You can’t out-train a poor diet
One of the most common questions we get as fitness professionals is “How much should I exercise to lose body fat?”
The answer is simple, train as much as your lifestyle will allow, as long as your body feels good, and as often as you enjoy. However, this unfortunately does not equal fat loss. Fat loss comes from how much food you eat vs how much energy you use.
During the average CrossFit class, an individual can burn between 300-500 calories. If we go for the middle, you might burn 400 calories per session.
You might be thinking wow that is a lot of calories. You are right, it is a lot, however, most people will eat that many calories in snacks alone throughout the day. This is equivalent to two regular snickers bars, half a box of Cheezels, a store-bought ice coffee or even a peanut butter sandwich.
When you start any new fitness program you will likely lose a small amount of weight due to increased activity, without changing your nutrition. To see any significant results, being fat loss or muscle gain your priority should be increasing the quality and managing the quantity of foods and drinks you consume.
How over-training affects your body composition
Yes, you can over-train. When we don’t balance training, nutrition and recovery we drastically increase the risk of injury due to increased pressure on our joints and muscles. Overtraining will also lead to a decrease in sleep quality, hormone disruptions, mental and physical problems and impact on reproductive health. Plus you are spending less time with your family or doing the things you enjoy.
When our life demands outweigh our ability to recover we become out of sync.
For the average person trying to be the best version of themselves, 30 minutes-1hour of exercise 3-5 days per week will promote health and longevity.
How to lose excess fat
When our energy in, is less than our energy out we lose overall weight. Without proper nutrition, some will be fat, some will be water and some will be muscle. By eating balanced meals, with a variety of vegetables, protein and fruit you can minimise the loss of muscle mass. Although you will lose body fat through good nutritional habits without exercise, it is almost impossible to build muscle without it.
You can lose excess body fat simply by changing one small habit at a time. By changing one habit at a time you are creating a lifestyle that is sustainable for the long term. Start by drinking 2L of water each day, then start to remove added sugar. Then add a palm of protein with each meal and lastly add a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Within just a few days, you will see an increase in energy, no more 2 pm pick me ups needed, without having to spend hours doing unnecessary cardio.
By eating nutrient-dense meals, prioritise sleep and exercising regularly, we can easily and quickly create energy balance.
Get support to help you start your journey
If you have any questions or would like to work with a coach to get your journey started, book a FREE nutrition consult with one of our coaches using the link below. We will do our best to help expand your thinking and provide an alternative perspective.