Burning Questions: Restarting a Weight Loss Journey

In my “Burning Questions” segment, I pick out a reader submitted fitness question that I think could help others achieve their fitness and fat loss goals. A few days ago, Ashley W. sent me an e-mail and shared some of her struggles with weight loss.  If you have a fat burning, workout, diet and or any other fitness related question, feel free to e-mail me, or contact me via one of my social media accounts and I will answer it in Burning Questions. Here’s Ashley’s e-mail: 

Hey Coach, 

I wanted to talk to you this morning about the issues I have been having this year with my weight and health.  Also I need to remedy what I have done and learn how to be healthy all around. I went a little crazy with my working out at the start of the year with 2 hour high intensity workouts.  Absolutely was not eating correctly, pushing myself harder and harder but never being where I wanted.  Although I was at my lowest weight I didn't feel good. I was always picking up one cold or another, my body hurt ,my joints hurt. Everything hurt.  Now at the end of the year I have absolutely no ambition to do anything. It honestly feels sometimes like my body is just done doing anything.  I have put on 15 pounds and I absolutely feel miserable.  

I have done a lot of research on healthy eating and I am starting your diet plan ASAP.  

Should I start working on my diet first and slowly working the workouts in?  Or can I jump right in?  I want to find something I can stick to that will show me results.  Eight years ago I started my weight loss journey from 230 pounds and lost weight immediately!  I know its harder to lose the last few 15-10 pounds. I just want to feel good again. I remember how much I honestly enjoyed your workouts!!  They got me pumped!!!  

I am excited to start up again with your plan!!!  

Any advice or help you can give will be amazing!!  

Thanks, 

Ashley W.

Hi Ashley,

First, remember where you where and how far you've come.  Health and fitness is a life long journey and sometimes you'll need to stop and ask for directions as well as plan for the next leg of your journey.  

With that being said, let me get into your 2 hour "high intensity" workouts. There's definitely a misunderstanding there of what true high intensity is. Sprinting is an example of high intensity, while jogging is an example of low intensity.  One can only be done in short spurts or for a relatively short amount of time, while the other can be done longer. 

If you were working out for two hours, it was actually low intensity work that was being done.  I wrote an article a few years back on how too much low intensity exercise can actually hurt your fat loss goals by slowing down your metabolism.  

You also mentioned you weren't eating correctly, obviously that's not going to help.  Food is fuel, and you need to fuel up properly to perform well and feel good.  My diet philosophy/principles are simple, but they work, precisely because you’re putting in better fuel in your body.  

If you were a client, I would get you on short, intense workouts(Fat X Workouts).  These will start taxing your metabolic processes sufficiently to raiser your BMR (basal metabolic rate).  I would have you use weights as heavy as possible for your own personal fitness level and ability. These workouts would be tracked, as in the Fat X Program, and the idea would be to improve your stats each time you do that specific workout.  You'd be competing against yourself and yourself only.  

By the way, I'd like you to start thinking "fat loss" and not "weight loss".  Fat loss is more specific.  Hope I've helped! 

- Coach Rollie 

Read the previous "Burning Questions" segment:

Burning Questions: Should I Go Heavy? 

Have a burning fitness question?  Feel free to contact me! 

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