By What you should priorities along your weight loss mission
This question always seems to linger on everyone’s mind when they are trying to lose weight. But, unfortunately, some people make fatal mistakes on the way. I was one of these people, and I’d like to share my story with you. For many years, I was the so-called “cardio-holic” whose aim was to out-train all I would eat daily. My theory was, whatever calories I consumed (mostly the wrong kind) would be burnt off as energy as I smashed it out in the gym. I’d spend hours on the treadmill running, on the elliptical machine, or doing some form of a brutal circuit training regime. The after-effects were the maintenance of my weight — but at a cost to my health. Because I wasn’t eating well and exhausting my immune and nervous system, I was always getting bouts of cold and flu. This would put me out of the gym for days on end. Then, when I attempted to train again, I was weak and lacked energy. It was a constant battle back then when my daughter was young and in daycare. First, she would get sick, then I would catch it, and the cycle would continue throughout the whole family. Finally, I was at my wit’s end — yet I never stopped this. I look back now and can’t believe I was on the verge of insanity! Doing the same thing over and over but yet expecting the same results! Nevertheless, when I embarked on my competitive bodybuilding journey, all of this excessive cardio stopped, and that’s when diet became the “key” factor for my muscle building and learning out phase. As a physique competitor, I developed an in-depth understanding of its importance towards achieving my weight loss goals. But in saying this, exercise also played a massive part in the journey. For me, exercise helped build my strength, my muscle and also my stamina. I completely understand that not everyone wants to put on a fair amount of muscle, but there isn’t harm in being somewhat toned or shapely. You look a whole lot better in clothes, and your toned body shape helps to boost confidence. I hated feeling soft or jiggly, which can sometimes happen when you stop going to the gym (or don’t go at all!). But, on the other hand, you feel tighter and shapely when you build some muscle. Many people can and do get away with not training but opt to walk or ride a bike. Maybe playing some other sport regularly that keeps them fit, toned and trim. The correct answer depends on your lifestyle, what you enjoy, and what picture you hold in your mind as your ideal physique. The best advice I can provide you is that exercise needs to be something you enjoy doing that works well with your life plans. At first, you may dislike exercise, and it will take a little bit of time to develop what they call the “high” most of us experience as a result of training. It’s a combination of those feel-good hormones, and we get a sense of being on top of the world. You will come to love that feeling and notice its disappearance when you don’t train! That’s why I try to maintain activity every day. I love the feeling it gives me. Dieting may be a challenge some days, but I always view exercise as my overall sanity saviour. We’ve all had a tough year, and when the gym closed for months, it didn’t feel right — I didn’t feel right, to be truthful. No amount of dieting could have given me back that wonderful feeling from exercise — especially weight training. In summary, the diet should be your number one priority for your weight loss journey, and exercise plays a minor part — but a massive contributor to your inner wellbeing. You definitely won’t regret either one. If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link here. I’d love to see you on the other side. Sign up here for your medium subscription