10 Low calorie drinks for weight loss

We all know that high-calorie food can derail your weight loss plans. Unhealthy beverages can do the same - and so can healthy drinks if they are high in calories. People tend to focus on their food and forget about the beverages that they consume when they are trying to lose weight.

Don't fall prey to this subtle trap. Liquids can increase your caloric intake significantly without reducing your appetite if you're not careful. Give equal importance to the drinks that you drink if you want to succeed at losing weight.

10 Low calorie drinks that help with weight loss

1. Water

Water should be the main item on your beverage list. Get into the habit of drinking this most of the time for the sake of your health - regardless of whether you want to lose weight or not.

This may interest you: Hot water for weight loss

Drinking more water is one of the simplest and most important ways to improve your overall health. It may also benefit your waistline. We often mistake dehydration for hunger. 

Water may help to keep you full in between meals and also increase the number of calories that you burn. A healthy metabolism needs water to flush out toxins and byproducts while transporting blood with precious nutrients and energy to the rest of your body.

Drink water before each meal to reduce calories consumed

Simply drinking a glass of water before your meal will reduce the amount of food or calories that you consume. This study found that drinking 500 ml (18 ounces) of water before each meal resulted in a 44% greater loss in weight after 12 weeks compared to those who didn't.

Cold water increases the amount of calories that you burn while resting

Cold water increases your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories that you burn without exercise). Your body burns calories when it needs to warm itself up or cool itself down.

This study found that overweight children increased their resting metabolism by 25% when they drank cold water. The effect lasted for about an hour.

500 ml of water increased metabolism by 24% over the course of an hour after ingestion in this study.

2. Coconut water

Coconut water is more than a refreshing drink. It is a great option to replenish your body’s electrolytes after a sweaty exercise session or after a hot day at the beach. Coconut water has more potassium (and fewer calories) than regular sports drinks.

The best part is that it is free from added sugars, sweeteners, colorants, flavor enhancers, preservatives and other unhealthy chemicals that you can expect to find in processed beverages - if you drink 100% natural coconut water.

It is a great hydration option because of the antioxidant and essential mineral content.

There are 45.6 calories per cup of coconut water - so be sure not to drink unlimited amounts if you want to reduce your calorie intake. Save this treat for special occasions like after your workout.

3. Green tea

All the hype that you've heard about the health benefits of green tea is legit.

It contains a rich concentration of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidants that protect your body from cellular damage, carcinogens (which are cancer causing substances), free radical damage and general wear and tear.

EGCG, an abundant antioxidant in green tea, is used in most weight loss pills.

This may interest you: 7 unexpected benefits of green tea that you'll kick yourself for not knowing

These ingredients in green tea also help to stop tumor growth by neutralizing free radicals in the body. 

Green tea may also guard against heart disease by relaxing blood vessels, reducing blood pressure and inhibiting the formation of blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes.

Green tea also contains fluoride which prevents tooth decay, stops bad breath and strengthens teeth.

The flavonoids in green tea may strengthen bones as well. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

4. Soy milk

Soy milk contains soluble fiber, soy protein and other beneficial plant compounds. These compounds lower bad cholesterol levels and triglycerides, which reduce the risk of heart disease.

If you drink soy milk instead of cow's milk, try to buy soy milk fortified with calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin D. These nutrients are extremely important and most people who follow the typical western diet don't get enough of them.

5. Low sodium tomato juice

Processed tomato products are very rich sources of an antioxidant called lycopene.

This antioxidant has been associated with a reduced risk of lung, stomach, pancreatic and breast cancer. It may also protect the heart and lungs from oxidative damage. This help to ward off heart disease.

The strong antioxidant activity of tomato juice also has a protective effect against UV radiation for the skin.

Choose a tomato juice with as little sodium as possible. Excess sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease and stroke and kidney disease. Most processed foods are very high in sodium in order to increase their taste and most people who eat a lot of processed foods already consume much more sodium than they need.

6. Cranberry juice

Some research suggests that the same anti-bacterial properties that fight off urinary tract infections in cranberry juice may also protect against periodontal disease (gum disease).

A compound in cranberry juice called NDM inhibits bacteria from sticking to the gums and teeth.

You need to be careful of fruit juices because of their high sugar content - especially if you want to lose weight. This drink serves as a nice treat if you have an overbearing craving for something sweet. Limit your intake one glass (six to eight ounces) of cranberry juice per day.

We recommend making it yourself for the best health benefits, but make sure that the label says 100 percent fruit juice (not juice drink, cocktail or concentrate) if you are going to buy it ready-made. 

7. Coffee

Coffee contains caffeine which acts as a stimulant. This can help with weight loss.

Many weight loss pills have high amounts of caffeine. Pre-workout supplements also generally have high amounts of caffeine because it increases energy levels.

Caffeine may also work as an appetite suppressant. It may therefore reduce energy intake and boost your metabolism (the amount of calories that your body burns throughout the day) to help you lose weight. 

One study investigated the appetite-suppressing effects of caffeine. Those who drank coffee containing 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight consumed significantly fewer calories than those who consumed less or no caffeine. 

Try to get used to having your coffee without milk, cream, sugar or sweeteners. All of these things may increase your calorie count or lead too weight gain - even sweeteners.

8. Maple water

Maple water is very different to maple syrup. It is made from unprocessed tree sap. Maple water is 98% water - and free from the additives and preservatives that can wreak havoc on our health.

It has a slightly sweet taste with a little bit of natural sugar and 15 calories per 8-ounce glass. 

Maple water can boost exercise performance, hydrate the body when it needs it the most, reduce inflammation, and give the body a healthy dose of antioxidants to ward off disease.

Similar to coconut water and cranberry juice, this beverage is healthy for you - but don't overdo it. The small amount of sugar can add up quickly if you drink too much of it. Save this tasty beverage for after your exercise session or for when you crave something sweet to drink.

9. Low sugar protein powder

Whey, casein, pea or hemp protein powder all gives you the same effect: fullness. Protein is an amazing choice if you need to reduce hunger and feel fuller for longer.

It is also super convenient and easy to mix with water so that you have something to make you full before you choose something unhealthy out of hunger.

As a result of the fullness, you will eat fewer calories after a protein shake. This helps with cutting down your calories.

Protein also plays a vital role in your body’s cell functions and your body's ability to replace or rebuild muscle after exercise. A protein shake is a healthy drink to add to your daily routine while getting good nutrients.

There are many protein shakes that are made specifically to help people who want to lose weight.

Protein powder isn’t as low in calories as the other beverages on this list because protein has 7 calories per gram. It is still possible to find a good option under 200 calories per serving. Check the nutrition label and avoid added sugars or other unhealthy ingredients.

I would personally look for an option that is high in protein, low in sugar and has added vitamins and minerals. It would be a bonus if you could find one with fiber as well.

10. Vegetable juices

Getting your recommended daily dose of vegetables can be very difficult. While you still need to eat plenty of raw fruit and vegetables, vegetable juice can help you to get some of their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant compounds on the go.

Vegetable juice increases your intake of these precious nutrients and may even help you to lose weight.

Participant who drank 16 ounces of vegetable juice while following a low-calorie diet lost significantly more weight than those who didn't.

Avoid high-sugar ingredients and stick to low-calorie drinks like celery juice. Carrot juice is one of the healthiest options when it comes to vegetable juice.

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11 foods that are killing your weight loss goals

This article is written by Sparkle Purpose. Follow Sparkle Purpose on Twitter and Pinterest.

11 Foods that prevent weight loss

1. Coconut water

2. Sushi

3. Frozen yogurt

4. Low fat foods

5. Healthy sweets

6. Granola

7. Low calorie condiments

8. Diet peanut butter

9. Sports drinks

10. Flavored coffee

11. Smoothies

Are you trying to lose weight, but are unsure about what’s holding you back? You exercise and eat well but the numbers on your scale just aren’t budging. Maybe you’re eating something that’s slowing your progress. I am going to talk about 11 foods that can ruin your weight loss goals.

1. Coconut Water

Who doesn’t like drinking coconut water? Coconut water the healthiest drink to beat the summer heat. This is especially true when you compare it with soda. You also get lots of electrolytes.  

It’s also used in various desserts and some vegetable recipes. Coconut water has very healthy nutrients like vitamins and minerals. You get a generous amount of antioxidants too.

Everything about coconut water isn't hunky-dory. A cup of coconut water (240 millilitres to be precise) comes with 45 calories and as much as 6 grams of sugar.  

While this is still less than most sodas and juices, you need to cut down on how much coconut water you drink in a day. Too many cups can load your body with sugar very quickly.

2. Sushi

Sushi is delicious and healthy! This Japanese seafood gives you nutrients from fish, rice and vegetables. You get a generous amount of high-quality protein, omega fatty acids, vitamins and carbohydrates.

Sushi can be a healthy and delicious addition to your diet plan. If you decide to eat sushi as part of your meals, you have to be careful about excess calories.

If the rolls are stuffed with tempura shrimp, you’re adding more calories than you need. It’s the same if you include sweet sauces.

And, of course, be careful with your rice intake. Those are pure carbs!

3. Frozen yogurt

Frozen yogurt is generally suggested as a healthier alternative to ice cream. If you’re craving a dessert after your meal, you’re better off eating yogurt than indulging in sweets or ice cream - but there is a catch with frozen yogurt.

Since it’s seen as a healthy option, you do run the danger of eating it more than you should. When you go to a frozen yogurt shop, you’re usually allowed to fill your own cup and add whatever toppings you want.

If you have a large cup and add sugary toppings, you will end up with more sugar and calories than you would have if you chose ice cream or other desserts on their own instead.

4. Low fat foods

You need to avoid high fat food and switch to low fat food if you want to lose weight. 

While this seems like the right thing to do, research has shown low-fat foods tend to have more sugar than regular foods. This added sugar could result in weight gain and an increase in blood sugar.  

Instead of restricting your diet, it’s always better to eat in moderation. This will satisfy your cravings - and not add to your weight.

5. Healthy sweets

As part of your weight loss program, you may reduce or completely give up on desserts. You have to reduce your calorie intake, but it might be difficult to give up on dessert - that’s the best part of the meal after all.

So what do you do? You look for healthy sweets instead. They’re supposed to have very few calories. Not only does sugar contain calories but it could be dangerous if consumed excessively. 

While this is true to an extent, these healthy sweets generally replace the fats with sugar or artificial sweeteners to retain the taste. 

You only add more sugar as a result, which is going to cause weight gain and other related health issues.

The artificial sweeteners that are used in diet sweets can result in issues like bloating and diarrhea. They also might induce cravings for more sugar. It’s a vicious cycle. The more artificial sweeteners you eat, the more sugar cravings you’ll get.

6. Granola

Are you craving a healthy snack? Granola feeds those cravings. It’s one of the top breakfast choices for health-conscious people. This is because it’s rich in fiber and has oats as well as nuts - all of which are very nutritious.

Pre-made granola or muesli usually comes with added sugar to improve its flavor. If you’re unaware of how much sugar your granola packs with every serving, you might end up with more sugar than you planned for.

Every serving of granola you have shouldn’t have more than 6 grams of sugar in it.

So now you know what you should do. Stop eating too much granola because you are trying to get your weight down.

7. Low calorie condiments

Another way that sugar sneaks into your diet is through condiments. They’re supposed to be low in calories, but that’s not the case.

When you add ketchup or salad dressing to your food, you might be unaware of the calories that are hiding in the sugar.

Tomato and barbecue sauces have high amounts of sugar in them. This makes them a regular part of your daily diet and will hurt your weight loss goals. 

Enjoy salads - but beware of the calories hiding in the dressing.

Use low-calorie, healthy dressings like vinegar and lime juice. 

8. Diet peanut butter

You’re looking to lose weight and the first that thing you do is buy all the diet-friendly stuff.  

I’m talking about diet coke. Even diet peanut butter has gotten popular. This makes sense at first. Just like diet coke, diet peanut butter has fewer calories than the regular kind.

This difference in calories might have you thinking that diet peanut butter is the better choice. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Diet peanut butter contains unhealthy oils and also comes with added sugar. 

The calories that you get from diet peanut butter actually come from sugar instead of fat. This will definitely slow down your weight loss.

Experts advise you to cut down on your sugar intake if you’re serious about losing weight. The best way to do this is to use natural peanut butter instead.  

Just practice portion control. You should definitely eat fewer calories. Just get them from healthy food sources.

Peanut butter made with a few necessary ingredients is ultimately the healthier choice.

9. Sports drinks

Do you exercise daily? If you work out regularly or are active in sports, it’s natural for you to rely on sports drinks to increase your endurance and speed up recovery.

They provide energy that helps you to keep going. At what cost do you do this? These sports drinks are loaded with sugar.

Most of them contain caffeine. They also cause energy crashes later on. If you aren’t indulging in intense workouts, there is absolutely no need for you to have sports drinks.

They come with significant amounts of sugar and will add to your overall calorie count. Drinking sports drinks also causes an increase in your blood sugar levels. The whole point of exercise is to get those sugar levels down.

This rise can not only increase your weight, but also results in insulin resistance. In a study of more than 7,500 adolescents, it was seen that those who drank sports drinks regularly weighed much more than those who didn’t.

10. Flavored coffees

If you’re working towards losing weight, you might be tempted to drink more coffee because it decreases your appetite. While caffeine does work for this, you need to be aware of how you’re drinking it. There are always calories hiding in there.

Coffees such as lattes, frappes, and cappuccinos are never going to help you lose weight because they are high in calories. This is all thanks to the generous amount of sugar and fat added to them.

11. Smoothies

Smoothies are delicious, but don’t get carried away if you’re on a weight loss program. Smoothies can derail your progress.

I'm not just talking about smoothies from cafes. Even homemade ones can be loaded with sugar and fats. If you’re adding milk and nut butter, you’re not going to lose weight. If there are too many calories in your smoothies, they might actually make you gain more weight.

Conclusion

Losing weight is hard, but it’s not impossible.

It just takes a little discipline and consistency. Don’t quit, just keep going and you’ll see that you have accomplished your goal. 

Here are some great ways to lose fat from Sparkle Purpose:

5 Simple exercises to burn belly fat

6 Benefits of skipping rope for your well-being

Top 5 exercises for burning thigh fat fast

The difference between natural sugar and added sugar

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Sugar might be the most misunderstood nutrient on earth.

Does sugar make you fat? Is sugar bad for you? Should you eat it?

Before we can answer any of these questions regarding sugar, we really need to understand what it is.

Sugar is destroyed in the media from Paleo and other health groups. We need to be careful about what we read and hear.

We should learn for ourselves instead of buying into headlines without looking at the actual facts.

What is sugar?

Sugar is a carbohydrate. It is either a monosaccharide or a disaccharide.

Carbohydrates are polysaccharides, disaccharides or monosaccharides.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are what we call complex carbohydrates.

Polysaccharides are either fiber (the indigestible part of a plant), starch (the stored form of glucose in a plant), or glycogen which is the stored form of glucose in humans.

Disaccharides

Disaccharides are two bonds of monosaccharides.

They are lactose (galactose and glucose), sucrose (fructose and glucose), and maltose (two monosaccharides of glucose).

Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are simple sugars with one chain.

There are three types: glucose (the sugar we think of as blood sugar), fructose (sugar in fruit), and galactose (sugar found in milk).

Disaccharides and monosaccharides are called sugar

A polysaccharide (complex carb) is rarely ever called sugar.

What we call table sugar is sucrose - the sweetest sugar.

Monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides were all classified as sugars in the early days of research. They were all considered complex carbohydrates and we were encouraged to eat them abundantly.

We need to pump our breaks for now and understand a little more about this before we jump to that conclusion.

Your body needs sugar

Your body runs on sugar. The sugar in your bloodstream is glucose. Our muscles and brains need sugar to function. We cannot do anything without glucose in our bloodstream.

We store glucose in our body in the form of glycogen and we store glycogen in our muscles and liver.

We store up to 500 grams of it. This is enough for 2000 calories (about 160 minutes of running) of energy.

Natural sugar is healthy

When we talk about naturally occurring sugar, we refer to all the forms of carbohydrates that are found in fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, and dairy. These are all carbohydrate food sources.

The only non-plant sources of carbohydrates are dairy products.

When you consume any of these forms of carbohydrates you get their natural sugars.

When you eat a banana, that sugar is natural. When you consume potatoes you are consuming natural, non-additive sugar. When you eat beans like black beans, you are consuming the natural sugar that they contain.

Naturally occurring carbohydrates are healthier for you than additive sugars (found in processed foods) because of the fiber in these foods. These natural foods also have important vitamins and minerals.

We don't get the vitamins, minerals and fiber when we consume the same amount of sugar in synthetic food. This makes the food less healthy.

Can you eat mass quantities of naturally occurring carbs because they are healthier? You shouldn't eat anything without moderation.

Carbs get a bad rap. They get blamed for making people fat. That is not true.

Any macro nutrient that is eaten too much will make you gain fat.

Naturally occurring carbs are healthier for sure, but we still want to modify how much we eat.

There are no such things as free lunches.

The sugar in processed food is unhealthy

Processed food may have more, less or the same amount of sugar as natural food.

They do not have nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, plant compounds, trace elements and other important nutrients that natural foods have.

Crackers, chips, soda, many breads and pastas are all processed carbohydrates. They can be yummy! Taste tempts us to sacrifice micro nutrients for the same amount of calories.

Do we really want to eat out of a test tube?

A gram of glucose in a tomato is the same as the gram of glucose in a Snickers bar. The Snickers bar has zero naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Due to all of the synthetic stuff placed in the Snickers bar, it tastes yummy. We want to eat more.

Naturally occurring foods can taste very yummy too.

Glycemic index

Glycemic index is a measure of how fast a carbohydrate converts into sugar when you eat it.

The faster it converts to sugar, the higher the glycemic index. Low glycemic index carbohydrates take longer to convert into sugar.

Here is a list of foods according to their glycemic index.

We used to think of 'sugary' foods like fruits as bad for us because we called them simple sugars. We used to think of all complex carbohydrates like grains as good for us because they were polysaccharides.

Now we know that this is not the case.

Some of what we think of as simple sugars, like fruit, have a low glycemic index. This includes cherries, berries, and green apples.

Many complex carbohydrates have a high glycemic index. This includes white pasta, many types of bread (including whole wheat bread) and white rice.

Glycemic load

We must pay attention to the glycemic index (how quickly sugar goes into your bloodstream) and glycemic load (how much sugar goes into your bloodstream).

Glycemic load is the glycemic index times the grams of carbohydrates in that food.

For example, the glycemic index of cherries is 62. A serving of cherries has 19 grams of carbs. Doing that math, the glycemic load of a serving of cherries is 1178.

In you eat 3 servings then the load is 4712.

Now let us look at an example of a high glycemic food such as the cereal Cornflakes.

Cornflakes have a glycemic index of 81. A serving of corn flakes has 26 grams of carbohydrates. This load now equals 2106.

If you eat a single serving of cornflakes, you get more sugar (2106) than a serving of cherries (1178).

On the other hand, three servings of cherries give you more glucose (4712) than a single serving of cornflakes.

The higher the glycemic load, the more glucose will pour into your cells. Serving size is important.

Serving size matters

Like everything, serving size matters.

We can eat too many cherries, which has a low to moderate glycemic index, and flood our cells with glucose.

We can eat fewer corn flakes, which have a very high glycemic index, and consume less glucose.

Naturally - no pun intended - the lower glycemic index foods are going to be your best bet when eaten moderately.

It really comes down to simple math.

The nutrients surrounding sugar matters

Sugar is sugar. I explained what sugar is. The sugar in fruit is the same as sugar in candy as far as molecules go.

The surrounding nutrients in natural foods versus synthetic foods are not the same.

You can eat sugar in an apple. It comes with fiber. You will fill up quicker and not eat as much. Who finishes a bag of apples and feels guilty about it?

You can eat white bread. It is made up of sugar, but has zero fiber. Chances are you will eat more because you won't feel full.

The apple, which is natural, will also have vitamins and minerals that come with it naturally.

The white bread will have all these micro nutrients stripped away.

Natural foods are full of antioxidants and phytochemicals which boost our immune system. Processed foods are totally void of these wonderful little gifts.

What would you prefer? Mother Nature knows what she is doing.

If we eat as natural as possible, our body will thank us.

We don’t have to be perfect. It is great to shoot for better.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Exercise is so much more than a weight loss tool

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

I have been working in the fitness industry for 25 years.

I started as a PT tech while working on my master’s degree in Exercise Physiology.

I had already earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology at that time. I originally thought that I was going to make a career in psychology.

I found that my true passion was fitness. The fact is that I have still made a career out of psychology as well.

Physiology and psychology go together. The body and the mind are connected. When you add the spiritual component, you have complete wellness.

Body, mind and spirit are combined to form complete wellness.

After working as a PT tech, I started my own personal training business. That was in 1994.

In these 25 years I’ve found that the toughest client to work with is a weight loss client.

It’s not because I struggle with what they need to do. It is because many don’t understand that most weight loss, if not all of it, is going to come from diet.

Exercise is going to serve a different role for them. That’s a hard message for many weight loss clients to grasp.

I believe that I use my psychology background almost as much as I use my physiology education.

For the most part people know they need to exercise and they know they should, most likely, eat better.

There are exaggerated and poor exercise programs out there that confuse people and there are certainly bogus, money making diet programs on the market.

You can get your hands on a good exercise program and diet information if you look. Yet, people aren’t doing it. This is a psychological decision.

Why is the choice to exercise not being made more often?

Less than a quarter of Americans exercise regularly

Depending on which study you look at, only one in seven people are on a sustainable exercise program.

In another more favorable study only one in four are exercising enough.

At the very best, 25% of the United States is exercising enough to get benefits.

Why is that? What gives?

I believe that I have at least part of the reason why. I will get into that below, but let that statistic set in.

We shouldn’t bash people for not exercising.

I’m in the industry. I believe we in the fitness industry have sent out many mixed messages and I don’t think we do a good enough job of explaining why exercise is so important.

If we explain the why, the do is more doable.

How much exercise do you need?

The American College of Sports Medicine, the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization all state that you should exercise for 150 minutes a week to get the health benefits of a fitness program.

That number equals 21 minutes per day.

Yet, as you saw above, we are not getting enough exercise as far as the nation goes.

I’m sure the rest of the world is having the same experience - just not to the extent of the United States.

Is 21 minutes of exercise every day too hard to do? I want people to reach this goal because I know that it is worth it.

Spread the word. Share this image.

Why don’t we exercise enough?

1. We reduce exercise to a weight loss tactic

2. We don't know the real benefits of exercise

3. People make exercise too complicated

I believe that there are three main reasons why we don't exercise enough as a nation.

The first is reason is that we use exercise as a weight loss tool.

Secondly, we don't understand all of the benefits of exercise outside of weight loss (superficial motivation).

The third reason is that we make exercise programs too complicated.

Exercising for weight loss reduces that chance that we will stick to it

The best way to lose weight is through diet. It always has been this way - and it always will be this way.

When I refer to diet, I mean cutting back on how much you eat when you want to lose weight.

It’s all about calories.

Energy (which is calories) consumed must be less than energy used to lose weight.

Yes, exercise can help. The energy consumed part is exercise and other non-exercise activities (NEAT).

Exercise on its own is not enough to lose weight. Exercise usually becomes a bad excuse for eating too much.

If you run one mile, jog one mile, or walk one mile you are going to burn about 100 calories. If you eat a banana afterwards (which takes 1 minute), you just put those calories back.

You can’t keep up. You cannot outrun a poor diet.

I’ve seen marathon runners that I coach gain weight while running 50-80 miles weekly for this very reason.

I’ve seen many people drop a significant amount of weight while never breaking a sweat. It's because they understand the role of diet in the weight loss process.

It’s about cutting calories. If we eat too much food, we will gain weight.

I don’t have the space here to go over all the benefits of choosing good foods to eat because that’s not the point of this article.

The point is that we lose weight from controlling our energy input and output.

The output part, exercise, is limited in its return on investment (regarding weight loss).

Bodybuilders know how to lose weight through diet

Another example I’ll pull from is bodybuilding.

I have competed and work with many people that have done physique competitions.

The workout program does not change that much when it comes to prepping for a show. Bodybuilders do add some more cardio-respiratory exercises into their program, but the big change comes from diet.

The diet becomes more and more critical depending on how much fat the athlete must lose.

Bodybuilders know that weight loss comes from diet - and they exercise a lot! They can lose a lot of fat in a short period of time because they understand this basic principle.

I’m more of a believer in staying close to your best state most of the time and just cutting a little bit when you need to.

If the athlete does that, the diet doesn’t have to be as low in calories. They don’t need to diet as long.

If they allow for too much weight gain during the year, the diet will be stricter and for a longer period.

The point is that body builders have known this forever. When they plan a show, they don’t say “time to start training”. They say, “Time to start dieting”.

Weight loss is about food intake. The professionals know this.

Exercise is a great way to avoid regaining the weight. Weight regain is a major problem with those that struggle with weight loss.

Here is the problem makes people stop exercising: Many people start exercising to lose weight.

Can you guess why they stop?

You got it - they don’t lose weight.

In some cases, people gain weight because they start strength training. Strength training adds muscle. This is a good thing because muscle increases your metabolism (the amount of calories that you burn throughout the day).

People don't see it this way. We focus so much on the scale that we don't realize that we are burning fat.

Commercials have convinced us that the way to weight loss is by wearing a fancy leotard and dancing to music.

If people started a diet program along with the exercise program, they would lose weight. Some are wise enough (or get the right advice) to combine the two.

I want people to exercise for all the true benefits of exercise - and I mean the actual benefits of exercise on its own.

You can absolutely become fit and gain many benefits from exercise - even if you don’t lose a pound.

People don't exercise because they don't understand the benefits of exercise

Exercise is so much more than weight loss.

People who exercise - regardless of weight - are healthier and live longer. There are many studies that support this.

You reduce your risk for chronic diseases and you will live a healthier life if you exercise - even if it is for the minimum amount of 21 minutes each day.

Exercise for the sake of health.

Do I really need to go on? There are more benefits, but let that sink in.

Many people attempt to lose weight for those reasons. Losing weight absolutely lowers disease risk as well.

Exercising, even if you don’t lose weight, has these benefits too.

Trainees that understand this will to stick to exercise and see it for themselves.

The ones that don’t understand this, and only want to lose weight, will often step away from exercise before they experience the real benefits.

You will see that 21 minutes of daily exercise is really worth it if you let this sink in.

Is more exercise better? Yes it can be, but that’s not the idea right now.

We tend to run ahead of ourselves and burn out before we establish a proper routine.

We can see the benefits of exercise from doing as little as 150 minutes a week.

That is very worth it to me.

Weight loss isn't the best motivation.

The other benefits of exercise outside of lowering risk for chronic diseases are many.

Exercise increases bone density. Exercise strengthens your heart so that you won’t be as winded during your daily activities.

Exercise adds muscle tone. Who doesn’t still want to look good in their tank top or t-shirt? Exercise makes you stronger. Exercise makes you better at all your ADL’s (activities of daily living).

Exercise makes you better at sports if you play any. Exercise improves your posture. Proper strength exercise prevents injury.

Exercise builds your confidence and self-esteem. Exercise lifts your mood. Endorphins are natural pain killers. They are released when you start exercising. Exercise improves your social life when you do it with others.

I have had so many clients and friends make amazing friendships from picking up a sport or joining an exercise group.

Benefits of exercise

1. Lowers risk for chronic disease

2. Increases bone density

3. Strengthens the heart

4. You won't be winded when you do something

5. Exercise adds muscle tone

6. Improves appearance

7. Makes you stronger

8. Increases motivation

9. Makes you better at everything else that you do

10. Improves mental performance

11. Improves physical skills

12. Improves posture

13. Prevents injury

14. Builds confidence and self esteem

15. Gives you a sense of achievement

16. Lifts your mood

17. Reduces pain

18. Improves your social life

Fitness professionals make it too complicated

We need to KISS.

We really need to Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The final major reason why people aren’t doing the minimum amount of exercise to help them is because we experts have made it too complicated.

We’ve tried to sell it as a certain way that it must be done.

You just must move to get the health benefits of exercise.

If we can get everyone in this country to move the minimal amount of time each day, we would be so much healthier as a nation and as a global population.

I believe that fitness professionals, along with the other reasons mentioned above, have an caused an issue in getting people to move more because of a paralysis of analysis where people don’t do enough because they don’t know what to do.

People don't exercise enough because they are bombarded with the technicalities of how to do it.

Just move. It's that simple.

I’m an exercise physiologist. I have all the top certifications and I’m telling you that many people in my field and in the medical field over-complicate exercise.

Just move. Walk, run, bike, skip, lift, swim, and/or play sports. Just move your body.

Don't let things like your maximal heart rate make exercise too complicated

I have used target heart rates for clients for their cardio-respiratory exercise prescription.

For the most part, they are overrated.

They serve a purpose in some cases but for the health benefits of exercise they are very unnecessary.

Let me give you some facts about heart rate calculations.

There is a standard deviation of age predicated maximum heart rate and actual maximal heart rate

The formula for age predicted maximum heart rate is 220 minus age. You might see a poster of this hung up on the wall at a gym.

You derive a maximal heart rate from this formula.

If you are 40 years old, then 220-40 equals 180. If you are going to exercise at 80% of that (a common prescription) then your target heart rate is 144.

There is a potential problem with this. There is a standard deviation of 30 beats when using the estimated maximal heart rate formula.

This means that this 40 year old’s heart rate could be anywhere from 165 to 195.

That really throws off the 80% heart rate!

This standard deviation now makes the 80% either 132 or 156 which is a 24-beat swing. You might as well not track it.

Keep it simple.

There is a place for these kinds of prescriptions, but I believe they often cause more harm than good.

We’ve known a lot of this stuff for 50 years, so why aren’t people exercising more?

We’ve made it more complicated than it must be. I can take this all the way to the elites as well.

Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in 1954.

Now, the record is about 15 seconds faster.

15 seconds is a lot when you are racing the mile, but think about that.

With all the training and knowledge that we now have access to, we’ve only shaved 15 seconds in 64 years.

He seemed to be doing well with not as many formulas and prescriptions. I can go on and on with examples.

Don’t get me wrong; shaving just milliseconds in competition is huge. Why aren't our workout formula's getting people to move more often?

The added technicality hasn't helped us that much because it has given us more to calculate.

We have over-prescribed exercise.

I don’t think that we need to over-prescribe or over-plan a simple habit.

I believe that if we just get out there and do it; our body will let us know how to progress.

We get the opposite effect of what we want when we over plan and over prescribe something as simple as exercise.

Just move. Just do it.

Just get up and move. That's all.

Even a small amount of exercise is worth it

Exercise is worth it.

We don’t have to do as much as we might have been led to believe - and we don’t have to go as hard.

We benefit in so many ways from doing it.

It’s not about losing weight. It’s not about performing a complicated program. It’s about moving.

When we exercise, we become healthier. The science bears this out.

Give it a try and let the endorphins get you through until you start seeing the benefits.

Once you do, I hope that you end up joining the top 25% of the world that realize how much it helps them.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.