I recently watched a great video by Vox on the science of exercising and weight loss. Their findings aren’t all that revealing (at least to me), but they do present the information in a way that really hits home.
CALORIE SHOCK
I won’t summarize the video. It’s already short and easy to watch. So go watch it now!
Like I mentioned before, the figures aren’t really shocking if you’ve ever:
- Seen the numbers (calories burned) doing a typical workout
- Looked at the nutrition information of what you were eating
- Been presented with the calorie count of any fast food item
Whenever I’ve seen the number of calories in restaurant meals (especially the ones that are supposed to be “healthy” choices) I think:
“Wow…I’d still have to do a lot of exercise to burn that off!”
However, I’ve never been too concerned with it since I’ve got fairly good control of my consumption. I’ve been the same weight for at least half a decade now.
VIEW ON EXERCISE
The promotion of exercise has presented us with the idea that we can be more indulgent with our food consumption, but if you are currently trying to lose weight, the only way to actually lose weight is to use more energy than you consume. This means not grabbing a doughnut after your morning run!
The way I like to view exercise is simply as a way to stay healthy and to shape my body (#bodygoals)! It helps that I am into martial arts and to increase my strength and endurance I like to supplement with workouts. I don’t even go to a fancy gym; I just work out from home.
VIEW ON FOOD
I’d consider myself someone who “eats to live” rather than “lives to eat”, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good dessert. I’m just not obsessed with food and I think that’s an advantage.
I view food as fuel to make sure I can perform my best. Eating as healthy as I can is important to me. That means getting in as much vegetables and fruits as I can while indulging in other “food groups” in small amounts.
I believe a mix of exercise and consumption control (not a flashy “diet“) is the best choice. That’s how I’ve gotten by anyway.
If you think we should have a guest blogger come in to talk more about health and fitness (I’m not a professional by any stretch of the imagination) then let us know in the comments below!
Jonathan How is the photographer behind Made by Ten and calls Milton his home. He specializes in creating beautiful, creative portraits of real women. He uses photography (and this blog) to help them build confidence and love for themselves and creates artistic images for their homes and offices. You can see him driving around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada from portrait to fashion shoot and back again.