With the fitness industry growing and online training getting more and more popular, a lot of trainers try to sell programs that promise weight loss. “Weight loss guaranteed or get your money back” is probably one of these catchy phrases you have seen or heard before. So, what is the best method for weight loss? Low intensity cardio? Hot yoga? High intensity training? Well, the truth is that there is no best method when it comes to weight loss. It all comes down to a simple math equation: calories out > calories in. Quite simple isn’t it? Now we are not saying that it is easy for everybody. Some people are going to have a harder time losing weight and some people have a natural ability to lose weight and even have a hard time to put on weight. Your genetics surely play a huge role in your weight loss journey.
In order to lose weight, you need to create what’s called a caloric deficit, which is defined by the difference between the calories that you are consuming through food and beverages and the calories that you are expanding through your basal metabolic rate as well as daily physical activity.
Your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories that you expand if you were to lay down all day. It is essentially the energy that your body requires for breathing and keeping your organs functioning. It is usually calculated by measuring the amount of oxygen consumed while laying down. For example, if your basal metabolic rate is 1500 kcal per day, this means that if you were to lay down all day, your body would consume 1500 kcal! I bet this surprises you, it is higher than what most people think it is. It is based on someone’s weight, height, and age. Any type of physical activity or even daily activity is going to add up to this basal metabolic rate. The average female’s daily caloric requirement is between 1500 and 2200 kcal per day with an average of 1800 kcal.
You can estimate your daily caloric expenditure by multiplying your basal metabolic rate (found with using this equation: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161) by a number between 1.2 representing a sedentary lifestyle, and 1.9 representing a very active lifestyle. After calculating this number, it is straightforward: if you consume less calories than your daily caloric expenditure, you will lose weight. In fact, the nature of the exercise does not matter as much as the total caloric deficit that is created through consuming less and expending more energy.
One of the popular workouts that people have been encouraged to do is low intensity cardio. There is a popular trend encouraging people to run on treadmills at a low intensity because low intensity exercise targets utilizing body fat as a source of energy while exercising. While this is in fact true, the low intensity exercise will not result in a consequent energy expenditure when compared to higher intensity exercise. In other words, you may be “losing” 100 kcal of fat, when you could have been “losing” 500 kcal of carbohydrates. But is it not better to “lose” fat? Not necessarily! If you create a big enough caloric deficit, your body will naturally lose the extra body fat that is available for its energy consumption.
What about hot yoga? This yoga branch has been popular in the last few years especially here in Vancouver. If you were to weigh yourself before the hot yoga session and after the hot yoga session, the number on the scale would probably be down, so in theory you will lose weight! BUT, the weight that is lost will be regained right after the session when you drink water! Why? Because hot yoga makes you sweat so you are really only losing water through dehydration.
So next time you see one of these advertisements that promise you some weight loss, remind yourself that you do not need a fancy treadmill or a high-tech gadget to lose weight. All you need is to be consistent in your training with your personal trainer and that you need to create a caloric deficit through exercise that offset your caloric intake. If you have questions about weight loss, reach out to your trainer next time you are in the studio and they will help you with any questions you may have.