Greetings, West Chester! Happy New Year!
Maybe this sounds like someone you know. “I’ve committed to a healthy lifestyle and my intentions have never been higher!”
Everyone wants to see results as quickly as possible. You’ve probably seen (often misleading) ads for diets, supplements or low-effort exercise programs promising you unbelievable results in a very short time.
The last thing you want is another turn on the “yo-yo” where you lose some weight then gain it all back (and then some!). “Going all in” immediately is very tempting, but it is also counter-productive to making sustainable and safe changes in weight-loss or body composition.
The ugly truth about “Fast Results!”
Your body is very accustomed to its current state of caloric intake and physical activity. This is called your current adaptive state. When you make big changes in a short period of time in calorie intake or physical activity, your body’s adaptive state will often do more harm than good.
For example, if you cut your calories in half and start working out every day (without adequate rest and at too high of a relative intensity), your body thinks you are starving!
In an effort to conserve calories, you will burn protein (aka muscle mass) for energy which shuts down your fat-burning metabolism and can lead to a spiral of metabolic damage. This leads to a reduction in your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body burns at rest to support basic functions) and requires even more caloric reduction in order to lose weight! A reduction of muscle mass also makes it inevitable that your “fast weight loss” isn’t maintained and you will be likely to gain it all back (with less muscle to boot). This is a scenario to avoid at all costs!
While it is tempting to make huge lifestyle changes in a short period of time, it is more important to not skip steps.
What are realistic and sustainable expectations for weight loss?
Since you’re reading this blog on SPENGA’s page, I’m making the assumption that exercise is an important component of your weight-loss goals. And that is a good thing!
While everyone’s body reacts differently, sustainable fat loss should be slow and systematic. Half a pound to a pound per week of fat loss is good rule of thumb to strive for. Each pound represents about 3,500 calories, and while there are methods to increase your body’s resting burn (basal metabolic rate) through muscular gain, the tried and true (and often unpopular) adage still holds: calories in must be less than calories out. There are 2 sides to this, and both are important! Calories in, calories out.
A deficit of 500 calories per day over the course of a week will net a loss of one pound. Sounds simple, but there are definitely ways to make it sustainable.
Calories in: Eating for fuel and weight loss
What? Eating to lose weight? There are many misconceptions out in the world when it comes to eating and nutrition. It’s not so much a matter of “how much” but “what” you put in your body.
Your food is your fuel, and it serves a large role in your energy levels during the day and during your exercise. Having adequate fuel prior to exercise will increase your performance during exercise. Increased performance leads to greater calories burned during your exercise sessions. Re-fueling your body is equally important because it allows you to synthesize new muscle during recovery periods. Without adequate fuel, you will not get the expected benefits from any exercise program.
Nutrition is a complicated puzzle to many of us. A caloric deficit can seem like a miserable experience, but it doesn’t have to be if you are realistic in your deficits and eat the right fuel. Whole foods are generally not as calorie-dense as processed foods. Adequate protein intake is often misunderstood and underemphasized. At SPENGA, we strive to provide you with science-backed tools and information to help you separate fact from myth.
Calories out: Your exercise regimen, plus more
In addition to your basal metabolic rate, your activity (either through structured exercise or general activity) equates to your daily calorie burn.
There are many different styles of exercise out there. SPENGA relies on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). High-intensity can be a bit scary if you are new to fitness, but it’s all relative to where you are in your fitness journey. HIIT training involves alternating bouts of high effort with periods of low effort or recovery. Compared to steady-state exercise (i.e., going for a jog), HIIT training allows you to burn more calories in the same amount of time. Because HIIT uses both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, your metabolism remains elevated long after you finish your workout. This is known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), commonly referred to as the “afterburn.”
We incorporate HIIT techniques during the spinning and strength-training portion of the signature SPENGA workout.
No exercise regimen is complete without a focus on active recovery. SPENGA incorporates 20 minutes of performance-based yoga to improve balance, core strength, flexibility and relaxation. This helps reduce the risk of injury and can reduce muscle soreness. It keeps you in the game and on track!
Avoiding the urge to overtrain when recommitting to exercise can be difficult to overcome. Exercising is a positive change you are making, and it is tempting to apply a “more is better” outlook. Inadequate rest and overtraining can lead to many negative outcomes, including injury. A little soreness is good! Debilitating soreness is bad! Rest and recovery are necessary for your body to repair and build muscle. Progressive intensity is a much safer path. Our SPENGA instructors are certified personal trainers who can help you progress safely so you can reach your goals.
Although exercise is a very time-efficient method of burning calories, there are other ways to increase your “calories out.” Make time to stand instead of sit, take a lap around the office, or take the stairs. It all adds up.
Check out this link to learn more about the SPENGA philosophy!
What makes it all work?
Although there are countless studies and claims that guarantee a certain program will work, the number one factor that contributes to weight loss through exercise is consistent, long-term adherence. That means, showing up regularly and putting in the work! We believe in providing a safe, supportive environment to keep you on track. The best way we can keep you coming back is to make your exercise engaging and fun! Our programming is different every day, and our variety of functional equipment and exercises will keep the workouts from getting stale.
We have an amazing community of members and staff who will help keep you motivated and accountable. According to a study in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, people who exercise in groups show significant quality of life improvements in mental (12.6%), physical (24.8%), and emotional (26%) outcomes compared to those exercising alone. Group exercisers also reported a perceived reduction in stress (26.2%). Mental health is an often-overlooked factor in overall wellness, but it is crucial to long-term success.
Our philosophy is You vs. You. That means you are only competing against your own past performance. No demotivating or intimidating leaderboards. As you get stronger, your workouts will become progressively more challenging, enabling you to keep moving forward at your own pace.
Come try us out. There is no commitment and you might just find exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Click here to learn more. Best of luck in 2022!
