If we had to rank, in order of importance, the variables for weight loss, it would be as follows:
#1- Diet
#2- Training
#4- Cardio
You may have noticed we skipped something- where is #3? We left number three out on purpose. We don’t like to rank the variables, as it puts us in a box and we less able to move the variables based on the person we are working with. We made that ranking with multiple assumptions- don’t take it as absolute. Even though we placed diet first, we may start elsewhere, for example, when working with someone who has an eating disorder.
Before we get to number three, we must talk about calories in and calories out. It’s an oversimplification, but it works. You can guess what contributes to energy in, but calories out has more moving pieces. It’s not just exercise, as exercise is one of four variables, so calories out equal:
BMR + EAT + TEF + NEAT