For a long time, people have been saying that the best way to lose weight is cardio and eating zero carbs.
Cardio and controlling carbohydrate intake are tools that can and should be utilized to reach your goals but relying solely on running or biking while robbing your body of essential nutrients won’t get you the results you are looking to achieve.
PELOTON + WEIGHTS
I’m not going to knock Peloton. I’m a huge fan of anything that makes fitness more fun and accessible to a wide number of people. If you have one and you love it – keep going! And when you’re ready, we can talk about adding weight training.
If you have had one for a while, you still love it, but results are plateauing, then it’s time to shake up your routine by adding 2-3 days of training with weights each week. Introducing tools like barbells and kettlebells to workouts can promote a significant calorie burn each session.
Lifting weights also has the added benefit or replacing fat with lean muscle, which is essential because our body works harder to maintain muscle than it does fat.
Your body working harder means more calories burned throughout the day without any additional work.
ZERO CARBS = ZERO RESULTS
If you are working out in any capacity, the LAST thing you should do is cut carbs. They are your body’s preferred energy source and help fuel vital organs.
Without carbs, your body won’t have the energy it needs to fuel your workout, and even if you do a workout, your body won’t have the nutrients it needs to facilitate recovery and maximize the results from all of your hard work.
Healthy carbohydrate-rich foods (containing 12 grams of carbohydrates or more per serving) include:
- Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, bananas, and kiwifruit
- Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, yams, corn. peas and carrots
- Legumes: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and soybeans
- Milk products (in limited quantities): whole-fat milk and plain yogurt
- Whole grains (in limited quantities): quinoa, amaranth, barley, rice, and oatmeal
Healthy foods lower in carbohydrates (less than 10 grams per serving) include:
- Non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms
- Nuts and seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pistachios
Need help optimizing your fitness and nutrition? Schedule a No Sweat Intro to meet with one of our coaches and discuss the perfect plan for you.