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I’m Not Losing Weight! Exercise Doesn’t Work!

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You decide that it’s time. Time to make a change. You want to lose 20 or 30lbs and you know that exercise is going to help burn that fat, so you do what most do and join the gym. You start working out 3 or 4 times a week and bust your butt in the gym. A few weeks go by and you step on the scale… no change. You get discouraged and skip your next workout, then another and before you know it you have lost all momentum and the desire to even try anymore. What’s the point right? You worked hard for a few weeks and the scale showed nothing.

This scenario happens over and over and over again at the gym. Let me assure you that it’s not exercises fault.

The problem usually occurs because most of us think that exercising 3 or 4 times a week will just melt the fat away. Don’t get me wrong, exercise is a very powerful weight loss tool. We talk about that all the time and it is true. But in the grand scheme of things weight loss comes down to burning more energy in a day then you take in. A typical 1 hour exercise session with a mix of strength training and cardio will burn approximately 200 to 400 calories depending on your weight, gender and your exercise intensity. Let’s say you workout 3 times a week and burn 400 calories each session. That’s 1200 calories burned in a week. It takes about 3500 calories to make up one pound of body fat loss. So, exercise alone will not get you there.

What is almost always missing is the attention to your food intake. If weight loss is your goal and you only focus on exercise but don’t address diet you could be setting yourself up for failure. You are using exercise as your only tool, and we just showed how exercise alone leaves you short, and then you are most likely using the scale as your metric to measure success. This is the formula that is to blame for so many people giving up on their weight loss goals. It’s a cycle of hard work met by disappointment once they step on the scale to measure their success.

I won’t get in to the best ways to address your diet here because that is a whole different conversation but you can download our book Eat Smart, Eat Often, Eat Small for free above this article and learn everything you need to know.

Hopefully this gives you something to think about. We have to rethink the way we talk about exercise. The amount of health benefits that come from regular, consistent exercise is a list a mile long. Don’t stop. Just because the scale isn’t showing dramatic weight loss, don’t give up.Weight loss happens over time, not in an instant. Address the missing piece of the puzzle, your diet. Just don’t blame exercise. It does nothing but good things for you!

The Power of Regular Activity

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What if we told you that you have the power to add years to your life span, perform daily activities easier or prevent disease and sickness?

The truth is we all have this power and it can all be accomplished through consistent, regular physical activity!

This can be planned exercise or any activity really that requires you to expend energy.

The power of regular movement, be it planned exercise or not, has many proven positive benefits. The more consistent the physical activity is, the greater the potential benefits.

Here is a brief list of what you can expect to achieve by introducing regular physical activity and movement into your lifestyle:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower blood sugar
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Reduce your risk of heart disease
  • Reduce your risk of diabetes
  • Lose weight
  • Gain strength
  • Improve bone density
  • Improve range of motion
  • Stronger joints
  • Improve joint conditions (eg. arthritis)
  • Help with depression
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase longevity
  • Perform daily activities better/easier
  • Maintain independence
  • Reduce risk of some types of cancer
  • Improve cognitive abilities

This list could go on and on.

The human body was meant to work. Today we sit more then ever in the history of our existence so building regular physical activity and exercise into your life has become a necessity. The more we move and challenge our bodies, the more fit we become, the more efficient and effective we are and of course the healthier we are. So, get moving!

What to look for when joining a health club or training facility.

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1. How long have they been in business? (G&M Fitness has been in business for 35 years)

2. Are the owners accessible and on site, run the business or are they absentee owners? (G&M are accessible and on site)

3. Do they offer short term memberships or one year only? (G&M offers short term)

4. Do they offer monthly payment plans or all up front only? (G&M offers payment plans)

5. Do the owners and staff have exercise/fitness experience? (G&M themselves have collectively over 50 years experience)

6. Is the facility clean, updated and looked after properly? (G&M looks after the facility properly)

7. Are the members treated fairly and with respect at all times? (G&M treats all members fairly and with respect)

8. Does the business own or rent the building? (G&M owns the building)

9. Does the business offer a “buyout” should an unfortunate and / or unavoidable situation occur that does not allow them to continue their membership? (G&M – yes)

10. Does the business “give back”? (G&M gives back)

11. Is the facility available to you 24 hours a day 365 days a year? (G&M – yes)

12. Does the business offer a trial period? (G&M – yes)

13. Does the business give initial orientations? (G&M – yes). Is it extra? (G&M – included)

14. Is the working staff accessible on the exercise floor to answer questions or are they in a remote location? (G&M staff is on the exercise floor and always available to answer questions)

15. Do you feel pressured into signing up? (G&M does not do pressure sales)

16. Do they have a good reputation in the fitness industry? (G&M – yes)

17. Do they offer a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee? (G&M – yes)

18. Are they in a convenient location? (G&M is located in the heart of downtown)

19. Is the facility climate controlled all year? (G&M – yes)

20. Is the facility safe and secure? (G&M – yes)

Gino

The “Spill Over” Effect of Exercise in Your Life

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When most of us think about the many benefits of regular exercise in our life we usually think of losing weight, getting stronger, or having better stamina, but they are typically some type of physical benefits.

Achieving these types of outcomes feels great. It changes how you look, how you feel and how you perform, and with that comes a huge increase in your confidence.

This confidence “spills over” into other areas of your life, into your work and your relationships. We hear it all of the time. Things like how losing weight gave them the confidence to get back into a dress they used to wear when they were in college, or getting stronger made them feel more confident in themselves to take a trip of a lifetime mountain climbing, or that they are a better husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother because they are happier with themselves.

These kinds of benefits are priceless. This is what we mean when we say we want to help members achieve a superior quality of life. We are not only thinking of the physical benefits, but all of the other benefits that spill over into your everyday life as well.

Another example is how regular exercise creates discipline. Taking care of yourself, eating healthier, going to the gym, that all takes discipline. Again, becoming more disciplined will carry over and positively impact other areas in your life.

Whether you know it or not, building regular exercise into your life is helping you in more ways then is normally thought about. It not only has the power to change your physical appearance and abilities, but also who you are and how you live your life.

Manage your priorities, not your time.

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No time. After all of these years running this health club, trying to figure out why more people don’t exercise regularly, we have finally concluded by researching, surveying, asking, listening, etc., that the number one reason people give for not exercising regularly is lack of time.

Well, the fact of the matter is that we all have the same amount of time. It’s what you do with that time that’s important. It’s not a matter of time management; it’s a matter of priority management. 

Get that straight.

Most likely, if you have a good look at your daily activities besides the ones you have to do, (like going to work), you probably have several hours a day to choose your activities. Some days, let’s face it, you actually don’t have any spare time, but likely some days you do. You have to ask yourself, what’s most important to you?

Watching a movie, going shopping, playing video games, searching the web, having lunch with friends, or maybe doing something to ensure you sustain good health as you age!

Well, here’s the good news, which most people don’t realize. You only need a few hours a week! I’d say three to four hours a week, that’s it. If you come to our gym three times a week, no more, but you do what we show you and you do it consistently, you will achieve the physical results that you want, we guarantee it.

So, can you find three hours in your busy week to ensure your good health? I think most can. Can you find something that you do three times a week that’s not as important as your good health? I think most can.

So, what’s your excuse now?

In my humble opinion, lack of time is no excuse, because simply put, you don’t have any less time than anyone else.

Gino

Your Membership Dollars At Work

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Your membership dollars gets you more than just a membership, it empowers us.

Yup, you walk in, sign up at the front desk, pay us and you are on your way. Easy breezy. Well, not quite. Here’s what those membership dollars do while you are getting in or staying in the best shape of your life. Your membership dollars:

1. Help pay the bills. After all, this is a business.

2. Help to sponsor an additional orphan child from a third world country each and every year. We are now up to seven.

3. Help us to provide a local family in need at Christmas time with a substantial gift of grocery dollars and gifts for their children.

4. Help to provide our members with a Summer Family Barbeque with food, drinks and fun.

5. Help to provide our members with free monthly seminars like the “Start Right” class, the “Strength Training with Machines” class, the “Strength Training with Free Weights” class, the “Nutrition” class, the new “Stretching” class coming soon, and our guest speaker series coming soon also. All for you…..no charge.

6. Help to provide and maintain the 24 hour access system for your convenience.

7. Help us continue to provide our members with a top notch health club and the opportunity to continue to look for more ways to improve our services and our facility like our recent renovations and our defibrillator.

We truly want all of our members to be proud members. Not only proud of themselves for choosing to exercise regularly and take care of themselves, but also to be proud of us as owners for what we do with your membership dollars on your behalf.

Thank you for being a member of our club.

Gino

Making Exercise Work

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Let’s get clear on something. Getting and staying in good shape and in good health is work. The concept is simple, exercise a few days a week, eat better, move more, but make no mistake it is not easy.

Results are not immediate and that can really test us on our journey to better health and fitness. You can’t do a workout, wake up the next day and look in the mirror and see change. Like anything worth while, you have to stay at it, work at it over a long period of time and then once you achieve your goal, you still have to continue to work at it to maintain your achievement or you risk losing it and wasting all of that time and effort to get there.

To make this exercise thing work for you it has to become part of your lifestyle. The trick is to fit it in to your life but not have it take over your life where it becomes a burden. Here are a couple tips to help you achieve this.

Plan Ahead. If you treat exercise as something that is a nice to do when you have time you will never have time to do it. You have to plan ahead and schedule time for your workouts like any other appointment you have that you wouldn’t miss. Figure out what a realistic schedule is for you to stick to and schedule it. We recommend 3 days a week but if you can only fit in 2, that is ok too. Consistency is the key so whatever amount works for you. Remember that this is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Working out 2 days a week for the rest of your life is much better for you and will give you much better long-term results then working out everyday for 2 weeks and then quitting because it is too much.

Keep it Short. Don’t Over Commit. This is in regards to your workout time. In and out in an hour or less should be the goal. You can do everything you need to do in that amount of time. You could even get a good workout in in 30 minutes if that is all you have. The point is to not make your workouts take up too much of your day, otherwise it becomes a burden on your schedule and you will skip it.

Whatever your goal is, whether it is weight loss, strength gain, better quality of life, the results don’t happen in a moment, they come over time. The longer you stay at it, the better the results. The members that we have seen have the most success seen it come over years, with some ups and downs along the way, but they were consistently staying at it and still are today. Nobody loses 80lbs in a month, or fixes joint pain from a couple of workouts. It does take time, but if you plan ahead and keep it short, it doesn’t have to take up too much precious time and you will be far better able to enjoy more time actively doing the things you want to, for as long as you want to, because you invested a few hours a week into yourself!  

Want to Live Longer?

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Recently I read an article from TIME Magazine with this exact title and it listed 5 habits that if adhered to, can add about 10 years to your lifespan. Here is a summary of what the article said in regards to the 5 habits and what research says about living your fullest, longest life.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Diet is strongly linked to longevity. The article explains that research shows the best diet is one that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and healthy fats and does not include much sugar or processed food, naming the Mediterranean diet as the diet that fits this best. To keep it simple, just eat real food and control your portion sizes. Eat Smart, Eat Often and Eat Small. Have you heard that before?

Exercise Regularly

“Working out regularly is a boon for both your physical and mental health, boosting everything from cardiovascular fitness to mood and energy – so it’s no surprise that it can also extend your life” the article says.
Current activity guidelines recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week plus 2 weekly strength training sessions for best health and longevity benefits. It also says that even if you don’t exercise now, its not too late and that research shows that there are longevity benefits to both long term exercisers and later in life exercisers.

Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

If you follow the first two recommendations, this one will take care of itself. Being overweight is linked to many chronic conditions which all have the potential to shorten your lifespan. Eat well and exercise regularly. That is the secret sauce of weight management.

Drink in Moderation

More and more the research is coming out on alcohol consumption that is in support of limiting alcohol as much as possible. It used to say that moderate consumption was ok, healthy even. Now researchers are starting to sway in the opposite direction. Last year a meta-analysis of prior alcohol studies concluded that there is no safe amount of drinking, because the net risks outweigh any potential benefits.

No Smoking

Smoking is associated with serious health problems making it a serious threat to your life longevity. If you do smoke, experts recommend quitting as soon as possible to minimize any threats to your long-term health.

And there you have it, straight from the latest research. We do have a lot of control over increasing the odds of living a long, healthy life if we follow these 5 recommendations. None of this is new either, we have all heard this before and we have been helping people take back control of their health with these exact habits for over 33 years.

What is the Point of Exercise Really?

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We talk about this in our Start Right class for new members and others who are interested in getting started exercising and bettering their lives and want all of the information possible to set themselves up for success right from the start.

There was a time where we as humans physically worked, a lot. We had to to survive. Over many many years we have created smarter, more efficient ways of doing things that are either much less stressful or are completely automated and don’t require any physical effort on our part at all.

Although this is great as it makes our lives easier and allows us to do things quicker and also do things we otherwise would not ever be able to do, it’s also weakening our bodies.

It was my Dad who put it this way but I thought it’s really the best analogy of what the entire point of exercise really is and that is to simulate work.

That’s it. The entire point of exercise is to simulate the work we used to do and that our bodies were made to do. It keeps us strong, agile and maintains our independence.

Sure, there is a much deeper more scientific answer to why we need to exercise but it’s really not necessary. The simple point is that our bodies are made to work and exercise simulates that environment that most of us no longer encounter on a daily basis. And it’s true that if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

So, take advantage of all the automation, tools and gadgets you want to enhance your life and make things easier, as long as you incorporate regular exercise into your life to keep your bodies strong and fit over your lifespan and keep your body working.

Unfortunately, exercise is not an option in this day and age, it is a requirement to feel, look and perform your best.

Warning! Don’t Let This Happen To You!

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Let’s face it. Summer is over whether we like it or not. Kids are back to school, teachers are back to work, summer vacations are over, and fall is coming fast. In regards to fitness, and why you should consider this a warning is that over the many, many years operating this club, we see the same trends each and every year. Here is the trend we see most during the fall season. It’s most people’s intent to start or re-start their regular exercise routine at the gym right after Labour Day.

1. “But it’s a Tuesday, I’ll get a bunch of things done this week and then start fresh on Monday.”

Monday comes and the work around the house is taking longer than expected, so…

2. “Let’s wait another week or so. I need it.”

Before you know it, it’s the beginning of October. Whoops!

3. “Hey, when’s Thanksgiving this year,” you ask yourself. “What the heck, no sense in starting back to the gym until after Thanksgiving because it will be all for nothing considering all that food I’m going to eat.”

Thanksgiving comes and goes and you regret every bite you took of that enormous meal.

4. “I feel like crap. Just as soon as I rake up all of these blasted leaves, I’ll get back to the gym.”

Finally, all of the leaves are taken care of, all of the outdoor furniture is stored away and we’re ready for winter.

5. “Sh*t, Christmas is four weeks away and I haven’t even thought about Christmas shopping! I’d better get started. I promise, I will get back to the gym first of the New Year.”

The New Year is pretty much the “do or die” for most, the “deadline.”

6. “My New Year’s Resolution is to get back to the gym!”………but it’s a Wednesday! I’ll start on Monday.”

This will happen if you let it. So don’t let it. Take control of your life and make the right decisions in regards to your health. We are waiting for you. My words of advice are these:

The best thing you could possibly do for yourself is start a regular exercise routine.

The second best thing you could possibly do for yourself is never stop.

Gino