You exercise nearly every day. You wear a fitness tracker watch and make sure you get in your 10,000 steps. You always park in faraway spots and take the stairs just so you can burn a few extra calories. So why aren’t you skinny?
The answer is surprisingly straightforward. The number of calories you’re ingesting is more than the number you’re burning. Simple, right?
Here’s the unfortunate math behind that statement. Exercise accounts for only about 20 percent of successful weight loss. At 80 percent, proper nutrition is the key to success. Your diet must be healthy and low in calories so that you can exchange fat deposits for the body you dream of for the long term.
The nutrition experts at Vida180 will calculate your individual calorie requirements and put together a diet plan that allows you to safely lose 1-2 lbs. per week – without starving yourself and without triggering the yo-yo effect!
No bonus for exercising
You did 50 minutes of strength training, lifting weights and boosting your heart rate. Energy consumption approximately 397 calories. You’re sweaty and tired, but in a good way. You get home and head straight for the kitchen.
You worked out hard, so no need to limit your choices to a salad. You’ve earned the right to eat anything you want. Put that frozen classic crust cheese-and-pepperoni pizza into the oven. But before you throw away the box, peek at the ingredients and calorie count.
Frozen pizzas are highly processed and contain artificial preservatives, added sugar, loads of sodium and unhealthy fats. Even if you only eat half, the calorie count is roughly 800. Suddenly your sports bonus for calories burned is gone, and you’ve got an additional 400 calories to grind through one way or another. Do this enough times, and you’ll soon gain weight, despite all the sweat equity you’re putting in.
Vida180 tip: If you want to lose weight, forget about the “sports bonus” and look at the calories burned as a kickstart for losing weight. Grab a salad instead of a pizza and your calorie count is in the red – exactly what’s needed to see those excess pounds melt away.
Don’t know what to eat? Let Vida180 put together your personal diet plan. Start directly with the free diet analysis.
Create a calorie deficit
If you want to lose weight, you need a negative energy balance: you have to use more energy than you consume through food. To better understand the correlation between calories and exercise, check out the table below:
Your consumption: | For this is included: |
| Volleyball Leisure (30 min.) 123 calories | 1 glass of multivitamin juice (200 ml) 116 calories |
| Breaststroke (30 min) 151 calories | 1 portion of sweet popcorn (40 grams) 155 calories |
| Walking medium (30 min.) 196 calories | 1 serving of gummy bears (50 grams) 172 calories |
| Yoga (60 mins) 196 calories | 1 slice of bread with cheese 204 calories |
| Gymnastics (45 min.) 200 calories | 1 slice of Hawaiian pizza (90 grams) 205 calories |
| Aerobics easy (30 min.) 210 calories | 1 serving potato wedges (150 grams) 210 calories |
| Dance Slowly (60 min.) 231 calories | 1 glass Latte Macciato (300ml) 237 calories |
| Cycling medium (30 min.) 336 calories | 1 piece nut cake (80 grams) 341 calories |
| Rollerblading (45 min.) 368 calories | approx. 3 scoops ice cream (180 grams) 360 calories |
| Strength Training (50 min.) 397 calories | 1 serving tiramisu (125 grams) 391 calories |
| Hiking (60 mins) 420 calories | 1 plate chili con carne (400 grams) 446 calories |
| Swim crawl fast (30 min.) 427 calories | 1 currywurst with sauce (180 grams) 424 calories |
| Nordic Walking intensive (45 min.) 525 calories | ½ pack Toffifee (100 grams) 535 calories |
| Jogging medium (45 min.) 525 calories | 1 Lamacun (Turkish Pizza) (415 grams) 526 calories |
Vida180 tip: If you want to lose weight, you have to control your eating habits so that a negative calorie balance is achieved. Exercise is important, and the benefits are many – better overall health, stress relief, fit appearance, increased strength and mobility. But sports can’t be done at the expense of eating more. A balanced, healthy, and above all, low-calorie diet must be part of your weight-loss plan.
Handling hunger
If you’re exercising each day and limiting what you eat, you may find yourself feeling hungry. It’s important to eat enough. Starving yourself isn’t a sustainable strategy. Your body will go into starvation mode and cling to every calorie. And you’ll likely gain back any weight you’ve lost once you go back to eating regularly.
A better approach is to eat healthy. Carefully choose those foods that provide maximum nutrition and make you feel full, things like vegetables, fruit and lean proteins like chicken breast, fish, eggs and beans. Limit consumption of fats from red meats. Opt for healthier fats that come from fish, nuts, and avocados. And of course, lay off the sweets, fast food and highly processed prepared foods.
Vida180 tip: We will put together a diet plan for you that takes your physical activity into account. You’ll be able to eat three delicious main courses and two snacks, leaving no room for cravings or helping you combat a desire to overeat.
The one-two punch:
Exercise and diet If you want to lose weight successfully and permanently, you can’t just increase your activity level. A healthy diet with a low energy density is just as important.
Combine your training with a balanced nutrition plan and you’ll soon begin seeing results. Start today with your free diet analysis!