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We've all been there. Here are a few things that will help give you a boost.
Exercising makes weight loss TEN times easier. Once again guys, exercising makes weight loss easier.
How exactly?
Well to lose weight, we need to be in a slight calorie deficit. Meaning we have to be burning more than we take in. There is no way around this. No amount of diet teas, pills or juices will do this. You need to be taking in a certain amount of calories per day in order for your body to then use body fat as fuel – simply because it isn’t getting in its usual supply of calories, it starts to use fat as fuel (providing you take in enough protein).
Now, there are two ways to do this.
We can either reduce food OR we can exercise regularly.
By doing either of these, we are burning more calories and our body can achieve a calorie deficit. Sounds awesome doesn’t it?
Thing is, if we reduce food and also exercise regularly, we risk losing a lot of muscle and risk going too low in calories.
When we work with clients, or when we answer questions, we prefer to get people to eat healthier and then exercise, because this way they don’t go too low in calories and the workouts can do all the talking!
But some of us struggle with workouts. In some cases it can be motivation and knowing what to do, but I would say the majority of people struggle with energy levels!
They do the workout, half way in they struggle with energy. Huffing and puffing, maybe feeling light-headed or even sickly. Why is this?
In 99% of cases, it all comes down to the food!
Guys what you eat, has a massive impact on energy levels and productivity in your workouts. No joke – please take this seriously.
Some people still prefer to exercise on an empty stomach thinking that fat will be used as fuel, which is false. Some simply can’t stomach anything and they feel quite sick if they do eat before a workout.
But guys, food is essential to fuel your workouts. Food is fuel really. If you reading this, then I guess im right in saying that you want results. You want to get fit, toned, lean and you want to get rid of body fat. Yeah? Then please keep reading.
You see working out, intensely, is one of the best ways to reach your goal faster. You burn calories during the workout, you stimulate and grow some quality lean muscle, you get stronger and you get fitter. Over time, as workouts progress, you get stronger and fitter and your body begins to transform. Losing fat becomes easier because you have some nice lean muscle on your body, you burn calories at a higher rate also at rest and your ability to handle sugars becomes enhanced too! Do you want any more reasons to workout?
If energy levels are quite low and you feel like you are just dragging through ther workout, then here are a few tips for you;
1 – Get some protein & carbs in your body 90 minutes or so before training. Protein protects our muscles and carbs give us the energy to SMASH those workouts. Simple enough guys. A protein shake and bit of fruit does the job nicely.
2 – If you train very early, then have some Greek yogurt and some fruit juice. The sugars will hit your bloodstream quicker and the yoghurt wont be too heavy.
3 – If you really can't stomach anything or don’t have time to eat before, then make sure you are hydrated first and foremost. Then drink some Lucozade or some form of liquid energy DURING the workout. You see our workouts need to be productive. In order for us to push our bodies and really max out, we need fluids and some sugars in our body to do so. So this could be helpful also.
4 – If none of the above, then as crazy as it sounds, get some sweets in you before the workout or during. Jelly babies are extremely common (halal for those who need it) and are very popular in the fitness sphere. Guys this is a last resort because we need some sugar in our body to push ourselves and well, jelly babys are pretty awesome no?
5 – Caffeine! Yes, coffee. One of the best things to give us a boost pre-workout. Now it is important to note that caffeine isn’t a substitute for everything mentioned above as it isn’t a form of energy that you store in the body. It is just an aid to increase alertness, enhance focus and give you more power also. So if you love your coffee, bring them in pre-workout now and watch your workouts really take off!
So I hope you get the idea. Ideally we want both protein and carbs before a workout. So having a small meal combining the two is where you will benefit most – but one way or the other, we need sugars in our body to really push the workouts.
Training fasted may work for the professionals and for those more advanced, but if the goal is weight loss and toning up, don’t train fasted please. Our workouts need to be productive and we want to expose our body to more load and resistance as the weeks go on, and food will help massively as it fuels. As a result, weight loss will be so much easier to achieve!
