9 Common Fitness Questions Answered
By Noelle Walker at New Fitness Personal Training
Over the past few decades of being a personal trainer I have heard and answered many fitness questions. Most of these questions have been centered around weight loss and fat loss. There are 9 common fitness questions that have been asked over and over again and in this blog post I will answer these questions..
9 Fitness Questions And Answers
- How Long Will It Take To Start Losing Fat?
This is a loaded question isn’t? This is probably the most asked question regarding weight loss. I always tell people that this dependent on the individual. Everyone is different and everyone is going to lose fat at a different rate. Having said that, I can give an average time for most individuals. Generally within 6 weeks you start losing fat. The first couple of weeks that you notice you are losing weight with the use of a scale is due to water loss. When you live a sedentary life including sitting and not eating very healthy, you tend you retain water and lots of it. So when you start on a fat loss journey this the first thing to go. This is a good thing though. Don’t despair because following water loss is fat loss.
2. If I Sweat A Lot Does That Mean I Will Lose More Fat?
This question kinda drives me crazy to tell ya the truth. Think about it. Sweat is water. So when sweat comes through your pores, magical fat cells do not come through your pores with the help of sweat. It is not physiologically possible. At all. What you are losing when sweating is a whole lot of water and salt, not fat.
3. How Much Cardio Should I Do?
I love when people ask me this question because people are doing way too much cardio. Do I think cardio is essential at losing weight and fat. Yep I have no doubt about that. Cardio works. But going on a treadmill or stepper or whatever the cardio machine is for an entire hour at 3 miles per hour is not needed and you are wasting your time. You might as well be doing nothing. 20 minutes of cardio 2-3 times per week is sufficient. Make sure you’re at moderate intensity at least or high intensity is even better. You will lose fat at this rate. Please stop doing hours of cardio.
4. How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
This is definitely based on the individual. What you need to do is figure out how many calories per day that you are taking in currently. I recommend writing down everything you eat per day for an entire week. Make sure you add up all of the calories daily and weekly as well. There is an equation or series of equations to figure this out accurately. You will need to figure out your resting metabolic rate. This is very important. What this means is the number of calories you burn at rest. RMR = (height in centimeters x 6.25) + (weight in kilograms x 9.99) – (age x 4.92) – 161. Then you need to figure out your intentional calories rate due to exercise-going to the gym, running, playing sports etc..You will multiply these numbers with your RMR. Sedentary (multiply by 1.2), Lightly Active (multiply by 1.375), Moderately Active (multiply by 1.55), Very Active (multiply by 1.725), Extremely Active (multiply by 1.9) And with this number plus your daily calorie intake, you will figure out how many calories you should eat. To keep this easy without calculations you will keep in mind that 3500 calories is one pound. So in order to lose one pound a week you will need to burn an extra 250 calories per day plus decreasing your daily calorie intake by 250 calories. I know most of this sounds pretty complex so I would recommend getting a personal trainer or nutritionist to figure out these values for you. There are also online calculators out there if you want to skip all of this. Search them on Google, they are out there. Bear in mind that some of these calculators are not that accurate though. If you get your hands on Mifflin-St Jeor Equation Calculator then this would be the most accurate.
5. I Want To Tone But I Don’t Want To Build Muscle
This is more of a statement than a question but it’s one I hear very often. The reality of this is you need to build muscle in order to tone. Women tell me this because they afraid of getting bulky. Number one most women are not capable of being bulky due to building muscle. We don’t have the right hormone which is testosterone in order to become bulky. Next if you build or have someone build the right program for you, you will never become bulky. This is done through exercise selection, reps, sets, rest and tempo. But the point is you can’t tone something that is not there. You want to tone muscle? Well you need to build some first!
6. Is Fasted Cardio Better Than Eating Before Cardio For Weight Loss?
There have been numerous scientific studies to disprove that fasted cardio is better for fat loss but yet we keep still seeing this and I keep getting this question asked. The truth of the matter is that neither one of these-fasted cardio or fed cardio makes any difference to overall fat loss and weight loss. What does matter is the overall expenditure. In other words this is a case of calories in and calories out. This will determine whether you lose the weight or not, not whether you workout on an empty stomach or not. It doesn’t matter whether your body at that particular time is targeting fat stores as opposed to carbs. You just need to concern yourself with the overall picture and whether you are burning enough calories or not.
7. Do I Have To Load Up On Protein As Soon As I Am Done Working Out?
It used to be widely known that as soon as you were done working out, more specifically lifting weights that you need to load up on protein. It was called the anabolic window, meaning that you only have so much time to consume the protein in order to get the full benefits of your workout. Scientific research has debunked this idea but as always it continues to be pervasive. So I am here to tell you that no you don’t have to load up on protein after a workout. Do I recommend eating post workout? Absolutely!
8. Does Drinking Water Cause Fat Loss?
Drinking water is something all of us need to do. We must stay hydrated to keep healthy. But does it cause fat loss? Yes and no. Drinking water itself does not cause fat loss but it does and will stop you from overeating. The water will fill you up to the point that it will prevent you from having extra. It also eliminates bloating. So it will seem like it is causing fat loss because you are actually less bloated than before. I always tell my clients to drink more water. People don’t drink enough. And coffee and tea don’t count. They actually make you more dehydrated so if you are having coffee and tea you in fact need to drink MORE water than someone who doesn’t drink coffee or tea. My recommendation is 2-3 litres of water per day. 3 if you are exercising daily and 2 if you are not.
9. Will Carbs Make Me Gain Weight?
This is the most asked question I think out of all of these questions. For some silly reason people think carbs make you fat. They DON’T!! Carbs are essential for very process in your body. There is no other source of fuel including fat that does this. From your muscles to your brain to your blood vessels, carbs are needed and essential. People who do not eat enough carbs are not healthy and will have a much harder time losing fat and gaining muscle. They will also have a much harder time finding energy and concentrating on tasks they need to do throughout the day. I hope you are getting a sense of what I am saying here. Carbs are essential and no they do not cause fat or weight gain. Excess calories do and not enough movement throughout the day does. So eat your carbs! And don’t forget to workout! My recommendation? 40-60% of your daily nutrition must be carbs.
So those are 9 common fitness questions I hear and read everyday. I hope you gained some knowledge and insight from this. I realize that some people will disagree with me but opinions mean nothing. Science and research is the only thing that matters here. All of the above information is fact and not open to opinions. These facts may change due to scientific discovery and studies but for now, it is fact. If you have any additional fitness questions comment below and I will answer them. Thank you for reading!
