The Weight Loss War: It’s all in the planning!

24th May 2019

How many people do you know who are always on a diet, or some mad exercise regime… all in the name of losing weight??

Here at Fit Friends we offer a diverse programme of small group personal training and workshops to help you reach your weight loss goals.

But before you start putting a plan together avoid some of these common mistakes:

Mistake number 1 – Not working out hard enough!!

Taking up Yoga or pilates as your main weight loss activity, won’t get you the results you desire. Don’t get me wrong these are both fantastic and Im a big fan. However calorie burn during a session is fairly low and its calories we need to burn in order to lose weight… in fact we need to burn more calories than we consume.

Use Yoga and Pilates for core stability, movement patterns and flexibility, they are fabulous for these health goals. Additionally flexibility should never be underestimated as a considerable attribute to overall fitness.

Mistake number 2 Only doing cardio!!

There are lots of different types of  cardio workouts, ranging from studio based aerobic activity, cycling, jogging and many more. But perhaps one of the most popular is jogging and why not its free, you can do it anywhere and it only lasts as long as you want it to…

Whilst cardio should be included into your exercise plan, its not wise to make it your only activity… it burns calories but doesn’t build muscle.

Ideally you need to build muscle mass as this active tissue which takes calories to live on your body (whats not to love about free energy expenditure by just having a different tissue).

Another consideration for joggers out there wanting to lose weight is you need to mix it up so your body is always in shock. Running / jogging the same route and pace will only result in a high calorie burn for a short period of time. Your body is efficient and will get used to it, then the calories expended will be reduced. Mix it up … do intervals, hills, change the route and tempo of the run – keep your body guessing.

Mistake number 3 Doing boring workouts!

Enjoying or at the very least being inspired by your workout is really important otherwise you will soon give up.

Im not saying that you are going to enjoy yourself every time you sling on training gear and trainers but if you choose a variety of things and plan your week / month carefully then enjoying yourself is far more likely!

Here at Fit Friends there are 4 people and 1 personal trainer per session. The idea is you get to know other people and you inspire and motivate each other during the session – and do you know what – It works.

We have 50 sessions per week and a variety of different classes, you cant get bored … meet new people and get inspired to reach your goals….

Mistake number 4: Only doing weights

Strength training is fantastic for building muscle mass and as discussed earlier this speeds up your metabolic rate (the speed at which you burn calories).

You need to remember that muscle is heavier than fat so just looking at scales or having weight loss as your goal will be disappointing you may well put weight on. To get a proper view of your results you need to look at body composition that is how much of your weight gain is an increase in muscle mass.

Additionally whilst your muscle mass maybe growing and your are burning more calories at rest, strength training isn’t the best way to shed fat during a workout.

You need to introduce some cardio or HIIT training into your overall schedule to help you shed those extra pounds.

Fit Friends weekly programme includes a variety of different classes including strength training, HIIT, spin and cardio stretch.

Mistake number 5: pushing too hard

Intense workouts burn calories but doing several in succession can lead to injury. Your body needs time to recover, this should also include stretching and rehabilitation of those tight muscles.

Recovering will ensure you are keen to do your next session not sluggish and fatigued. Recovery doesn’t mean you have to sit around doing nothing it could include a yoga session or a walk. What it doesn’t mean is that you feel fatigued and consume more calories than you normally would.

Overeating when we are tired is a common issue, but not one thats conducive for weight loss. Ensure you plan what to eat during the day and stick to it, drink plenty of fluids and let your body recover.

Mistake number 6: Doing a workout then sitting all day

Unfortunately many people have desk jobs and have no choice but to sit down for the majority of the day.

With every good intention you do your workout, its tough you burn calories but then are sedentary for the rest of the day….. does this sound like you??

Ok invest in a pedometer, it doesn’t need to be fancy, just needs to track your steps. You should aim for 10,000 step per day – now I can hear you say no way I only do 1000 max.. but if you want to consistently lose weight moving makes all the difference.

Plan how you can move more during the day, park further away from the office, walk at lunchtime, use the stairs, walk to someone else’s desk rather than send them an internal email… hike up the steps and the calorie burn.

Mistake number 7: Doing long workouts

Do you really need to do triathlon training to lose weight “NO” !! Long workouts can put pressure on your valuable time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing the odd long workout or marathon walk if you have time, but making them a consistent requirement only adds pressure to you already busy day.

If you are time poor then something will have to give and if thats your lengthy workout then your workout plan can become patchy and inconsistent – this wont result in weight loss.

In summary, you best weight loss programme might look like this:

1. Plan what time you have to workout over 2 weeks.
2. Plan a variety of different workouts, this could be a 2 strength sessions, a couple of HIIT sessions, a long walk, a couple of cardio sessions
3. Organise  food, plan what you are going to eat during the week… try to avoid it always being the same, plan a menu.
4. Make sure your food is balanced eat portions –  we have introduced Fit Friends Flavours, which are properly portioned recipes so that you have an idea of how many calories you consume during each meal.
5. Be creative plan when you are working, eating and training.
6. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water and fruit tea.
7. If you drink alcohol be aware of the calories in each drink – these need to be added to your calorie intake.
8. Get rest and sleep as these aid recovery
9. When motivation fails you commit to succeed… this is my biggest tip – commitment is everything.