Do you know how long it takes you to burn off a snickers bar? Or a packet of crisps? Or a fish and chips? Or a glass of wine? Well let me tell you.
A snickers (296cals) is 54 mins of walking or 28 mins of running. A packet of crisps (171cals) is 31 mins of walking or 16 mins of running. A fish and chips (861cals) or 2hrs 38 mins of walking or 1hr 21mins of running and a glass of wine (160cals) 30 mins of walking or 15 mins of running.
As a psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, I specialise in the science of weight loss and have helped clients lose up to 7 stone using behavioural modification. I've even lost 4 stone myself in the process. One thing which has been proven for serial dieters is that the first thing they do when they want to lose weight is think they have to exercise. Then the first thing they do after the exercise is reward themselves for doing it. However, in nearly all cases most over reward themselves.
This simply means they go to the gym and do a class and reward themselves with a take away. The class burnt 300 calories but the reward was 1,000 calories. So, they would have lost 700 more calories if they didn't go to the class.
Just like if two friends go for a walk and burn off 200 calories, they will then think it great to go for a latte and muffin of 600 calories to reward themselves for the walk. Putting on more than 400 calories than they would have if they had just stayed at home.
From a weight loss behavioural point of view if you want to lose weight, initially 90% is going to be about what you eat. Most people will spend more time going to the gym or going for a walk then they will planning, cooking and eating the food they actually need to eat to lose weight.
So here is a radical idea. Stop going to the gym, stop running, stop classes, stop everything. Stop wasting your time on these activities and then give yourself more time to prepare, cook and eat the right food.
In our time poor lives if you spend more time on the food aspect of your life you will educate yourself to eat correctly and in the right portions, the weight will start to fall off you. Then once you have this mastered then move onto the exercise.
I'm not saying exercise has no place. Exercise is a great way to lose weight, stay fit and keep in shape.
But, for weight loss if you are starting a journey to lose a few stone then joining the gym in January is not the key.
The key is to educate yourself on how to cook the right food, how to prepare and pre make meals, learn when to eat, how much to eat, learn to reduce animal products out of your diet, to move to a plant based diet which is proven time and time again to help people have a healthy body and mind.
In my own clinic, I tell weight loss clients that we will work together on a year-long plan to re-educate them about what they out into their body and how to change their mindset about food.
If you read books by Dr Dean Ornish or superfoods by Jamie Oliver or The Body Coach Joe Wicks, they all say the same thing, it's about the food. Cooking and prepping fresh food is the only secret.
The exercise is a bonus. I recommend watching shows on Netflix such as "Food Choices" which tell you directly by the scientists who know about what you need to do. Not by the food companies who want to make money out of you. Understand there is no money in broccoli so no one is promoting it.
You see if you choose to make the changes you need to do get slim, healthy and fit, no one can money out of you. The fast food companies, soft drink companies, chocolate companies, dairy companies, meat producers or even the gyms, coaches or even the pharmacies can make money out of you. So start to educate yourself to a new you
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