I was chatting to a friend this week about the London Marathon (as I know two people running it).
We were talking about how many calories you burn when you run the London marathon (it makes me feel tired just thinking about it...).
On average, it's 2,600 calories (this does depend on age, sex, height, weight etc.)
BUT, most marathon runners aren't 'average'.
You see, they would have trained and built up for it (I would hope, anyway).
Why?
To get fitter.
Which is great because it can make everyday tasks (like shopping) easier and decrease our risk of diseases, like heart disease and diabetes.
The bad news?
They're body now uses less calories and less energy to run!
So theoretically, we now have to "do more" to burn the same amount of calories and lose weight...
And it's the same when "dieting" to lose weight.
Do we have a weight loss problem in this country?
Probably not.
Most of us CAN lose weight.
Cambridge, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slimming World, Fasting...
^^^ They all make us lose "weight".
But the million dollar question is: Can we keep the weight off?
You see, some of these diets make us change too much, too soon.
Which means we often can't stick to it because our body is telling us to eat more and we give in to our favourite foods that we "gave up".
...Cue the weight regain!
But what if you can keep the weight off for a year?
Well, recent research has shown that if you maintain your weight loss for a year then your body will adjust to this new leaner body and your hunger hormones won't be screaming at your and telling you to finish the Ben & Jerry's...
And how do you keep the weight off?
* By having a bespoke nutrition and exercise plan that fits your lifestyle so you can eat your chocolate, drink your wine, and still get lean!
* By being accountable and setting goals (30, 60, and 90 day goals at a time to ensure you actually achieve them and they don't get 'washed' away) so you know exactly WHY you're doing what you're doing.
* By doing 'stuff' you enjoy (because you'll be more likely to stick to it and keep the weight off long-term)
* By having the knowledge to adjust your nutrition and exercise plan to attack STUBBORN FAT (aka the love handles).
It's not rocket science, it's just about taking small consistent baby steps everyday and having a strategy to lose fat, get lean, and stay lean that's guaranteed.
Matt