Do you need to lose weight? Are you focusing on your fitness when you should focus on your health?
With new years right around the corner many people set a weight loss goal. Gyms will be packed, group classes will be full, and treadmills will have lines. Full of motivation, armed with juice cleanses, supplement shakes intended to replace entire meals, people set out on six and seven day a week workout plans determined to lose the weight!
But ask yourself, is your excess weight a fitness problem or a health problem?
For most of us it’s a health problem, that requires a health solution. Yet most people don’t apply health solutions to this problem.
The story goes like this, “the doctor said you need to lose weight to improve your health.” So you excessively exercise and starve yourself to lose weight in an attempt improve your health.
There’s a problem with this approach. You’re performing two unhealthy activities in an attempt to lose weight, to become healthy. You’ve got it backwards!
Instead you need to focus on improving your health so you can lose weight!
So what can you do to improve your health?
Focus on the quality of your nutrition, not just the quantity.
Yes you do need to restrict your calories to lose weight. However if you only focus on calories, you neglect the impact food has on other incredible processes your body uses to maintain your health. Things like hormone, thyroid, and adrenal gland health. All things you want working properly to effectively manage your weight!
When you take up excessive exercise in an already unhealthy state, you risk chronically increased cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and can negatively impact your immune system. Your intense fitness plan can become a barrier towards your health and ultimately your weight loss goal.
Does this mean you should avoid exercise? Of course not. It means you should apply a health approach to your exercise plan and integrate sustainable exercise solutions.
Perform resistance training two or three times a week, not everyday. Stop beating the hell out of yourself with your workouts and instead make the purpose of them to improve your strength, range of motion, and how you move.
Stop slaving away on the treadmill in the name of burning calories. Instead simply go for a walk or hike, and do something active that you enjoy. Consider trying one of these Fun Fitness Activities.
Don’t diet. Don’t try to restrict calories by eating nutritionally weak low-calorie “diet-food.” Instead focus on eating healthy. Increase your vegetable intake and drink lots of water.
Long story short, don’t lose weight to get healthy. Get healthy to lose weight!
So what steps can you take to improve your health?