Why Your Exercise Workouts Are Not Working

Stop those post workout snacks!

Every year droves people decide to lose weight and fail. Some people join a local fitness class, others start running, cycling or weight training. But after a month of sweating it out they complain that they have not lost any weight. Why does exercise fail to work?

The answer is simple. It is all about counting calories. What? But those other websites said that calories are not important!!! Sorry, they are wrong. Let’s explain why.

A gentle to moderate exercise class will burn off around 300 Calories. Over the course of a week this is not much really. If you attend three classes a week this is still only 900 additional Calories burned off. A few snacks and it is all back.

“Burn off” 300 Calories a day with exercise

If you weigh around 200 pounds you will need to run for about 5 miles to burn off 300 calories. You have to be pretty fit to run 5 miles. And bear in mind that to lose weight consistently you need to reduce your daily calorie balance by about 500 calories for one pound per week weight loss, or 1000 calories for two pounds per week weight loss.

So, maybe running 5 miles a day is the answer – you at least burn an extra 300 calories a day, right? That is 1/3 of the calorie reduction you need to lose 2 pounds a week. There is nothing wrong with this logic, but it will take time for you to get fit enough to run 5 miles a day.

However, every year “dieters” continue to eat too much. And many people actually eat more after exercising, convincing themselves that as they are exercising they can eat what they want. This is a major reason why people fail to lose weight. If you want to learn how to lose belly fat, keep reading!

How to add 300 Calories a day with eating

So let’s look at the flip side to this. One single slice of white bread has about 100 calories. So a sandwich consisting of 2 slices of white bread, some butter (or other spread) and a sandwich filling, will be around 300 calories. Just one sandwich!

People proudly announce that they have been to the gym three times in a week and have burned off around 600 to 900 Calories as a result. However, everyday they are still eating one sandwich more than their body actually needs, which is adding 2100 calories to their weekly diet.

It suddenly becomes very easy to see why you do not lose weight like this. Even if you go to the gym 5 times a week and exercise 30 minutes each time you will not burn off enough fat to help you lose weight, unless you change your diet.

To lose weight you need to combine exercise with healthier eating. Ideally eat fewer calories every day, definitely do not eat more as a treat for exercising! Many people make this common mistake.

I have seen people return from the gym after lunch with a giant whey protein shake (good for muscle, not for fat loss), order a large cooked breakfast in the morning (because they did Spinning the night before) or guzzle down a large bottles of sports “rehydration” drink after jogging for 20 minutes (a glass of water is plenty).

Weight loss requires both exercise and a change of diet. Eating a little less and doing a little more is often all a person needs to do to lose weight. The real trick is being consistent, because weight loss also takes a daily efforts, it is not something you can dip in and out of whenever you fancy.

Make a plan, stick to the plan, and you will lose weight and get fit. Remember, one night off can kill your chances of losing weight; I speak from experience :(

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