It is quite simple: consume more calories than you burn, and your weight will increase.
Obviously, there are lots of variables and we can also link this to exercise.
It is always advisable to have a starting point. The minimum amount of calories per day is linked to your height, age and weight. This is called your basal metabolic rate, check it out.
So, if you want to exercise for benefits such as getting fit, feeling good, losing weight, building muscle or any other fantastic reason, ensure you are eating enough. Some people tend to eat too much, then not enough either each day or over the course of a week.
If you are eating a lot one day, try to move more, not just in terms of exercise, just be more active. If you are eating less for whatever reason, try to avoid lots of exercise, this could be a stretching day.
Make a note
If you want to monitor your food and exercise, it is always good to fill in a food and exercise dairy (download one here) our personal trainers use these to monitor the progress of individuals and teams.
Fill in the diary to help you form some fitness and nutritional goals this will help you focus and achieve them. Don’t be harsh on yourself, just reflect on the information and improve.
Do what you enjoy
Try not to use the calories burnt during exercise to motivate you… it won’t. For 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, you will burn 140 calories, for gardening, you will burn 165.
Some people would say: “What is the point, that’s not even a chocolate bar.” But they are missing the bigger picture. Exercise should be fun. The activity is the most important part, as you will not only burn calories during the exercise but also throughout the day. This is why resistance training is so good for long-term weight management as the muscle you build makes you burn more calories at rest.
Don’t forget all the other benefits, stronger heart, stronger bones and joints and better posture (if you hit the correct muscles).
Eat to perform
So now you have made sure you are eating enough and doing the right exercise at the right time how do you get the best out of your new regimen? Your activity diary holds the key. It just depends how much detail you put on it; times of meals, calories consumed, length and type of exercise are all important.
You can also write on ‘how you feel’ each day. It may be that you always have cereal for breakfast but feel low on energy by mid-morning due to the high sugar content. The habit you have formed seems like the right thing to do but your diary may help you realise it isn’t.
This is your personal journey, and we are always here to help. Use our form but don’t assume it’s easy, as what we eat and what we think we eat are usually different.
Do the exercises you enjoy and eat to match them. Do them for longer if you need to, why not if it’s something you enjoy?