Effective Weight-Loss Management for 2021
January 4, 2021 | Sports-Related Injuries
As the festive season comes to a close, we’re often presented with the all-too-familiar feeling of both incredible satisfaction, and overwhelming guilt. Was that third serving of cheesecake really necessary?
After a year like 2020, it probably was.
We’re here to tell you that these feelings are completely normal and entirely acceptable; because ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you eat between Christmas and New Year’s day, it matters what you eat between New Year’s Day and Christmas.
Below you’ll be presented with the 3 most important areas of focus for effective weight-loss management in 2021. You may be surprised to also learn that these 3 areas are listed in order of importance, with exercise at the bottom…
Nutrition (Calories In)
You won’t be surprised to learn that nutrition sits at the top of the list when it comes to weight loss, weight maintenance, or weight gain. There is simply no other way to gain weight than to eat more energy (in the form of Calories) than you burn off.
We cannot express the importance of correct nutrition enough when it comes to effective weight loss. Thankfully, managing your own nutrition is not as complicated as you may think! We’ve actually written an article solely based on Calorie counting and tracking right here.
NEAT
NEAT? Placed above exercise on the weight-loss priority list?
Correct.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) represents the Calories burned by doing everything except eating, sleeping, and physical exercise. Typing, walking to work, pushing the shopping cart, brushing your teeth, starting a lawnmower, and everything else that requires you to move falls into this category. NEAT is actually accountable for around 15% of your total daily Calorie burn. If you’re curious about how the remaining 85% of Calories are burned:
- Around 70% of your daily Calories are burned through your Basal Metabolic Rate (keeping your body alive and functioning at rest)
- Around 10% of your daily Calories are burned through digestion (or Thermal Effect of Food – TEF)
- Around 5% of your daily Calories are burned through actual physical exercise
By increasing your overall NEAT, bit by bit throughout the day, you’ll find you’ll have more and more success with your weight-loss management.
Exercise
Please don’t be put off exercise for the sole reason of it accounting for only about 5% of your total daily Calories burned. There is plenty more to consider before giving up on your gym membership, or selling those (slightly dusty) dumbbells.
When it comes to building muscle, working up a sweat, increasing your metabolism, improving cardiovascular health, or just blowing off some steam; exercise is right at the top of the priority list! Though, it doesn’t have to be done in a gym.
An ever-increasing number of people are seeking alternative ways to get their exercise fix; whether that be through running, cycling, climbing, salsa dancing, horseback riding, tennis, swimming, or any other activity that requires an increase in heart rate and the good old-fashioned use of muscle power.
We recommend partaking in physical exercise for 150 minutes per week; which may sound like a lot, but five 30-minute workouts will do you more good than you expect.
Putting it all together
A combination of eating within your Caloric range depending on your goal, being more active outside of the exercise environment, and partaking in regular physical exercise is the winning combination for effectively managing your weight, as well as living a longer, healthier life.
Looking for more motivation? Feel free to check out some delicious and healthy recipes, a couple of light workouts, and a few simple stretching routines right here!