How to improve your metabolic efficiency for more effective weight loss …

When it comes to losing weight, many people take a truth about this effort and pair it a myth, resulting in limiting (or slowing) achieving their weight loss goals.

The truth is: Overall, to lose weight you must create a caloric deficit, meaning you must burn more calories than you take in.

The myth part: Cardiovascular exercise burns more calories than strength training, so you should focus on cardio exercise, along with a reduction in caloric intake, to lose (or manage) weight.

While it is true that cardio exercise burns a greater initial “volume” of calories … that’s not true in the long run.

What I mean by that is, cardio exercise is good for “volume” of calories burned, but it’s not the most efficient and effective way of burning calories.

Here’s an important fact: A pound of muscle burns about six calories per pound, per day (some studies suggest this could be as much as 7-13 calories per pound, per day). But a pound of fat only burns about two calories per pound, per day. By engaging in a consistent strength training program that develops lean muscle, you IMPROVE your metabolic efficiency, resulting in a more effective and efficient means of burning calories.

The best approach to weight loss and/or weight management is to integrate strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and a sustainable, healthy nutrition program into a permanent change in your lifestyle. Just focusing on unsustainable cardio workouts, and/or unhealthy levels of caloric deficits, may initially achieve some weight loss goals (numbers), but they won’t keep the weight off or manage healthy weight levels.

Scotty