The personal trainer answered weight loss and fat-burning questions she’s frequently asked by clients – and explains why resistance training is the key to fast results.
Sports nutritionist and scientist Rachel Attard from Queenslandknown for her leg slimming workouts and responsible for countless body transformations for all three body types.
The mom posted a Q&A on her Instagram page, talking about the benefits of walking, why it’s important to monitor your hormones, and why running isn’t always the key to weight loss success.
A personal trainer answers the weight loss and fat burning questions her clients often ask her and explains why resistance training is the key to fast results
DO YOU NEED TO DO INTENSE WORKOUTS TO LOSE A LOT OF WEIGHT?
“Not at all, you can lose weight without doing any exercise, just by focusing on your diet,” Rachel said.
“You can’t lose weight just by exercising and eating poorly – diet is the most important thing in losing weight.
“Exercise will help you get results faster, and of course it has many other benefits. You really can do any exercise you want with a good diet and lose weight.”
Catherine (pictured) is an endomorph who struggled to find a workout program that didn’t bulk up her arms and legs and made the switch with Rachel’s Skinny Legs Program
HOW NOT TO BREAK THE METABOLISM DURING A CALORIE DEFICIT?
“To lose weight, you need to eat healthy but also in a calorie deficit (meaning you eat fewer calories than you burn),” Rachel said.
“Eating a calorie deficit will lower your metabolism over time, so the best way to avoid damage is to not go to extremes – a 500 calorie deficit is the maximum. Do not starve yourself.
“Take a break after eight weeks – a week of rest and eat whatever you want – and two higher calorie and higher carb days during the week (carb cycle).
“Don’t give up on food, staying balanced will help you in the long run.”
“To lose weight you need to eat healthy but also in a calorie deficit (meaning you eat fewer calories than you burn),” said Rachel
WILL RUNNING EVERY DAY + A CALORIE DEFICIT HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?
“Yeah, but there’s better exercise than running every day,” Rachel said.
“Running every day can cause more problems (overtraining, injuries, and high cortisol levels that lead to weight gain.
“I would recommend running a maximum of three times a week and always include resistance training. A deficit of 300 calories.”
I CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT, IS IT HORMONE RELATED?
“If you’re eating the right amount of food and eating healthy, then there’s a 99 percent chance it’s hormones,” Rachel said.
“All hormones affect weight loss, and if you have one hormone imbalance, chances are the others are off as well.
“I would strongly recommend seeing an integrative physician for an evaluation.”
What hormonal imbalances most commonly affect weight loss?
– High or low cortisol levels
– Problems with the thyroid gland
– Dominance of estrogens
– PCOS
– Gut health problems (can cause weight gain and high cortisol levels)
Glennon, Rachel’s client, transformed in just six weeks with Rachel’s program
SHOULD I DO CARDIO FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
“Cardio can definitely help with weight loss. High-intensity cardio especially burns a lot of calories,” Rachel said, reminding her client to keep running up to three times a week.
“I would also incorporate resistance training, it will make a huge difference in your weight loss.”
What does your body type say about how you should train?
ECTAMORPH
Ectomorphs are usually naturally slim (like Victoria’s Secret models) and find it difficult to build muscle mass.
If you’re an ectomorph body type, you probably already have skinnier legs by nature. So your goal here is to maintain (or maybe lose some stubborn lower body fat) while building muscle.
In this way, your legs will gain tone and definition, and you will avoid the skinny fat look.
MESOMORPH
Mesomorphs can be quite athletic and respond quickly to exercise, meaning they build muscle easily.
They can lose weight very quickly, but they can also gain weight quickly. As a rule, they are of medium size.
If you are a mesomorph, excessive training such as squats and lunges can easily lead to bulky legs. So your goal here is to reduce your body fat percentage and avoid exercises that bulk up your legs in the process.
ENDOMORPH
Endomorphs naturally have a strong build and larger build. They build muscle very quickly and it’s a little harder for them to lose weight. But it is not impossible!
If you’re an endomorph body type, your goal is to really focus on reducing your total body fat and completely avoid any training that can lead to bulking.
Rachel’s workouts have helped thousands of women get the body of their dreams fast
DO YOU NEED TO COUNT CALORIES TO LOSE WEIGHT?
“You don’t have to count calories — you can eat intuitively, eat when you’re hungry and eat when you’re full,” Rachel said.
“But it’s hard for a lot of people, and most of us don’t realize how much (or how little) we’re eating until we do the math.
“I recommend recording your calorie intake in the My Fitness Pal app for just one or two days to get an idea of how much you’re eating. Then you can decide if you need to eat more or less and eat intuitively from there.”
HOW MUCH WALKING IS GOOD FOR FAST WEIGHT LOSS?
“Walking is great exercise for weight loss, but it’s not the best exercise for weight loss,” Rachel said.
“Resistance training is that, followed by high-intensity cardio. You can definitely still walk (and I encourage it), but I would add other types of exercise.’
Rachel said: “Walking is great exercise for slimming your legs, but it’s not the best exercise for losing weight.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to dailymail.co.uk
