Spring break and weight loss

Being a teacher has many benefits.  One of the biggest is the vacation time.  This past week was our spring break.  The weather has been beautiful here in New Jersey.  Spring has definitely started early and it even looks like summer isn’t far behind.  Lots of people are going to start a last ditch effort to lose some weight in the next few months before the summer hits.  For those people I want to share my spring break as an example of how to lose weight and also what not to do.

In my ten days off I gained 4 pounds.  I worked out even more than I normally do when I am at work.  Here was my workout schedule:

Friday – lifted chest and triceps for 1 hour and 15 minutes

Saturday – ran 7 miles

Sunday – off Easter

Monday – ran 4 miles and lifted back and biceps for 1 hour and 30 minutes

Tuesday – ran 2 miles with a weighted vest.  Lifted abs and legs for 1 hour and 30 minutes

Wednesday – Spin class for 1 hour.  Lifted abs and arms for 1 hour.

Thursday – Olympic lifts and functional movements for 1 hour and 30 minutes

Friday – Off day

Saturday – Lifted Total body for 1 hour and 30 minutes

Sunday – Ran 5 miles fartlek.

According to my Nike Fuel I burned 14, 781 calories from April 9th to April 15th.  In comparison the previous week I burned 13,620 calories.  I was more active in my week off than I was in my “typical” week.  So how did I gain 4 pounds?

Diet Diet Diet.

If you follow my blog you know how I talk about how important diet is.  I am sure not many people workout like I do.  I have the luxury of being a physical education teacher and a personal trainer.  I have easy access to gyms at all times.  In a typical week I am pretty busy and go right from school to the gym to working out.  I often don’t get home or sit down until 8 p.m.  On spring break I was home more often.  Sitting around the house leads to boredom snacking.  I definitely indulged a little more than I normally do.  The excess calories led to 4 pounds and it doesn’t matter how many weights I lifted or how many miles I ran.

Anytime you see or read something saying that lifting a certain way or doing this workout will result in weight loss I am here to tell you that will never happen.  I am living proof.  Not just for my ten days of spring break but for years.  When I was 285 pounds I went to the gym 6 days a week without question or without excuses.  I didn’t run like I do now because my 285 pound frame couldn’t support running.  That would be an injury waiting to happen.  I was however, very strong.  I could bench press 345 pounds but I was very overweight.

If you want to get toned, see your abs, lose weight, get ripped, get shredded and or any of these things you need to get your diet in order.  Doing ab exercises all day long by the thousands will not help you see your abs any better.  It will strengthen your ab muscles but unless you have a low percentage of body fat you not see them because of the layer of fat above the muscles.

So, if you want to lose weight for summer focus on your diet first and foremost.  Then once you reach your target weight try to build muscle.

Now go eat some lean protein and I have to try and lose those 4 pounds.