Does “Counting Points” Work? And the catch behind it.

Good snowy morning!

 

I hope you had a great weekend and got to sleep in a little while longer today!

 

This past weekend, I went to a day-long coaching event with a guy who has more enthusiasm and energy than…I don’t what…probably 10 people put together.

 

Martin Rooney has a business called Training For Warriors, and the warriors are people like you and me…just every day folks getting after it.

 

He taught about 80 people how to be better coaches, and it was very impactful. I always look to learn one new thing when I go to continuing ed courses, and I’m sure I took away more than one new thing.

 

We also had our 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off. While Mike didn’t place this year (he came in second last year!), it was a great time and neighborhood bonding at its best!

 

 

So, on to the topic: Does counting “points” work?

 

I bet you have a friend or co-worker or know somebody who has to “count points” for their new diet.

 

What a pain, right?

 

But…if it works, if someone loses weight….then, it’s got to be worth it.

 

If you you watch your friend, and the friend sticks to the points, you’ll see it DOES work!

 

Your friend will most likely drop weight on the scale and slim down, especially if they have more than 20 pounds to lose.

 

It works because counting points is the same as counting calories.

 

To lose weight, you have to be in a caloric deficit. Wow! Mind blown….. ;)

 

Nothing new, but here’s the catch…if you don’t work out, if you don’t lift weights or do some type of resistance training, your BODY SHAPE DOESN’T CHANGE.

 

You become smaller, you lose fat AND MUSCLE (oh, no!), AND the moment you have a couple of days OFF PLAN – you gain the weight back.

 

So, as I’ve already mentioned, you CAN PREVENT a great deal of muscle loss, CHANGE the SHAPE of YOUR BODY, and have MORE ENERGY if you you lift weights/resistance train IN ADDITION to creating a caloric deficit.

 

Here’s an overview of what to do:

 

Focus on the big muscle groups – legs, back, chest.

 

You can skip the tricep kickbacks and bicep curls. This will save you time, allowing you to focus on the muscle groups and movement patterns that burn a lot of calories.

 

Choose exercises that involve:

• Pulling – like a lat pulldown or rowing motion
• Squatting – like sitting on a chair and standing back up
• Pushing – like a push-up
• Hinging/bending – like “The Bend & Snap” from Legally Blond
• Core exercise – like a plank (although there is sooo much more to core training)

 

Make sure you feel challenged by the exercise – not something you do everyday – and that it doesn’t hurt your joints!

 

Remember, every year our muscles atrophy with age. You don’t need your “diet” to contribute, so simply counting points helps you lose weight on the scale. It won’t help you change the shape of your body (it will just be a smaller version), and it won’t help you maintain or gain precious muscle.