Training for a race to lose weight? Think again!

So you've decided to train for a 5K, half marathon or even a marathon to lose weight? After all, look at all of those runners, they're skinny, right? So that means there's a good chance that if you train like them you have got to lose some of the excess baggage around your waist or thighs.

Well, think again. All of that long, not to mention, boring, cardio could actually cause you to stay fat!

Steady state exercise, like a long jog or run, raises stress hormones, keeps them raised and lowers anabolic (think build muscle) hormones. This is an optimal state for maintaining your excess body fat!

You may have heard about exercising in your fat burning zone, but this is old school thinking when it comes to fat loss. This fat burning zone theory states that in order to burn the most calories you should work within a specific, moderate heart rate zone or intensity so you burn most of your calories from fat.

The problem with this is two fold. One, while it's true that the percentage of calories burned during the exercise session comes from fat, it is not true that you burn more calories overall. With this type of training you are limiting your body's "afterburn" or rather you are limiting the amount of calories your body will use to repair and recover. This type of training also tends to lower your immune system and break down muscle. Two, your body actually becomes better at storing fat! Yup, you're body is prepping itself for the next long, boring, cardio session. In effect, you are lowering your metabolism.

Stick with bursts of high intensity exercise training that will boost your metabolism, help your body recover faster and burn more fat. That's what we do in Fat Burning Boot Camp:)

Please post a comment if you've been training for a race just to lose pounds.
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In good health,
Marie