Hi, my name is Ashley Roding, and I'm one of the nurse practitioners here at Figure Weight Loss in Edgewood, Kentucky. Today, I'm here to talk to you about water and exercise and their impact on your weight loss.
Let's start with water. Drinking water prior to meals can create a feeling of fullness, which results in lower calorie consumption during that meal. Oftentimes, when we think we're hungry, we're really just thirsty because the areas of our brain that signal hunger and thirst are very close together. When that signal fires, we often get the wrong message.
Not a big water drinker? Don't worry. You just have to start slow, set an initial goal, and then gradually work your way up until you reach your ultimate daily goal for water intake.
So, let's move on to exercise. Exercise is only about 20% of the weight loss equation, but here's why it's still important. Exercise is time for yourself. It gives you endorphins, boosts your metabolism, decreases your body fat, and increases your lean muscle mass. It changes the shape of your body and improves cardiovascular health. Both cardiovascular exercise and weightlifting are beneficial. Cardio increases your heart rate, which results in calorie burn and fat loss. Weightlifting builds lean muscle mass, which also burns fat. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body is able to burn at rest.
We also believe that exercise motivates you to make better dietary choices. Haven't exercised in decades? No worries. Everyone has to start somewhere, and anything that you do above and beyond what you normally do every day is beneficial for your body. Take a walk on your lunch break, do jumping jacks, squats, or push-ups during the commercials of your show instead of fast-forwarding. Find home workouts online that you can simply do in your basement. Go to a Zumba class or a spin class with your friends. Anything counts. All you have to do is get moving.
At Figure Weight Loss, we have several tips and tricks to help you meet your water and exercise goals throughout your weight loss journey. We are all here to help you succeed.
