Why upping exercise & protein won’t = fat loss

Losing weight is a struggle for everyone, yes, everyone! You’ll probably lose inches and pounds if you’ve never exercised before, but it you have a lot of weight to lose, exercise won’t be enough. The reason why is that if you are exercising an hour a day, that’s only 1/24^th of your day. You want to burn as many calories as possible in 24 hours, which is why weight training is most effecting for weight loss; you’re burning calories during the workout and up to five days later, while that muscle is re-building. Muscle also burns more calories at rest.

“For most people physical activity accounts for 20% of daily calories burned, but this percentage can be higher on tough workout days” (1). No wonder so many people, myself included, are hungrier on intense exercise days.

To get your daily calorie burn higher, move around as much as you can throughout the day. I’ve added daily walks on days that aren’t too cold. I’ve also upped the intensity of my cardiovascular workouts, and it’s made a difference on the scale. So, if your body naturally burns off 1600 calories a day, which is typical for an active female, exercise will burn approximately 20% of those calories (1), which amounts to only 320 calories, so it’s going to take a while to see the pounds drop off since one pound of fat equates to at least 3500 calories.

So, the next step to take, in getting that stubborn weight down, is to focus on what you’re eating. Every food product claims that it’s high in protein to help you burn calories, but adding more protein can be counterproductive if your goal is weight loss. While the process of breaking down protein does burn more calories than carbs, or fat, animal protein can be high in calories. That’s why I weigh my fish, turkey, beef, and chicken on a scale to make sure it’s no more than 3 ounces. If I’m eating vegan protein, like beans or rice, I use a measuring cup. “Since food thermogenesis only accounts for 10% of your daily calorie burn, eating more protein will only have a small effect on your metabolic rate” (1).

Most people eat too much animal protein. It’s better to reduce the amount of animal protein you eat, and add more vegetables if you want to feel fuller and lose bodyfat.

So, yes, exercise, lift weights, and move around as much as possible every single day. If you eat animal protein, choose lean meats, and weigh it on a scale, to make sure you’re not eating too much, or too little. Add more veggies and greens to your diet too. With these steps, you should be able to lose a pound a week, which is perfect!

P.S. You can find me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA

Photo: While these pork ribs have a lot of protein, they also are high fat and high calorie. They’re one of the worst choices of protein to eat on a diet. Choose lean meats instead, like chicken or turkey breast, baked or grilled cod, tilapia, and/or select beef.

1. Source: “Essential Guide to Metabolism. Food Thermogenesis; calories to digest.” Blog Post Type. My Fitness Pal Blog. Received 24, Jan. 2018. Retrieved from:  http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/essential-guide-metabolism/?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MFP_Extra_EssentialsGuides_Email4%20-%2020180124_&os_ehash=55@sfmc:34164020