day. It’s all those little things you do from running errands and chasing kids to mowing the lawn and taking the stairs. Ultimately, it’s the combination of your purposeful and incidental activity along with your basal metabolic rate and digestion that make up your daily total energy expenditure.

When you go out of your way to work out everyday, it can be so tempting to let incidental activity go by the wayside. You feel like you’ve checked that box so why bother taking the stairs? But it’s this mentality that can cost you results on the scale. While it’s great that you’re making a point to exercise, 45 minutes on the elliptical simply won’t compensate for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle!

Seek movement every opportunity you get! You’ve heard the list before but it bears repeating. To sneak in extra activity throughout the day, make a point to:

• park further away from the office, grocery store, etc.
• get outside when you’re on break and take a stroll
• take the stairs instead of the elevator
• go on a bike ride with the kids
• take the dog for an extra walk
• do calisthenics during the commercials
• try a yoga video before bedtime
• wash the car by hand
• organize the garage
• do some yard work
• deep clean the house

An active lifestyle isn’t just about logging a sweat session 4-5 times per week. It’s about finding ways to bring movement into your day-to-day routine and get up off your assets. To put it simply–move it and lose it!

Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

I’d like to emphasize that the benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight loss. The health benefits of regular physical activity simply cannot be understated. For this reason, I believe it is essential to establish fitness as a goal in its own right.

Too often I have seen fitness get chucked out the window when a person has reached (or given up on) their weight loss goal. I get it. It’s tough squeezing workouts into an already overfull schedule and maybe you don’t really like exercise…yet. But I promise you, the benefits of exercise–for today and tomorrow–are very much worth breaking a sweat for. Not convinced? Just look at this list of known ailments and conditions that are either prevented or improved with regular physical activity!

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia/dyslipidemia)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia (muscle wasting)
• Constipation
• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• and so many more!

To date, studies have found FORTY chronic diseases and illnesses that can be prevented or delayed with regular exercise! So regardless of whether you’re trying to lose weight, don’t lose out on the incredible benefits of getting active! Keep pushing yourself, watch out for these workout blunders, and soon you’ll reap the benefits both for your waistline and your health.

P.S. Want to learn more about how to overcome a weight loss plateau? Check out this post!

References

Van Dale D, Schoffelen PF, Ten Hoor F, Saris WH. Effects of addition of exercise to energy restriction on 24-hour energy expenditure, sleeping metabolic rate and daily physical activity. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jul;43(7):441-51.

Gilliat-Wimberly M, Manore MM, Woolf K, Swan PD, Carroll SS. Effects of habitual physical activity on the resting metabolic rates and body compositions of women aged 35 to 50 years. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001 Oct;101(10):1181-8.

Lazzer S, Boirie Y, Montaurier C, Vernet J, Meyer M, Vermorel M. A weight reduction program preserves fat-free mass but not metabolic rate in obese adolescents. Obes Res. 2004 Feb;12(2):233-40.

Lemmer JT, Ivey FM, Ryan AS, Martel GF, Hurlbut DE, Metter JE, Fozard JL, Fleg JL, Hurley BF. Effect of strength training on resting metabolic rate and physical activity: age and gender comparisons. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Apr;33(4):532-41

Warburton DER, Nicol CW, and Bredin SSD. Health Benefits of Physical Activity: The Evidence. CMAJ. 2006 Mar 14; 174(6): 801–809.

The post Workout Blunders that Hinder Weight Loss appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

When it comes to nutrition for sports and performance, many athletes and active individuals behave as though they’re cramming for an exam. Having neglected a balanced diet, they assume that buying the right protein bar or sports drink will somehow compensate for their otherwise poor choices.  Don’t let all of your hard work go to waste!  Invest the time and effort in a nutritious diet and you will certainly earn back some serious dividends both in your health and in your performance.  With these sports nutrition tips, you can make every bite and every workout count!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop with these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thanks for your support!

Start with a Strong Foundation

It all begins with laying a strong foundation.  The food choices you make day-in and day-out will ultimately determine whether you are building on solid rock or on shaky grounds.  By emphasizing wholesome foods, you’ll have the energy needed to take your workouts to the next level and the building blocks essential for recovery.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through how to create a custom meal plan that’s individualized for your training goals. Step-by-step, we’ll cover how to figure out the right calorie level as well as how to break that down into the major nutrients. Calculator in hand, we’ll crunch some numbers and before we’re finished, you’ll be able to build out a nutrition plan that’s perfect for you.

Find Your Calorie Level

It’s all starts with energy, doesn’t it? In order to fuel your training efforts, you must first begin by getting in enough calories to meet the demands you place on your body.  How do you know you’re eating enough? Keep an eye on your weight. Though daily weigh-ins are unnecessary, watch for trends over time. Weight maintenance over a span of weeks and months is a good indication that you are matching your energy expenditure (or calories burned) with your caloric intake and vice versa.

If you’re attempting to shed a few extra pounds and gain fitness at the same time, bear in mind that these can be opposing goals if you are not giving your food plan careful thought and attention.  While weight loss requires an energy deficit over time, recovering from a tough training regimen requires adequate nourishment to heal, repair, and ultimately increase your body’s ability to perform at a higher level. Aiming for a slower rate of weight loss may help you avoid compromising your fitness goals.

Wondering just how many calories you need? Though figuring out the exact number is nearly impossible outside of a laboratory setting, well-designed equations and an honest view of your activity level can get you close. The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation is an excellent tool to figure out just how many calories your body needs at rest. Once you have that number, known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), you can then multiply it by an activity factor to estimate your daily caloric needs.

Pay Attention to Your Macros

It matters what you eat.  Once you’ve determined your appropriate calorie level, most active individuals benefit from consuming 50-65% of those calories from carbohydrate, 15-30% from protein, and 20-30% from fat. Individuals looking to shed a few pounds might adjust their carbohydrate intake closer to 40%. I know that seems like some serious variability, but no two people have the same nutrient needs. The sport you play, the way you train, and whether you’re restricting calories are just a few factors that can determine what your particular needs will be.

So let’s look at a few quick examples to see what this might look like. Grab your calculators and let’s do some math! Once you have a rough plan figured out, be sure to use an online tool like SparkPeople or MyFitnessPal to keep track of your intake for a few weeks.

The Endurance Athlete

Kristen is a runner and struggles to maintain her weight.  She’s looking for a meal plan that will fuel her long runs, prevent muscle loss, and provide enough calories to keep her weight stable.

Using an online equation, Kristen’s determined that she needs 2400 calories per day.  Because she participates in endurance activities, she wants 60% of calories from carbohydrate, ensuring she’ll have enough fuel for her next run.  To figure out how many grams of carbohydrate she needs, she first multiplies 2400 calories by .6 (60%), which is 1440 calories.  Carbohydrates offer 4 calories per gram, so by dividing 1440 calories by 4 calories per gram, she determines that she needs 360 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Now it’s time to figure out her protein needs. Because she is an endurance athlete hoping to maintain her weight, she should strive for 0.7 grams per pound of body weight.  She is 130 pounds, so she multiplies 130 by 0.7 and finds that she’ll need 91 grams of protein per day.  To figure out what percent of calories this would be, she multiplies her 91 grams of protein by 4 calories per gram, which is 364 calories.  The last step is take that number and divide it by her total calorie amount, 2400 calories per day.  This equals 15% of calories from protein.

The last piece of the puzzle is fat. Since Kristen has already determined that she will be eating 2400 calories with 60% of her calories from carbs and 15% from protein, this leaves about 25% of calories from fat, or 600 calories.  To determine fat grams, she divides this number by 9 calories per gram to get 67 grams. 

The Mere Mortal

Julie enjoys classes at the gym and would like to lose a few pounds, so she decides to follow a 1600 calorie plan.  Her macronutrient goal is to get in enough carbohydrate to fuel her workouts, sufficient protein to support and maintain her lean muscle, and adequate fat to avoid feeling hungry all day.

To figure out her best plan, she first sets her carbohydrate goal at roughly 40% of calories. This will give her the energy she needs to work out while enhancing her weight loss efforts. So she multiplies 1600 calories by .40 (40%), which is 640 calories from carbohydrate. To determine how many grams of carbohydrate that is, she divides 640 calories by 4 calories per gram, which is 160 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Next she turns to her protein needs. Because she plans to work out regularly at the gym and is cutting calories, she needs approximately 0.8 grams of protein per pound each day.  Julie currently weighs 175 pounds, so she multiplies 175 by 0.8 grams per pound and gets a protein goal of 140 grams per day.  This would amount to 560 calories from protein or 35% of total calories.

Finally, Julie needs to figure out her fat target. With her carbohydrate at 40% and her protein at 35%, this leaves 25% of her calories for fat. She does a little more math and sees that this amounts to 400 calories (1600 x .40), or about 45 grams of fat (400 calories divided by 9 calories per gram).

The Gym Bro

Jeff likes to train hard and play hard.  He lifts weights at his local gym several days per the week and has various club games most weekends. He wants to maintain his weight, though he wouldn’t mind exchanging some of his body fat for muscle. Overall, he wants a diet plan that will support his gains at the gym and give him the energy he needs for all his activities.

Jeff starts by figuring out his daily calorie goal, which ends up being about 3200 calories per day. Being a guy who doesn’t want too many carbs, he decides to go with 45% of calories from carbohydrate.  To figure out how much carbohydrate he needs, he multiplies 3200 calories by .45 (45%), which is 1440 calories.  He wants to count carbohydrate grams, so he divides 1440 calories by 4 calories per gram, which equals 360 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Now onto protein! To ensure Jeff can get the most out of his workouts at the gym and on the field, he should strive for 0.7-0.8 grams per pound. Jeff weighs 220 pounds and therefore needs 154-176 grams of protein per day.  This amounts to 19-22% of his total calorie intake.

Jeff is almost done figuring out his meal plan.  He’ll be following a 3200 calorie meal plan with 45% of calories from carbs and 19-22% from protein.  This would leave 33-36% of calories from fat or 1056-1152 calories.  To determine fat grams, he divides these numbers by 9 calories per gram, which amounts to 117-128 grams of fat. 

It’s YOUR turn!

Now that you’ve seen a few examples, it’s time to do a little math and figure out your plan. If math’s not your forte, don’t sweat it! Just follow these 4 painless steps:

1. First get an estimate of your daily caloric needs.
2. Multiply your daily calorie budget by the percentage of carbs you want to shoot for. This might be anywhere from 0.40 (40%) to .65 (65%). Once you have your number of calories from carbs, you can divide this number by 4 to figure out how many grams that would be.
3. Calculate your protein needs. Simply multiply your weight in pounds by one of the below factors to estimate how many grams you need. To figure out how many calories this is, multiply your protein grams by 4. Then, to determine what percentage of calories you’ll be eating from protein, divide your protein calories by your total calories.
4. And last but not least, figure out your fat percentage! Simply add together your percentages from carbs and protein and then subtract that number from 100%. Et voila! That is your percent of calories from fat! Multiply your total calories by your fat percentage to learn how many fat calories you’ll be eating. If you want to see fat grams, divide your fat calories by 9 and there you go!

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You have just figured out your calorie and macronutrient needs!

Protein Needs for Active Individuals

Adapted from Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Plan for Success

Now that you’ve got your meal plan in hand, it all comes down to logistics. While it’s nice knowing what your calories and macros should be, following your plan is a whole other matter. It starts, of course, with taking the time to figure out your meals each week and shopping accordingly. Stock up on the good stuff and do a little advance food prep to save time and clean-up later in the week. In other words, do everything you can to set yourself up for success!

Wholesome nutrient-rich foods should be emphasized and regularly chosen over heavily processed, nutritionally poor foods.  Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nonfat or low fat dairy, lean protein choices, and healthy fats should be the mainstay of your daily diet.  Less nutritious foods should make up 10% or fewer of your total calorie intake.

Life is busy and it’s too easy to let healthy eating go by the wayside. Make a point of eating regular meals throughout the day, beginning with breakfast.  Most active individuals should eat every 4 hours to ensure adequate energy for day-to-day activities and training. Doing so also provides a steady stream of the nutrients and building blocks needed by recovering muscles for adaptation and growth. 

Another benefit of feeding the fire on the reg? It is much easier to avoid hunger attacks and overeating if you are feeding yourself regularly.  Once you allow yourself to truly get gnarly hungry, self-control and good judgment go right out the window. So keep hunger at bay and don’t skip meals!

Hydrate!

Staying hydrated is essential for health and optimal performance. Not sure if you’re drinking enough? Though the old stand-by of 8 cups per day is a fine place to start, the color of your pee is a helpful gauge for whether you’re staying hydrated. Ideally, your urine should be pale yellow to clear. The darker it is, the more fluid you likely need. Thirst is also an excellent indicator of hydration status, so don’t ignore it!

Remember that vigorous or extended training is going to up your fluid losses. To determine your individual fluid needs for training, weigh yourself before and after your training session.  For every pound lost, rehydrate with 16 ounces of water.  Even better, use this information to improve your hydration habits while exercising.  For example, if you lost 2 pounds after a 2 hour training ride, strive to drink an additional 32 ounces next time.  This could be achieved by drinking an additional 4 ounces of water (or sports drink) every 15 minutes during your next ride. For activities lasting longer than an hour, consider a sports drink. Sports drinks are formulated to provide not only hydration, but also energy and electrolytes to keep you going!

Making Sense of Sports Nutrition

I hope this article has helped you with your nutrition and training goals! It might seem like a lot to chew on, but remember that you don’t have to get everything figured out overnight. Take a slow minute, grab a calculator, and experiment with what works best for you. Though it does take time and effort to build an eating plan, just know that you will certainly reap the rewards both in your health and in your performance!

Hungry for more? Here’s a bit of recommended reading!

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan

Runner’s World Performance Nutrition for Runners

The post Sports Nutrition for Peak Performance appeared first on The Diet Oracle.