The Hierarchy Of Weight Loss
When trying to lose weight how many times have you or someone else gotten confused or spent so much time on things that made no real difference?
It’s not your fault though, nutrition and weight loss are made out to be so confusing because it sells products. The weight loss industry is worth billions 💰.
To put it simply to lose weight you need to ensure you’re burning more calories than your body consumes on a regular basis. Yes, its that simple! The difficulty part is how do we get to what’s called a ‘calorie deficit’?
Most would say just eat less 🙄
Technically true but telling the someone or the emotional part of the brain to eat less isn’t quite that simple.
Running my business I understand that I need to do certain things to ensure I make money. Someone telling me to “just do the work” isn’t going to stop me from watching Friends reruns on Netflix. I need other means of getting my ass off the sofa.
To help you I’ve created a hierarchy of weight loss. Stating with what I feel is the most important to the least important. You’ll be surprised where exercise comes in.
1. Eat slowly and stop before stuffed (80% full)
If you only take one thing from this list eating slowly and stopping before stuffed (80% full) is the one. It’s ingrained in us to eat like a Labradoodle. Years and years ago food was sparse so our bodies are trained try and get as much food in us as possible. It didn’t know when its next meal was coming so it made sure it was stocked up.
This has been a lifesaver for thousands of years but now with an unprecedented amount of food on tap (you can order food from your sofa with an app for heavens sake) that primal habit isn’t helping. As well as the fact that food is so amazingly tasty these days, its so easy to over eat 🤤
It take around 15-20 mins for your stomach to tell your brain that its had enough food. Eating slowly helps you understand how satisfied you are after each mouthful stopping you from overeating.
Once you’re at the stuffed stage you’ve already gone too far.
Using this habit will literally cut 1000’s of calories out of your diet each week. It works no matter what you’re eating, even pizza 🍕 The next time you have a Dominos try to eat slowly (actually taste your food), then stop before you’re stuffed. You’ll be surprised how many slices are left.
It’s not easy but it’s the most important habit you could ever develop.
2. Get enough good quality sleep (every day! Not just at the weekend)
Sleep is the forgotten weight loss tool. If you sleep on average less than 7 hours of good quality sleep each night you’ll be more likely to be overweight.
Lack of sleep will increase your calorie intake by an average of 300 kcal 😮
Thats just over 1kg of weight gain each month just for getting less (or poorly quality) than optimal sleep
We don’t even realise we’re over eating either. In fact most people who don’t get enough sleep are blind to the fact they’re sleep deprived. They get used to it and think they can function normally. They’ve just forgotten what being fully rested feels like.
If you sleep less its been proven that you move less, make poor food choices and performance when working out drops significantly.
Yes, that’s right you could sleep yourself to a better body!
Haven’t a clue how to get better sleep? Here’s a blog post with useful tips.
3. Adjust your environment
You can’t rely on willpower each and every time a cake 🍰 gets put in front of you. Eventually you’ll crumble underneath the beautiful sweet flavoured goodness 🤤
If its in your house no matter where you’ve put it you’ll find it and eat it. Instead change your environment by taking away distractions and filling your shelves with healthier foods.
Do a kitchen makeover and take away all foods that aren’t helping in your weight loss goals.
If you do want something sweet go out (maybe walk there) and buy it.
Once you have a fully stocked kitchen plan your meals so you never have to think about food when your willpower is low. When eating out only go to places that have healthier options. You could even plan what you’ll eat before you get there.
Want tips on how to do this? Download my ‘Kitchen Clean-up"‘ taken directly from my coaching items I send out to clients in my coaching programme.
If you haven’t a clue if you need to do this try the Kitchen Makeover quiz.
4. Prioritise movement over exercise
The amount of calories burnt in a day comes down to how much you move not that amazing spin class you took. Workouts are fantastic for burning extra calories as well as other things but relaying on it to lose weight will leave you exhausted.
Burning 500kcal in a class or workout is great but that’s not a lot of calories as a whole. We also tend to then justify our eating habits too when we’ve done a tough session.
Do any of these sound familiar?
“I deserve this”
“I’ve worked so hard this week this extra serving won’t make a difference”
“I can eat this cookie because I’m going to the gym later”
“350 kcals burnt in my session means I can have a packet of crisps and some chocolate”
You’re fighting a losing battle!
Instead give yourself a pat on the back and forget about the calories burnt. They compliment each other but try to keep food intake and exercise separate.
Most of your calorie consumption comes from daily living. Yes, breathing, digestion, movement etc. Prioritise getting as much non-exercise movement in each day. It’s call NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and it’s going to help you lose weight.
You don’t have to make it so tough, just enough to great your heart rate up above resting.
Things like
Cleaning you car
House cleaning
Walking the dog
Playing with the kids
Walking to work
Going for a walk at lunch time
Moving for 5 minutes every hour
Over time these daily activities will drop kg’s off you. Also if you’re moving you’re not thinking about food either 😜
5. Prioritise resistance training over cardio
I can’t argue that cardio based exercise burns more calories that weights, its definitely the winner if that’s all you want to do.
For weight loss the problem happens when you stop. Yes, you’ve burnt loads of calories in your session but then it pretty much stops. There’s some residual calorie burning after a tough session but not that much.
Instead choose resistance training as a priority.
The main reason is it builds muscle. Calorie burning muscle 💪 You’ll look sexy as hell too 😘 and be able to crush your enemies ⚔️
Resistance train for long enough and you’ll build the perfect weight loss machine.
More muscle means more calories burnt when exercising. The best bit is that muscle will still be consuming calories long after the workout finishes as to maintain muscle you need calories.
More muscle = more calories burnt.
You could even do both. I never use cardio machines with my clients. They just aren’t that effective for weight loss. So what do I use I hear you ask?
Resistance training obviously 🙄 I combine and manipulate the exercises, sets, reps, rest etc. In a fashion that gives a fantastic cardio effect, burning loads of calories and building muscle.
Here’s a session you could do at home and only take 15-20 mins. It’ll help build muscle, burn calories and improve your fitness all at the same time 👌
Warm-up for 5 mins
Set a timer for 15 mins
Set all your equipment (if you have any) ready to go
Choose a rep range to use between 8-15 reps (Exercises and their weights should be challenging to complete each set of reps)
Start the timer
Perform each exercise back to back without rest
Complete all reps before moving on to the next exercise
Only rest when you feel you need to
Get as many rounds of exercises in the allotted time.
Exercises
If you have equipment or weights this’ll be even more effective.
Squat or squat jump
Hand walkout
Reverse lunge (both sides)
Press-up or bench press or TRX chest press
Glute bridge or barbell bridge
Side plank with rotation
Individually they’ll definitely help but in combination it’ll set that weight loss goal on fire! Don’t try to do all of them at once as that will set yourself up for failure.
Instead start at number 1 (the most important) and try to maintain it long enough to stick. Once you have that one down consistently you’re ready to move on to the next.
Need help losing weight and implementing the above? I can help.