Saturday, March 21, 2020

Quarantine has taught me a very valuable lesson about diet vs. exercise.

My routine for the last several years has been pretty consistent and effective for me. I've been doing 2-3 very high intensity exercise sessions per week (full contact martial arts 2-3 hours each time) which burn anywhere from 1000-1500 calories. That was always my excuse to eat a large carb and fat heavy dinner after working out. Despite doing that, and not really tracking anything, I've been able to hold a very steady 190 lbs. for as long as I've been doing this. Generally pretty happy with my physique, level of fitness and performance in the gym.

I've pretty much stayed at home the past 2 weeks, and since my gym is closed, my exercise routine has had to change dramatically. I'm still doing some exercise at home, but to nowhere near the level of intensity as usual. Been doing a few 1 hour bodyweight-exercise sessions burning between 300-400 calories.

What I've noticed is that I'm WAY less hungry. Like... I'm literally shocked at how much less of a desire I have to eat. After my martial arts workouts I'm ravenous, and those after gym meals were usually half or more of my daily calories.

Since I've been at home I've been eating less, but the food I'm eating is also much simpler. Been sticking to mostly meats and veggies, simple sandwiches, smoothies... stuff like that. I haven't been tracking anything, I've just just only been eating when I'm hungry (which is not often) and I stop when I'm full. Also, zero alcohol so far, although I wouldn't be opposed to some.

Just doing that... I'm down almost 6 lbs. in the past 2 weeks. I can't believe it. I've tried to lose weight in the past, and while I was successful at it, it was a chore. This weight loss has just happened. And it's happened without the rigorous exercise that I thought was so necessary to maintain my weight. It's crazy how a few simple changes to your lifestyle can result in changes to your body. I'm also surprised at how much intense exercise creates hunger.

submitted by /u/DavidAg02
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