10 Most Frequently Asked Fitness Questions
As a Personal Trainer I get asked lots of questions about workouts, fitness, diets and fat loss.
Here are the top 10 questions and my answers for them 🤙🏼
1. What's the best way to lose weight?
The only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit. This means you eat less calories than you use each day, each week, each month. There are no quick fixes, you have to put the time in and stay consistent.
Using an online calorie calculator will help you estimate your calories needs, but bear in mind this is an estimate, you may need to tweak the estimate to see results.
2. Should I eat breakfast?
Generally, I say yes to this. Why? Because eating regularly throughout they day means your body is always fueled and you can maintain your energy levels throughout the day. If you have enough energy, your workouts will be better and feel better. You are also more inclined to make better food decisions throughout the day as your body is adequately fueled.
Eating breakfast will also stop you feeling restricted which can lead to overeating at your next meal, or more commonly, in the evening.
3. How often should I workout?
It depends. If you are new to working out or starting a new activity then starting off with 2-3 times per week is enough. You want to enjoy the workout and then have suitable time to recover from it.
A lot of the time we think "more is better" but honestly, take it slow, build it up as you get fitter and your body becomes more efficient and recovers better. You can then increase the workouts and their intensity.
4. Why do carbs make me gain weight?
Nine times out of 10 they don't. Carbs are just easy to eat so we therefore find it super easy to over-indulge in them, which leads to eating too many calories, which is the reason we gain weight.
However, there are some occasions when carbs can make us gain weight in the form of water retention and bloating, but it's not exactly carbs that cause this response it's generally an intolerance to gluten. If you think you are intolerant please see your GP.
5. If I lift weights will I become super muscly? (mostly women ask this)
You don't get bigger muscles by accident - men and women both have to work hard in the gym to build muscle. If you are a women, you need to work even harder to build muscle as we don't have the necessary volume of testosterone in our body to build big muscles.
6. Can I still drink alcohol and lose weight?
Loaded question for me this one, it's and yes and it depends... Let's start by looking at calories in alcohol: 1ml of spirit has 7kcal BUT a drink will also have more than just the spirit - mixers can be loaded with sugar, so the calories can mount up quickly, which if you are trying to lose weight can slow the process down. However, there are ways to work around this.
If you know you will have 2-3 drinks on a Friday and Saturday, total the calories for your chosen drink and include the mixer. Once you have the total, divide it by 7. Whatever the number is, reduce your daily calorie intake by it. By "banking" the calories each day you won't go over your calorie target over the space of a week.
You effectively build these calories into your plan so you don't need to totally avoid drinking to still successfully lose weight 😊
BUT remember, if you over-indulge, this can have other consequences on your long-term health, and a hangover can lead to comfort eating, missing out on planned workouts and make you feel generally rubbish!!
7. I don't eat that much but I can't lose weight - why!?
Simply, you eat more than you think you do! You may only eat 2 meals a day but if each meal is 1,000kcal and you should be eating 1,600kcal to lose weight then you won't lose weight, you will in fact gain weight. Also, if you are a snacker then you are also eating too many high calories foods which are again taking you over your calorie target.
What you need to do is, record all foods and drinks as you consume them. Use a notepad or an app to track all the calories. You might be surprised how much you are actually eating.
8 . Why haven't the scales gone down this week?
There are lots of reasons, so please don't get disheartened. When you are weighing yourself you should always weigh yourself on the same day of the week, at the same time and wearing the same thing (ideally minimal clothes, just don't send nude check-in photos 😂). This will give you a good starting point.
Scales are only one measurement and to be honest, they're not the most reliable, you should also use body measurements to track progress.
What effects your body weight?
- Stress and workload
- The food and liquid you have in your body
- A bad nights sleep
- The last time you went to the toilet
- Your Period
- Alcohol consumed
So, next time you step on the scales remember these! Does any of the list apply?
9. How long does it take to see results?
Seeing change in yourself can take time, by this I mean what you see in the mirror. Using scales, body measurements and comparison photos you can see the results changing within a few weeks.
10. Is working out in the morning better for you?
Your workouts should fit into your lifestyle, so if working out first things fits in then do it in the morning, if it doesn't then find a time that best fits you. There is ZERO evidence that working out in the morning is better for you, in fact in some case's it can effect your workout.
As you haven't eaten for 8+ hours you may have less fuel available for you workout.
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