WHY EXERCISE ALONE SHOULDN’T BE YOUR ONLY TOOL FOR WEIGHTLOSS!
The Truth About Exercise and Weight Loss: Why It’s Not Just About the Gym
As a personal trainer, I hear this all the time: “I need to get back to the gym and lose this belly.” It’s a common sentiment, and while it’s not necessarily a bad idea, I always remind my clients that exercise alone shouldn’t be the main focus when it comes to weight loss. It’s a slippery slope to rely solely on workouts for fat loss, and it’s only a small part of the bigger picture.
When I first hit the gym, I was all about those 50 sit-ups at the end of each session. I’d sweat through them, race home, check for abs in the mirror (spoiler alert: they weren’t there), and then reward myself with takeaways because I thought, “I earned it in the gym!” My mindset was that if I trained hard enough, I could indulge in junk food without sabotaging my progress. But looking back, I can see how misguided that thinking was.
Let’s break it down.
A typical gym session lasts about an hour, give or take. A high-intensity cardio workout might burn around 800-900 calories, while a strength training session could burn 400-600 calories. Of course, everyone’s numbers will vary depending on their intensity, body weight, and other factors.
So why am I saying that exercise shouldn’t be your primary strategy for weight loss?
Let’s look at it from another angle: You’ve just spent an hour working hard at the gym, burning a certain number of calories. The problem arises when you feel justified in treating yourself after that workout. Maybe you grab a slice of cake, order a double cheeseburger for dinner, or eat a calorie-laden snack. These treats can easily match or exceed the calories you’ve burned in your workout, especially if you don’t pay attention to portion sizes. The biggest mistake people make is underestimating how many calories are in foods and overestimating how many calories they’ve burned during exercise.
And let’s be real—those calorie counts on your fitness tracker or Fitbit? They’re rarely accurate.
Does This Mean the Gym Is a Bad Idea?
Absolutely not!
As a gym owner, I’d be crazy to say that. The gym offers incredible benefits, and I encourage people to make it a part of their routine. But here’s the point: the gym shouldn’t be your only method for losing weight. It’s not the golden ticket to fat loss, and if you rely solely on exercise while neglecting other factors, you’ll likely find yourself stuck in a cycle of frustration.
So, What Should You Focus On?
Here’s the truth: it’s the other 23 hours of the day that matter most when it comes to weight loss. These are the hours that will determine whether you make real progress or just end up spinning your wheels.
Calorie Deficit: You need to focus on consuming fewer calories than you burn. Simple, right? The gym can help with that, but your diet plays the biggest role in creating that deficit.
Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is crucial for regulating hunger hormones, and it plays a big role in managing your appetite and energy levels. Without good sleep, weight loss becomes much harder.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): This refers to the calories you burn through daily activities that aren’t formal exercise—things like walking, cleaning, or even fidgeting. By increasing your daily movement, you can burn an extra 400-500 calories per day, depending on your body weight and activity levels. These little actions add up and can make a huge difference over time.
If you can get the essentials—nutrition, sleep, and daily activity—right, I can almost guarantee that you’ll see much better weight loss results than if you try to rely on an hour of exercise to cancel out a poor diet.
Think of it like building a house: you can’t stack bricks without a solid foundation. Your foundation—proper nutrition, sleep, and other healthy habits—needs to be in place first. Once that’s established, you can build on it with effective exercise. And, when your diet is on point, it’ll actually boost your performance in the gym, helping you get the most out of each session.
A Final Thought
I want to emphasize this: enjoy the gym and all the incredible health benefits it offers. It’s a fantastic motivator and an essential part of a balanced fitness routine, especially when combined with the habits I’ve mentioned. But please, don’t fall into the trap I did, obsessing over seeing abs in the mirror after a few sit-ups. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work that way! 😄
As the saying goes, "Abs are made in the kitchen."
If you have any questions or need more guidance on anything I’ve mentioned, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you on your fitness journey!
