Let’s have a little story time today…
I fell off a spin bike in a college spin class...
Yep. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life.
You know why I fell off?! Because I was literally trying to pedal the fat off my body...
You laugh but seriously!! I used to equate the amount I sweated out of myself to the amount I could eat.
Truly I just ended up:
- dehydrated
- less energized
- and with a really shitty metabolism (aka lost all my muscle mass)
Leading me to gain back all my weight, waste a crap ton of my time, and feel even more mental failure.
I have now come to learn exercise is supposed to:
- energize you, not deplete you
- be efficient and help your metabolism work for you not against you (by putting on muscle mass)
- not be about pouring every little ounce of water from your body or hitting a certain calorie amount on your heart rate monitor for it to be effective!
Honestly, we all know nutrition is 80% of the puzzle for progress in body composition from the gym!
This is my advice to you about exercise:
- Make sure it matches your goals! If your goal is to optimize your metabolism and lose body fat, then you likely need to walk away from so much cardio and do some strength training.
- If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn't change you! You have to go outside your comfort zone!
- Match your nutrition with your activity level so you are fueling your body and recovering properly! Treat your body like an athlete!
Now can someone make me feel better with their embarrassing story at the gym?! I would love to hear if you have any similar experiences!
-Emily