Weight loss Diets Vs Total Fitness

 By PW Nutritionist Steph Evans

So, your mission is to get healthier, look better and feel good? But what does this healthy lifestyle look like for you? Often the world of weight loss and fitness comes hand in hand, but these terms are not interchangeable, and this can lead to a lot of confusion! Just as being overweight is bad for your health, it doesn’t automatically mean that someone who is lean or of a healthy BMI is any fitter (or actually healthier) than you are. What is often forgotten is that even if someone looks healthy on the outside, on the inside they might not be so healthy. So, even if you lose weight; if you are still eating junk and not exercising you are not going to be getting any healthier or ‘fitter’ – and here is why.

First of all, lets define these terms of ‘weight loss’ and ‘fitness’ just to show the difference:

• Weight loss: a decrease in bodyweight. This could be from loss of fat, muscle or water and isn’t always healthy.
• Fitness: total fitness is the condition of being physically fit and healthy. The ability to execute daily activities with optimal performance, endurance, and strength with the management of disease, fatigue, and stress and reduced sedentary behaviour.

Know your goal!

Let’s take weight loss as your primary goal! If you are trying to lose some belly fat, or simply slim down after a few months of pigging out then focusing on exercising, without a change in diet, is the first mistake you can make. Why? 

If you are looking for weight loss of around 0.5kg per week then this is going to be hard to achieve from exercise alone. Roughly, you will need to be reducing your calorie intake by 500 kcal per day or burning that extra amount off from exercise (read more about reaching a calorie deficit here). This would make for around 30-45 minutes of intense running EVERY day! I mean that’s fine if you have the time and commitment, but honestly most of us don’t. This is why there is often a major focus on weight loss diets and meal plans to reduce calorie intake when we think about losing weight – and why most of us forget about exercise. 

If you are looking to lose weight and find the best weight loss diet for you – but don’t know where to start - then why not check out The Slender Plan! It incorporates our best-selling Slender Blend, yummy high-protein, low-fat breakfasts and snacks, alongside a full weight-loss guide on how to lose weight – healthily! Forget about your typical fad diets; juice fasts, the cabbage soup diet and eating boring foods – we like to think this 30-day plan helps get you started on a way to a much healthier, balanced lifestyle! Remember, it isn’t just the amount of food you eat, it is also the quality of the food which matters when you are thinking about reaching a healthy lifestyle!

So, does this mean exercise is pointless?

Definitely not! If you are wanting to be a healthier you, then turning our priorities towards exercise and improving your total fitness is most likely going to be a lot more beneficial – no matter if you lose weight or not! Surprised? 

Did you know your aerobic fitness is a much stronger predictor for living a longer life than your weight alone and can also help reduce your risk of death from many chronic illnesses (such as cancer and cardiovascular disease) by over 35%! These incredible figures highlight just how important it is to get active, no matter your weight, and to stop focusing so much on the number on the scale.

That being said, if you are massively overweight the often you will need to lose some weight before you can start to improve your total fitness safely (and enjoyably). This is where following a weight loss diet and limiting your calorie intake can help, but ultimately exercise should never be put on the back burner when reaching a healthy lifestyle! 

To boost your total fitness, try heading out for brisk walks, going on a run or even swimming as some great choices to get your heart pumping. Start slowly and find an exercise you enjoy to gradually build up your aerobic fitness! If you are a complete beginner, don’t think you will suddenly be running 10k next week. Working up to hitting your personal fitness goals is a lot more rewarding then comparing yourself to others – or focusing on exercising for weight loss! 

If you don’t know where to start, or being outdoors isn’t your thing (let’s face it, the weather in England is not great) then why not take a look at our FIT guide? This hand-held fitness guide comes with a range of workouts you can do at home (or in the gym) with adaptions to suit all levels! Whether you are looking for beginner’s workouts or something a little more challenging – there is something for everyone (and they are also so much fun!).

Need help choosing goals that work for you? We’d be happy to help, get in touch! Simply email: advice@proteinworld.com

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