Most Common Mistakes - Thinking you “earn” treats by completing your workouts
I read an article a long time ago suggesting that training actually made people gain bodyfat instead of lose it.
The premise was that many people who go to the gym are more likely to have that extra treat because they ”earned” it.
They assume that because they worked hard in their workout, it justifies the muffin with their coffee (or whatever you opt for as a treat).
The logic is partly there - you work hard and burn a few calories, so you deserve to treat yourself with a few calories.
The problem lies in the fact that you can consume calories far, far more quickly than you can burn them.
The “hard” workout you just did may have burned 300-400 calories beyond what your body would have burned anyway if you hadn’t trained.
A coffee and a muffin could easily run you 500-600 calories.
People overestimate what they burn, and underestimate what they eat.
The other thing I’ve seen people do is to eat something they’re trying to limit (because they want to drop bodyfat) and excuse it by saying “I’ll work extra hard in my next workout” or “I’ll do an extra workout next week”.
Again, chances are they’re eating more calories than they’ll burn in their “make-up-for-it” workout.
I’m not saying that you can’t have those treats. In fact I STRONGLY encourage people to keep these things in their diet. The foods you enjoy keep you on track - cutting them out leaves you thinking about “when the diet ends” or when you get to eat them again.
The key thing to remember though is that these foods need to fit into your calorie target - not be surplus to it.
Trying to compensate for guilty treats is a long road to nowhere.
The reward for completing your workouts is the increased strength and fitness levels, better health, a feeling of accomplishment and pride, and the much cherished fat loss… NOT an extra serving of cheesecake or a bottle of wine!
If you need help figuring out how to incorporate your favourite foods into a healthy diet that leads to fat loss and a better physique, get in touch and let’s chat about Online Coaching.
I can help you move towards your goals whilst still enjoying the foods YOU like, rather than foods you hate but someone else has told you you should eat.
Mark
