Exercise & Weight loss

Make diet your first Checkpoint. I have seen many people join a gym, increase their workouts and start walking for an hour every day to lose weight. Six months later, they tell me they look a little slimmer, but the weighing scale has barely moved.

Then comes the question, I am exercising so much. Why am I not losing weight? Here’s a simple example. If my dog gained excess weight, I would first look at how much I was feeding her before making her run more every morning.

Yet, with ourselves, we often increase exercise without reviewing our food habits. The portions remain the same. The extra snacks continue. Sometimes, we even eat more because we worked out.

Before adding another hour of exercise, look at what is happening on your plate. This does not mean starving yourself or suddenly skipping meals. Increasing exercise while eating too little can leave you hungry, tired and struggling to get through your working day. Start with balanced meals and portions suited to your needs. Alongside that, choose movement your body can comfortably manage.

Short walks, gentle yoga and everyday activity can help you get started. Build up your exercise gradually as your fitness improves. You do not need to wait until you lose weight to exercise. But you do not need to exhaust yourself from day one either.

Give your food habits the same attention you give your workouts.