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It can be really confusing to know the best exercises for weight loss.. especially when you have Type 1 Diabetes! There is so much information out there and not a lot of it is research backed or up to date. I'm going to outline two of the best exercises for weight loss below (whether you have Type 1 Diabetes or not).
Part of the reason why there is so much information out there on 'the best exercises for weight loss' is because there is a lot of factors that play into weight loss. The major factors that determine the best exercises for weight loss are as follows:
energy balance
manual vs automatic calorie burn
beginners vs advanced
long term vs short term weight loss
fat loss vs muscle building
diet / nutrition
Energy Balance
Energy balance is number one on the list for a reason. Energy balance is put simply: the amount of calories you burn (metabolic rate) VS the amount of calories you consume.
If this is equal, you will maintain your weight
If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight
if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight
This is one of the fundamentals of true weight loss (losing fat and muscle, not just water) and weight loss CANNOT, I repeat.. IT CANNOT happen without it. This is constantly argued online by professionals and by the average person, but the reality is - a negative energy balance (aka calorie deficit/diet) MUST be present for true weight loss to occur. Outside of this, any weight that is lost is fluid and waste only.
Therefore, if energy balance isn't negative, it doesn't matter what exercise you do - you will not see weight loss as a result of it.
Manual vs Automatic Calorie Burn
Calorie burning can happen in a number of ways. Going back to energy balance, below are the most important ways that you burn calories:
At rest
Through exercise/movement
Through NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis)
When eating/digesting food
Now to break this down even further, there are automatic and manual types of calorie burn.
Manual calorie burn - calories you burn while active
Automatic calorie burn - calories you burn while at rest
It probably goes without saying that the most desirable form of calorie burn is that which happens without you having to lift a finger.
Now for the truth bomb:
Resistance training increases your metabolism over time which means you automatically burn more calories at rest - outside of the calories you burn WHILE exercising!
This makes resistance training one of the most effective exercises for long term weight management, whether you have type 1 diabetes or not!
And equally.. makes traditional 'cardio' one of the most ineffective!
But this isn't the only reason why resistance training gets one of the two top places for best exercises for weight loss, so keep reading!
Beginners vs Advanced
When you start a weight-loss journey, one of the major factors that determines what you do is what you know how to do. For example, if the only exercise you feel like you're able to perform is running - then you will gravitate to running for weight-loss. Even if you read about resistance training and its benefits online, you will most often just do what feels 'easier' to you, and has the lowest barrier to entry - instead of something that requires more skill or learning or adaptation time.
This makes the most common exercise people partake in to lose weight - you guessed it - RUNNING! It is also the most commonly referenced online when you google 'how do I lose weight' or 'exercises for weightloss'. You can probably already see the issue here, given I just explained why 'cardio' is the most ineffective weight-loss tool.
So, while resistance training does require more skill and seems to have a higher barrier to entry, it is actually extremely accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any age or skill level.
It should be thought of as a skill, rather than a form of exercise (even though it is), and be approached as any other skill you would learn - slowly, with focus and patience. However, there is ONE other form of effective exercise that is even more simple and accessible to most people - and that is walking. Walking is superior to any other cardio for weight-loss because it is an inherent skill, very accessible, and when built into your daily lifestyle, doesn't cause a large metabolic adaptation (i.e. your metabolism won't crash as it would with other forms of cardio).
note: if HIIT (high intensity interval training) is performed and programmed correctly, it is superior to walking for weight loss as it burns more calories both during and after, AND activates muscles in a similar way to resistance training which helps you maintain more muscle over time. This however is a high-skill exercise that is easily over-done and this can cause very detrimental effects on the body and metabolism.
Long Term vs Short Term Weight Loss
So how long do you want to keep that weight off? Do you want to lose it all for your wedding, then put it all back on again after? Oh.. you don't? Then the same applies to you!
#1 Exercise for Weight Loss - Resistance Training
#2 Exercise for Weight Loss - Walking
Consistency is NUMBER ONE and overrules every other factor. Because if you don't do something often enough or you give up after a week, a month, or even a year - you will stop seeing the results you may have initially seen - or you may not see results at all because you didn't do it long enough for changes to occur in the first place!
So for yet another reason, resistance training and walking are the top two exercises for weight-loss whether you have type 1 diabetes or not! Ultimately - you can start resistance training at home, in a 100square metre home (or less). All you need is your body! Yes, you can build on this with resistance bands, weights and if you wanted to you could join a gym - but it isn't necessary in order to be consistent. And on the other hand - walking is available to you anywhere, at any time, and it's attached to your body. You can work walking into practically anything you do in a day - and it costs you nothing. Oh, and not to mention that it can be used as a tactic to lower your blood sugars as well - what a win!
Fat Loss vs Muscle Building
If you're looking to lose weight and feel GOOD in the body you end up with, it's fat you want to lose - and muscle you want to gain. Losing general body weight can be done efficiently by cutting off a limb, but I wouldn't recommend it. 😉
Jokes aside, most diet programs and meal plans will help you lose weight - fast - but they aren't designed to help you lose BODY FAT and retain/build MUSCLE. This leads to mediocre results in the long run. If your calories are set correctly, and you have consistency down, you will eventually be smaller, but you will lose more muscle than fat and this will in turn slow down your metabolism even more than where you started in the first place!
Going back to manual vs automatic calorie burn, you will remember that the best type of exercise you can incorporate to lose weight is one that will help you burn more calories at rest - so you don't have to commit to hours of strenuous activity each day to maintain your results for the rest of your life.
So not all exercise is equal. Resistance training is by far the best way to build muscle and maintain muscle. This helps increase your metabolism and create automatic calorie burning for you now and in the future. Not to mention - muscle is what gives us that desirable 'toned' look to bodies that inspire us. Athletes. Dancers. Gymnasts. You name it - muscle is the key to aesthetic AND long term weight management.
Walking on the other hand is effortless for most people. Granted, if you're extremely overweight and struggle to move around, walking can be tricky - and so will most other exercise. That's where diet can come in (more on that below)
And one final elephant in the room about both Resistance Training and Walking is the blood sugar benefits it provides you with.
Muscle is extremely insulin sensitive. The more muscle on your body - the more insulin sensitive you are! And isn't that the ultimate goal of all Type 1 Diabetics (and any diabetic in general)?! We all want to be insulin sensitive, to be able to take a dose of insulin and for it to keep our blood sugars in range with ease. Muscle helps you require less insulin AND helps it work faster.
On the other hand, walking at a low-moderate pace (which is what I'm recommending for long term weight management application) alongside regular insulin use will REDUCE your blood sugar like crazy! My type 1 diabetic readers will vouch for how many times you have had a hypo while doing the grocery shopping or while at the mall. It feels like a curse but really it's just how insulin and low-moderate activity works in the body. And while hypos aren't the goal - reducing overall insulin requirements and reducing blood sugars to a healthy level IS. And this is done over time by learning to manage your blood sugars around exercise. Want more help with this? Click here to check out my Courses and Programs that are 100% online and can be completed from anywhere in the world!
Diet / Nutrition
Now, last but definitely not least - the way you eat will ultimately determine how effective the exercise you do is for weight-loss. Going back to energy balance, we now know that you cannot lose weight if you are taking in more food (calories) than the calories you are burning.
You could start walking and resistance training as I've suggested in this blog and be very consistent - and still not see any changes - if you're eating too much - and not enough of the important nutrients like Protein, Healthy Fats & Fibre. So i'm sorry - I know it's not the most exciting news - but improving your diet really has to be part of the picture if you want the best results with weight-loss and muscle building. It's something that starts to become more enjoyable the more you eat healthier and when the results start to show - but you have to be willing to do it for other reasons too! Like
feeling more energetic
better skin
better hair
better nails
better sleep
better blood sugars
better mood
improved hormones
reduced period symptoms
better stools and digestion / more regularity
If you're a woman with Type 1 Diabetes, have tried a bunch of diets and nothing has worked, I can guarantee I can help you lose the weight with my DIY Course or my HYBRID Coaching Program. The reason is that you don't just get a 'meal plan' or a calorie target and get sent on your way - in fact you don't get a meal plan at all - instead in my course and program I teach you what/how much you actually need to eat and WHY - and help you apply those changes to your diet in a simple and repeatable way. You don't have to cut out any foods, you don't have to eat the same thing every day - all you need is to understand good nutrition and your caloric needs so that you can eat appropriately and lose the weight effortlessly!
So that's it my friend! Resistance Training and Walking are the two best exercises for weight-loss, whether you have type 1 diabetes or not! But if you DO have type 1 diabetes - the benefits of resistance training and walking are even greater to you for blood sugar management!
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As always if you need extra support with your weight-loss and type 1 diabetes management journey, please check out my products & services or email me contact.empoweringhealth@gmail.com - I'm always happy to chat and help you how I can!