Factors of Weight Loss
As the year turns to 2021, many people have shifted their focus to their New Year’s Resolutions and what they’d like to accomplish. For some, a New Year’s Resolution could involve a vacation, better spending, less screen time, or paying off student loans! However, for many, their New Year’s Resolution involves weight loss and exercise. As most of you may know, the New Year brings about a new mindset for many and gets them to think about their short term and long term health. January and February are typically the busiest months for our gym because of this reason! Today, I’m going to spend some time talking about weight loss, and the factors that go into reaching weight loss goals.
Weight loss can be very complex. Anyone who has ever gone on a diet knows that weight loss isn’t cut and dry – it isn’t simple or straight forward. There are many things that go into weight loss. How are you eating? How are you exercising? How are you sleeping? Is the food you deem “healthy” actually not healthy at all? Or, is your exercise routine not getting the results you want? These are just some of many questions that people ask themselves when they are in the midst of trying to lose weight.
First, I’ll cover nutrition and eating. Your daily intake of food is the most important part of weight loss, and is roughly 70% of weight loss. According to the “food pyramid”, your daily intake should include 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-3 servings of meat and proteins, 2-4 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of vegetables, and 6 or more servings of grains. Using these guidelines allow you to have a variety in your daily intake, but also be able to eat in moderation (which is equally as important as what you’re eating). On top of this daily food intake, it is also important to cut out sugary drinks and focus on drinking water and drinks that have nutritional value such as milk, tea, and sparkling water.
Second, I’ll cover exercise. My favorite part! I’m sure you’ve heard by now that it is recommended to exercise 30 minutes a day. While that is a good guideline to go by, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to just 30 minutes of exercise. A nice 30 minute walk each day is extremely beneficial, but adding different types of exercise to your daily routine is very important. Perhaps you can find a way to do 15 minutes of different weight exercises on top of your daily cardio (walking/running). Or, if you don’t like to lift weights, you can do body weight exercises such as planks, jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups, flutter kicks, and squats. All of these are helpful for a good workout routine, but my main point is to mix up your routine and work on different parts of the body! Studies show that working different muscle groups and parts of your body is extremely beneficial for quicker weight loss. Your body tends to get used to the same workout routine if you do it every day, and as a result, it has less benefit and change on your body. In general, it takes time to lose weight and increase strength and cardiovascular health, but stay the course and be sure to mix things up!
Lastly, I’ll cover sleep. You might ask, how does sleep have anything to do with weight loss? After all, when we are sleeping we are not “active” or in motion. However, good health doesn’t just come down to eating and exercise – there are lots of things that contribute to our health! Getting good sleep is extremely important to our health. It allows our bodies to get the proper rest it needs so that it can be rejuvenated and re-energized for your daily tasks. If you lack the sleep that you need, your energy will be down and so will your production. Sleep also is pivotal for maintaining your metabolism and balancing your hormones. Furthermore, did you know that your body burns calories when you sleep? While you sleep, your body actually burns about 50 calories an hour. Sleep is extremely important – and it is recommended that we get 7-8 hours (or more) of sleep each night. Pay close attention to getting the sleep you need so your body can do what it needs to do during work, exercise, and all other activities during your daily routine!
Hegg Wellness & Rehab prides itself in helping keep the community healthy and well. We want to be here for you and help you in any way we can! If you’re interested in joining the gym, joining a class, personal training, or any other wellness-related things, let us know! Be sure to call or email me and I would love to help! My number is 712-476-8081 and my email is jordyn.kleinwolterink@hegghc.org. Happy exercising!
Jordyn Kleinwolterink, Wellness Center Director