Why you need to pay attention to the weight loss pyramid
Are you paying attention to the Weight Loss Pyramid?
When someone sets out on a weight loss journey, they typically assume that they need to ramp up their exercise and eat better. These two things are important but they are not equal… and there are a variety of things to consider.
Think of it as a pyramid and diet is at the bottom – it is the foundation. No amount of exercise will make up for a bad diet or a diet that focuses on the wrong balance of foods.
DIET is the most important component of weight loss.
You are eating 3-5 times throughout your day… every single day. That means you are making choices multiple times per day. You don’t work out that many times a day (that would actually not be good). So choosing what you put in your body is a much more frequent event than exercise.
*Many people follow the guideline if you “want to lose weight, [you] must ingest fewer calories”. In doing so, they trust the calorie specifications on the food label.
At first glance, this seems logical. The body needs a certain amount of energy to maintain, for example, heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and so on. If there is too little fuel to accomplish the tasks, the body falls back on its fat reserves.
A lower calorie intake should therefore melt away the pounds on your hips – but unfortunately it’s not quite that simple.
One might think it doesn’t matter for body weight whether one consumes a whole apple or drinks the same amount as apple juice.
However, while the daily consumption of of apples is healthy and provides the body with plenty of nutrition and fibre, the corresponding amount of apple juice contributes in the long run to the metabolism becoming unbalanced, since the abundant sugars enter the body quickly and thus negatively affecting insulin level and blood sugar balance.
Scientists are largely in agreement that it does make a difference where calories come from, in what form, and probably even what time of day they are ingested. This is because the type and processing of food determine how our digestive tract and the billions of microorganisms that make their home in it utilize the food*.
So, while exercise is important – eating a healthy diet with the right balance of nutrients is more important when it comes to weight loss.
What is a healthy diet?
It’s no secret that eating lots of vegetables and fruits is a must in healthy diet. Including specific fats and proteins, complex carbohydrates and vital macro and micro minerals. If your goal is to lose weight following a healthy diet is the starting point. However, for most of us it’s more complex and is based on a variety of factors. You can read more about the different factors that affect weight loss here.
The next areas of focus when it comes to weight loss are REST + RECOVERY (including sleep, stress management and self-care) and MOVEMENT.
You sleep and move around throughout your day way more than you actively exercise.
Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health. Getting more sleep may actually be the single best change you can make to bring yourself closer to your goals. Lack of sleep affects your ability to make good nutritional choices. It slows down your body’s production of leptin which is our satiety hormone. It can also hinder your ability to feel great for each workout, which means you won’t work as hard.
EXERCISE is next.
Exercise can be further broken down into strength, steady state cardio, and high intensity cardio.
If you are wondering which type of exercise you should be doing or how much time you should be spending in each area, I’d be happy to chat with you more! Your weight loss plan is very unique depending on your goals and your abilities.
You can learn more about the weight loss pyramid personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans by booking a complimentary 30 minute discovery call here and learn which plan is right for you.
*Excerpt from Facts worth knowing by Metabolic Balance, All Calories are not created equal.