5 ‘healthy’ habits that kept me fat

Summary

After struggling for 12 years to achieve their dream body, the speaker reveals five 'healthy' habits that were sabotaging their fat loss. These include overtraining with high-intensity workouts, lifting heavy weights for women, obsessively tracking macros, limiting certain foods, and undereating. By replacing these habits with intuitive eating, low-intensity exercises, and listening to their body’s signals, they finally achieved their goals. The speaker encourages viewers to find what works for their unique body type and emphasizes that fitness is a lifestyle, not a quick fix.

Takeaways

• 😀 Overtraining can hinder fat loss and lead to puffiness and bloating, so switching to low-intensity activities like walking can be more effective.
• 😀 Weightlifting might not be ideal for everyone, especially for women who want to avoid bulking up. Pilates and bodyweight exercises can yield better results for some body types.
• 😀 Tracking macros obsessively can lead to stress and frustration. Intuitive eating, based on hunger cues, can be a more sustainable and effective approach.
• 😀 Limiting certain food groups (like carbs or fats) may cause bloating and digestive issues, and can worsen your relationship with food.
• 😀 Cutting calories too much can actually slow down your metabolism, leading to fat storage instead of fat loss. It's crucial to eat enough to fuel your activity.
• 😀 Your body naturally signals when you're hungry and full. Listening to these cues and eating when you're hungry can help prevent overeating or undereating.
• 😀 Intuitive eating helps reduce cravings because it removes the restrictions that often trigger them. By allowing yourself to eat what you want, cravings tend to diminish over time.
• 😀 Focusing on long-term lifestyle changes rather than short-term diets is key to achieving lasting fat loss and a toned body.
• 😀 Body types play a role in how your body responds to different exercises. Some women may benefit more from lighter exercises like Pilates than from heavy weightlifting.
• 😀 Being patient and adjusting your workout and eating habits to what feels right for your body, rather than following popular fitness advice, is essential for success.

Q & A

What was the main issue the speaker faced despite following a healthy lifestyle?

The speaker struggled with fat loss and body composition, despite eating clean, exercising, and cutting calories. Their body remained bloated and puffy, and they weren’t seeing the desired results.

What was the first 'healthy habit' that the speaker stopped doing to achieve fat loss?

The first habit was overtraining, especially with high-intensity workouts and excessive cardio. The speaker realized that overtraining was preventing fat loss, so they replaced it with long, low-intensity walks, which helped them lean out.

Why did weightlifting not work for the speaker in achieving their desired body shape?

The speaker wanted a toned, lean body, but weightlifting caused them to gain more muscle bulk, which made their body look puffier and less toned. They found that weightlifting was not the best approach for their body type.

What alternative exercise did the speaker try instead of weightlifting, and what was the result?

The speaker switched to Pilates, bodyweight exercises, and smaller weights. This approach led to a noticeable change in their body composition, with less bulk and more toning, aligning better with their fitness goals.

How did intuitive eating differ from tracking macros for the speaker?

Intuitive eating allowed the speaker to listen to their body's hunger cues and eat without strict calorie or macro tracking. This approach helped them reduce cravings, avoid mental burnout from constant tracking, and ultimately lose fat while still enjoying food.

What was the impact of restricting certain food groups on the speaker's body?

Restricting food groups led to bloating, stomach issues, and discomfort. The speaker realized that cutting out foods like carbs or fats didn’t help with fat loss and instead caused digestive problems.

What was the fifth habit the speaker stopped, and how did it affect their fat loss?

The fifth habit was constantly being in a calorie deficit, which led to undereating. This slowed down fat loss and even caused the body to store fat due to stress. The speaker learned that eating enough, rather than eating less, was key to fat loss and overall health.

How did the speaker’s approach to food change over time?

The speaker shifted to a more balanced approach by eating intuitively, which helped reduce cravings and led to better digestion. They stopped obsessing over food restrictions and macros, allowing for a healthier relationship with food.

What was the result of the speaker's transformation in terms of body composition?

The speaker’s body composition changed significantly over a year, with their face becoming more defined and their body leaning out, even though their weight on the scale didn’t change much. This proved that body composition can improve without drastic weight loss.

What advice does the speaker give to those struggling with fat loss and body composition?

The speaker advises focusing on sustainable, healthy habits like intuitive eating, low-intensity exercise, and avoiding restrictive diets. They emphasize that fat loss is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, and that listening to your body is key to achieving lasting results.