If you’re one of the estimated 65% of Canadians who are trying to lose weight, no doubt you’ve been looking for that perfect combination that is going to help shed those pounds for good. While there is no perfect combination or secret trick for losing weight, there is a guideline that you can follow to help shift your focus and be successful in your weight loss ventures. 85-15.

To be successful at weight loss, it’s 85% diet and 15% exercise. Yes… you read that correctly. Now, I’m not implying that one is more important than the other. Obviously exercise is extremely important for overall health and strength as well as heart health and flexibility. However, too often people start an exercise regime, and tell themselves “now that I’m being active I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight”… or “hey I went to the gym… this calls for a treat!” (Statistically, women are especially bad for treating themselves after a workout… sugary treats too!).

Think of your body as a car, with your food intake being the gas and oil and exercise being the mechanic you go see. If your “car” isn’t running as well as it should, the mechanic gets in and tunes everything up to  ensure that it can run at its peak performance. However, if you continue to feed the car cheap gas and oil, it’s only a matter of time before everything gets “gunked up” again. Food intake will give you the most chance for success, and as much as I hate to say it… counting calories. None of us like to, but it really is the most effective way, and technology has made it easier to do this with apps like MyFitnessPal, which you can read about here. 85-15. Give it a try and see how it can help you with your goals!  

 

Image courtesy of  Jeanne Claire Maarbes/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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