One of the basic reasons why you would want to go to a spin class or spin, for that matter, is because you want to be fit and healthy. And when you say you want to get fit, this also equates to losing weight. There have been many research and studies stating that spinning is a great workout to torch fat and burn calories. Proof of this can be seen through the bodies of spinners who have nice abs and toned legs. But can spinning really make you lose weight?
This question keeps on popping in every spin-related conversation as there have been many testimonials about how spinning had made them fat and make their quads bulky. Why then when studies show that spinning can be a great workout in burning calories and fat many still argue that this workout has made them gain weight? In this article, we will dissect this old debate whether spinning can really make you lose weight or not.
What Some Other People Say
A common story of those who regret having spinned at all goes something like this. A person who is not in his perfect shape wanted to shed pounds and has chosen to spin as his choice of workout. This choice is mainly driven by the trend these days wherein almost every fitness buff is going to spin class. This person diligently workout three times a week only to see results that he or she could not fit in his or her jeans.
What happened? A popular statement from a fitness celebrity said that spin may burn calories in the short term, but if this is the only thing one does, it will only bulk his or her thighs. A scientific explanation on this according to her is that spinning only burns 300-600 calories but a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. What this means is that there’s no wiggle room if you want to shed pounds.
Reason Why You Get Fatter
So why can spinning make you fat instead of shedding pounds as you intended it in the first place? According to a dietician, any form of exercise can actually stimulate your appetite. This is the reason why some spinners eat more than normal during the days of their workout. More than this, there is always this notion that one should reward oneself after having a great and awesome workout. So it is not uncommon to see these spinners, for example, heading for a dessert right after sweating during a workout.
Working Out is Not a Reason to Splurge in Eating
You must remember that working out is not a reason to splurge in eating. There may be the temptation of eating out since your appetite is really strong after a spin class. But less you forget that you spin with the goal of losing weight. This can be the culprit why you gain weight instead of losing it.
The temptation of eating out even gets stronger as you are not alone who is hungry after the workout. You will surely develop friendships with other fellow spinners and a good way to celebrate this friendship is eating out after each spinning workout. This usually happens especially if your workout schedule is in the morning. The lure of having a big breakfast is great and urgings from fellow spinner will make you succumbed to it.
The best way to approach this is to be mindful that you are working out to lose weight. This means there should be controlled eating on your part. It may be a good way to bring a properly prepared breakfast instead of bingeing eating in the cafeteria or gym canteen. Bring this along with your water and you surely will not get into the temptation of rewarding yourself with a sumptuous meal after every exhilarating workout.
Proper Diet and Alternate Weight Training Should Go With Spinning
What is the best strategy of really losing weight when spinning, if the aforementioned technique does not suit you? The secret here is getting a proper diet and doing weight training to tandem with your spinning workout. Spinning can actually make you slimmer and shed some pounds but the culprit why you get fat and gain weight is the fact that you don’t eat properly, especially after every workout.
The best way to really get yourself to shed pounds and weight is to go on a proper diet. You should watch your portion sizes. You cannot lose weight even though you sweat a lot during workout and burn 600 calories if you still eat as if you haven’t eaten for several days. Mind the portions of what you eat. If say you go for all super-sized meals, start avoiding this now less you want your effort to lose weight end in vain.
Get in a real fitness buff diet. You should start eating leafy greens, lean proteins, and whole grains instead of sugar, white flour, processed foods and trans fatty foods. Additionally, you should also get into strength training or weight training to further increase your metabolism and make your body leaner.
Conclusion
You have seen spinners whose bodies are all lean with toned muscles. Based on scientific studies and research, there is no doubt that spinning can make you leaner and scorch fat from your body. A spinning session, for example, can make you burn around 300-600 calories. Yet, why are there still talks about how spinning can make you gain weight?
A closer investigation on the matter has shed light that spinning, as a form of exercise, can increase your appetite. This then makes for the mistake of those who try this workout to reward themselves with eating foods that are not good for their goal of shedding weight.
A good way to address this is that your spinning should be coupled with proper diet wherein you go for leafy greens, lean proteins and whole grains. You should also include weight and strength training with your spinning workout to increase your metabolism. This way, you are sure to lose weight.