Drinking water is important for good health, but did you know it can also play a role in weight loss? Many people underestimate the impact of adequate hydration on their metabolism, appetite, and overall well-being. In this blog post, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle Coach and Trainer at Happy Bodies, explains why drinking enough water can help you lose weight more easily.

Why water is important for your health

Water is essential for your body; it consists of an average of 70% water, and it plays a major role in virtually all bodily functions. It helps regulate your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen to your cells, and removes waste. So water isn't just necessary for staying hydrated; it also contributes to your overall health and well-being.

Water as a natural aid in weight loss

Drinking enough water can be a subtle but smart way to support weight loss. Water doesn't contain calories, but drinking a glass of water before a meal can help curb your appetite. It provides temporary satiety, which can lead to less food intake. Research shows that people who drink a glass of water before each meal often consume fewer calories. It's a simple way to be more mindful of your diet without resorting to drastic measures.

Hydration and metabolism

But there are more benefits. A well-hydrated body functions more efficiently, and that also applies to your metabolism. Studies Studies show that drinking water can give your metabolism a small boost, helping you burn a few extra calories. Cold water can enhance this effect, as your body uses energy to warm the water to body temperature. While it doesn't cause major changes, every little bit contributes to your daily energy expenditure, which can make a difference in the long run.

Water as a substitute for sugary drinks

Choosing water to replace sugary drinks can significantly reduce your calorie intake. Soda, fruit juice, and even some "healthy" sports drinks contain high levels of hidden sugar. These extra calories contribute to weight gain without filling you up or contributing to your health. Drinking water instead can save you hundreds of calories every day. A simple step that can make a big difference in your weight loss.

Avoid confusing thirst and hunger

Many people confuse thirst with hunger, which can lead to consuming extra calories their bodies don't actually need. The next time you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. Often, you'll feel thirsty, not hungry. By paying attention to your thirst in this way, you can consciously choose to eat less and avoid unnecessary calorie intake.

Make drinking water a habit

One of the challenges of drinking enough water is making it a regular habit. For example, keep a bottle of water within reach on your desk or in your bag so you can take a sip regularly. You can also try drinking a glass of water with every meal or snack. Small adjustments to your routine can help you drink the recommended amount of water daily.

Combine healthy habits with short workouts

Drinking enough water is a powerful first step toward a healthier lifestyle. Want to achieve even greater results? At Happy Bodies, we help you combine these healthy habits with effective workouts. With the Milon Circle, you can work towards a stronger, fitter body in just two 35-minute sessions every ten days.

If you’re thinking about losing weight, running is a great calorie burner. But is running really that much better than walking? Both activities have their own benefits and can be effective in your weight loss quest. In this blog, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, explores the benefits of both running and walking so you can decide which activity best suits your lifestyle and goals.

The Benefits of Running: Burn Calories Fast

Running is known as a fast calorie burning activity. It is an intense form of exercise that increases your heart rate and boosts your metabolism. Depending on your weight and running pace, you can burn an average of 600-800 calories per hour. If you are looking for a quick way to burn a significant number of calories and improve your cardiovascular health, running is an excellent choice.

The Peace of Walking: Low Impact, Sustainable Weight Loss

One disadvantage of running: the impact on your joints, especially your knees, is great. Walking is less stressful on your body and therefore better suited for people with joint problems or people who are just starting to exercise. It offers a steady, less intense form of exercise that you can continue for a long time without risk of injury, which makes it ideal for sustainable weight loss and gradually building up fitness.

Calorie Burning Comparison

Although running burns more calories per minute than walking, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option for everyone. Walking is a much longer endurance exercise, meaning your total calorie burn over a longer period of time can be higher, especially if you take long walks regularly.

The Psychological Effects: What's Right for You?

The choice between running and walking can also depend on your own preferences. Some people enjoy the fast intensity of running and are looking for a quick way to relieve stress. Others prefer the calm, meditative state of long walks that helps you relax and organize your thoughts.

Integration into your daily life

Are you having trouble making a choice? Take a good look at your daily schedule and consider whether and how these activities fit into it. Perhaps you find it easier to walk for an hour every day than to run a few times a week. The best choice is the activity that you can do consistently and that you can maintain in the long term. Because – as I wrote before – everything works, but do you cooperate?

Get started today

Want to know more about how to exercise effectively by training twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach? Then take the membership test and sign up for a free personal introductory meeting and tour of the club. We bet you'll be sold right away!

Stefan Buenen had been unhappy with what he saw in the mirror for some time. When the scale tipped toward 110 kilos, he decided he'd had enough. Google led him to Happy Bodies Eindhoven. The combination of personal and professional guidance, the VYTAL nutrition app, and the Milon Circle appealed to him. Stefan has since lost an impressive 30 kilos. In this blog post, Stefan shares how Happy Bodies helped him discover the best version of himself.

Almost 110 kilos on the scale

It was a little over six months ago that something flipped for me. The scale was slowly but surely creeping towards 110 kilos, and I was done with my reflection. Something really had to happen. Where do you start your search? Google, of course. And that's how I found Happy Bodies. The funny thing is, they're only a few minutes' walk from my house. I'd seen the place before, but it never clicked. This time, it did.

This is where I need to be

I decided to take the plunge and make an appointment with one of the lifestyle coaches. She created a wonderful, balanced program for me: a combination of the VYTAL nutrition app and exercising in the Milon circle. The professional and personalized advice immediately made me feel at home. I knew: this is where I need to be!

Lost thirty kilos

I can only say that it went incredibly well. The program is tailor-made for me: the perfect combination of exercising under expert guidance and a customized nutrition plan. I've since gone from 108.8 kilos to 78 kilos—well, 78.5 to be precise. That means I've lost thirty (30!) kilos in seven months. The guidance from Happy Bodies was invaluable, as were the Friday weigh-ins. That's certainly extra motivation. Of course, I played the biggest part. "Everything works, but as a person, you have to cooperate," says Rémon Koetje, lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, not for nothing in a previous blog post, and that's how it is. I took all the advice to heart and worked incredibly hard. If you truly want to say goodbye to your old self, you have to make a change. You can't do things halfway; you won't get there.

Fitter

The best thing about losing all those pounds is that I feel so much fitter. About five years ago, I had a hemorrhage in my pituitary gland, which caused my stress hormone, cortisol, to become imbalanced. Because of this, I have to take medication daily. If I don't, things can go seriously wrong. Moreover, this condition also causes my thyroid to work too slowly, which makes it very easy to gain weight. That makes me extra proud that I've managed to lose those thirty kilos. My goal is to lose another three or so, and then I'll call it a day. After that, it's mainly a matter of maintaining it, because I really don't want to lose this fit feeling!

Sports clear and manageable

I've been to the gym before. It was at one of the big chains, but I have to admit, I felt completely uncomfortable there. All those shiny bodies. And it seemed like the people there were more focused on taking selfies than on the workout itself. At Happy Bodies, the barrier to entry is much lower. And the Milon Circle? It's truly amazing. Fitness has never been my thing and never will be, but the Milon Circle makes it clear and manageable. In 2 x 17.5 minutes, you've done both strength and cardio training. No hours in the gym, but after 35 minutes you're done and ready to go home.

Professional top performers

I usually train on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Nicole is my regular personal lifestyle coach: a young, enthusiastic woman who's incredibly committed to helping people like me. If I train on a different day, there are sometimes different coaches. But to be honest, it doesn't really matter. All the coaches know exactly what they're doing. They're all top-notch professionals.

Get started today

Want to know more about how to exercise effectively by training twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach? Then take the membership test and sign up for a free personal introductory meeting and tour of the club. We bet you'll be sold right away!

You may have heard that exercising in the cold can help you lose weight faster. The idea behind this is that your body has to work harder to stay warm, which means you burn more calories. But is this really an effective way to lose weight, or is it just a myth? In this blog, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, delves deeper into the cold theory. Spoiler alert: There is absolutely no reason to dive into the snow with dumbbells or to sit shivering behind your laptop or at the dining table.

The cold myth, where does it come from?

The myth of cold training as a weight loss strategy didn’t just come out of the blue. It’s true that your body requires more energy (and therefore calories) to stay warm in cold temperatures. This means that by exercising in the cold, you theoretically burn more calories than if you were to do the same activity in a warm environment. This has led some people to believe that they can increase their metabolism by exercising in the cold, or even doing normal daily activities.

Cold training in practice

While it’s true that your body uses more energy when it has to work hard to stay warm, the effect on weight loss is minimal. Sorry. In reality, you may burn a few extra calories, but this doesn’t translate into the dramatic weight loss many people hope for. Additionally, exercising in the cold comes with some risks. If you don’t prepare properly, there’s an increased risk of injury due to tight muscles and the possibility of hypothermia. Additionally, exercising in the cold can lower your resistance and make you more susceptible to viruses. Lastly, it can be discouraging, making you less likely to exercise regularly.

The – warm – road to effective weight loss

Weight loss isn’t about being cold. It’s not about locking the fridge after 6pm or pumping your heart rate. It’s not about sweating like a pig or cutting carbs out of your life. It’s important to have realistic expectations about how cold training can help you achieve your weight loss goals. It’s all about finding the right balance. Getting a good night’s sleep, making healthy choices, and following a realistic exercise plan will go a long way.

The unique concept of Happy Bodies

At Happy Bodies we believe in a total approach to a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the Milon circle and personal guidance – but without the ridiculous price tag of a personal trainer – we also help you optimize your nutrition. This way you not only build full muscles, but you will also experience a sense of well-being and vitality. Our trainers are ready to guide and motivate you during your fitness journey. Personal attention, result-oriented training and an inspiring environment, that is what makes us happy at Happy Bodies.

You've probably heard that getting enough sleep is important for your health. But did you know that getting enough sleep can also have a direct impact on weight loss? In this blog, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, explains why getting enough sleep is crucial and how it can help you achieve your weight goals. We can't help you get rich while you sleep, but losing weight while you sleep seems like a good second.

Sleep deprivation and weight gain

It is a fact that sleep deprivation is linked to weight gain. When you do not get enough sleep, hormonal changes can occur that affect your appetite and metabolism. The hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for stimulating appetite, increases, while the hormone leptin, which regulates feelings of fullness, decreases. This can make you feel hungrier and less likely to get the signal that you have eaten enough. This can lead to overeating and ultimately weight gain.

Sleep and calorie burning

A good night’s sleep not only affects your appetite, but also your calorie burn. During sleep, your body recovers and important processes are initiated, such as the repair and growth of muscle tissue. Muscles burn more calories than fat, even at rest. This is the famous afterburn effect. By getting enough sleep, you give your body time to optimally recover and maintain or build muscle mass. This can contribute to increased calorie burning and long-term weight loss.

Sleep and hormonal balance

Getting a good night’s sleep is also essential for maintaining healthy hormonal balance. Hormones like insulin, cortisol, and growth hormone all play a role in metabolism and fat storage. When sleep is deprived, the balance of these hormones can be disrupted, leading to decreased insulin sensitivity—which can promote weight gain—and increased cortisol production—which can contribute to dangerous belly fat. Getting enough sleep can help to balance your body’s hormones and support your weight loss goals.

Take your sleep habits seriously

Now that you know that good sleep is an essential factor for weight loss, it’s time to take your sleep habits seriously. Establish a consistent sleep routine, create a sleep-friendly environment, and avoid stimulating activities right before bed. Give yourself the rest you need and experience the positive effects of enough sleep. Regular exercise can contribute to good sleep habits by improving sleep quality, reducing stress, and regulating your circadian rhythm. Schedule your workouts close to bedtime so that your body has enough time to cool down and relax.

If you want to lose weight, you need to ensure a negative energy balance. At the end of the day, you need to have burned more calories than you have consumed. You can do this by exercising a lot, but nutrition plays an even more important role. In this blog, we will tell you why balance and making conscious choices are the key to successful weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

'You can't outtrain a bad diet'

Think you can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise regularly? We're sorry to disappoint you. A recent paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that while exercise is an important tool in reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other health problems, it's not enough when it comes to weight loss or healthy lifestyle habits. "You can't exercise away a bad diet," the authors write. "To truly live a healthy lifestyle, you need both a balanced diet and exercise," writes Deborah Rohm Young, Ph.D., director of behavioral research at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. "You can't have one without the other."

Exercise and good nutrition are both important

According to Young, exercise and diet play several important roles in maintaining health. Exercise has many benefits, including building muscle, improving bone density, managing diabetes, and improving mental health. A heart-healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. But for those looking to lose weight, the benefits of exercise are limited if poor diets aren’t changed.

It's all about balance

Many people overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise. An hour of easy cycling burns about three hundred calories. A piece of apple pie or a large slice of pizza and the calories are back on. Although exercise is important and muscle mass plays a role, especially because of the afterburn effect, nutrition plays a crucial role in achieving your weight loss goals. Of course, you don't have to banish all your favorite treats for the rest of your life. Enjoying a glass of wine or a bitterbal every now and then is fine, but if you do this daily, all your efforts to lose weight will be lost. It's all about balance.

The Happy Bodies approach to successful weight loss and vitality

At Happy Bodies, we teach you how to find the right balance between exercise and nutrition, so that you can get the most out of your efforts. If you want to lose weight sustainably or maintain your weight, it is necessary to make conscious choices. In addition to our training sessions, we also offer workshops and lectures on nutrition, health and self-care. We want you to not only lose weight, but also regain vitality and a sense of well-being. Our coaches help you make the right choices, develop healthy eating habits and find a balanced lifestyle that suits your needs and goals.

Many people think you can only lose weight by exercising at a high heart rate, because you burn more calories that way. But did you know that you burn optimal fat in a lower heart rate zone? In this blog post, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, explains what the fat-burning zone is, why it's important, and why you shouldn't forget strength training!

The fat burning zone

The fat-burning zone is a heart rate zone where your body primarily uses fat as an energy source and draws less on your glycogen stores—carbohydrates. The good news is that this fat-burning zone is a relatively low heart rate zone. So you don't have to exercise super intensely if you want to burn fat. So, if you want to lose weight, you don't have to exhaust yourself. By training in the fat-burning zone, your body burns fat, which is important for a healthy and fit body.

The added value of strength training

If you want to lose weight and burn fat, don't forget strength training. Strength training strains your muscles and causes minimal damage, without sending your heart rate through the roof. Afterward, your body needs extra energy to recover from that strain. This is called the afterburn effect, where you continue to burn extra calories for hours after your workout. So, it's important not only to do cardio but also to add strength training to your routine to achieve and maintain a healthy and fit body.

What is my fat burning zone?

There is a formula to calculate which heart rate zone is optimal for your fat burning, but you can also simply consult one of the trainers at Happy Bodies.

It's all about the right balance

You don't have to work up a sweat to lose weight—we've written a blog post about that before. The best way to lose weight is to combine cardio and strength training correctly, by varying the frequency, intensity, and duration, and by making the right nutritional choices. That's why at Happy Bodies, we offer a balanced mix of cardio and strength training to help you achieve your personal goals.

Some people think that the more you sweat, the more calories you burn. Of course, it looks very impressive, such a sweaty body in the gym. But what you see, is only fluid that the body gives off to ensure that it does not overheat. It says nothing - absolutely nothing - about the number of (extra) calories that you burn. In this blog we will tell you how that works.

Sweat is a waste product

Sweat is a waste product. It is fluid that our sweat glands secrete when our body gets warm. It is not an indication of the number of calories or the amount of fat that you burn at that moment. Of course, there is a big chance that you will sweat during physical exertion, and at that moment you undoubtedly also burn calories and fat. But a visit to the sauna is just as good a guarantee for a good sweat session, without you burning a single extra calorie. Moreover, one person sweats after a long walk and another only after climbing a steep mountain.

Fable

So it is a myth that the more you sweat, the more fat you burn. Sweat is a fluid that the skin secretes as a way to cool the body during sports or other physical activities. It contains fluid, salts and electrolytes, but it does not contain fat. If you want to lose weight, you do not have to worry about whether you sweat or not. As we have said before: it is about the negative energy balance. Only when you burn more calories than you consume will this lead to weight loss and fat burning. So it is better to focus on how many calories you burn instead of how much you sweat.

How can the Milon Circle help you burn fat?

Burning fat during exercise depends on several factors, such as the intensity level of the exercise, the duration of the exercise and the composition of your diet. It is more important to ensure a healthy balance between nutrition and exercise and to follow a regular exercise program to burn fat. The Milon circle helps you to strengthen your muscles and increase your endurance. These muscles in turn ensure a higher metabolism, better endurance ensures that you get through the day full of energy. Whether or not you show beads of sweat does not matter that much.

Cardio exercises are exercises that increase your heart rate and help improve your blood circulation, such as running, cycling, swimming, rowing or jumping on a trampoline. Cardio has many benefits, and it will certainly help you burn calories, but if you want to lose weight, you need to do more than just cardio. In this blog, we will explain why.

Training the heart and lungs

The word “cardio” comes from the Greek word “kardia”, which means “heart”. Cardio exercises are exercises that train your heart and lungs to work more efficiently. This can be walking, cycling or swimming, for example. It helps you burn calories, strengthen your heart and lung system and reduce the risk of certain health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.

It's about the negative energy balance

If you want to lose weight, it’s not just about the number of calories you burn during exercise. It’s about how many calories you burn in total in a day, and how many you eat. If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight: a so-called negative energy balance. When you do cardio, you burn calories, that’s for sure. But anyone who thinks they can lose weight by only doing cardio exercises will most likely be disappointed. A brisk walk or a long bike ride also makes you hungrier. And the number of calories you burn through cardio training is easily overestimated. Someone weighing sixty kilos burns about 400 kilocalories by running for half an hour, but one Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks quickly contains 255 kilocalories. Add a brownie to that – because you did your best – and you’re already at 630 kilocalories in total. So if you don’t also adjust your diet, the chance that you will lose weight is slim.

Benefit from the afterburn of strength training

If you also combine your cardio exercises and a suitable diet with strength training, then the chance of success is greatest. Energy is needed to maintain muscles. The more muscles, the more energy must be burned and the higher your metabolism. This does not only happen during training, but also afterwards. This afterburn effect ensures that your body consumes more calories for several hours after it has come to rest. A kilo of muscle burns about 12 kilocalories, fat mass only 4. Every kilo of muscle that your body gains provides you with seventy to a hundred kilocalories per day. A muscular body works harder at rest, in short, a better combustion, also at rest.

Make sure you have the right combination

So if you want to lose weight, it is important to have a balanced mix of cardio and strength training, together with a healthy and balanced diet. Complicated? By training with the Milon circle, you train your entire body in six 35-minute workouts every month. This way you can be sure that you benefit from the perfect combination of strength and cardio. Thanks to the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach, you can be sure that you will lose weight sustainably, without yo-yoing.

Dip after 12 days

Ten days into the new year, chances are your New Year's resolutions are already fading into the background. Research shows that the Dutch give up on their New Year's resolutions after an average of 18 days. The sports app Strava shows a dip in people's fitness levels after just 12 days. The reason? Many people set their goals far too high.

Lose weight slowly

Losing twenty kilos in two months? You won't succeed, believe me. To lose weight healthily and sustainably, you shouldn't lose more than half a kilo a week. That'll easily take you forty weeks. And losing weight is never a straight line; sometimes it just doesn't work. Patient perseverance is the only way to go. You'll notice that eventually things will pick up again. The reality is that you'll easily be working on it for a year, but hey, those twenty kilos didn't come off in two months either. Break your goal down into small steps; that works much better. Start with losing two kilos and see what happens next.

Six short training sessions per month are feasible

Going to the gym five times a week for an hour and a half is another goal that almost no one manages to maintain. Fortunately, there's no need for it. The Milon Circle is a fully automated circle with fitness equipment where you can train your entire body in six 35-minute workouts every month. The innovative Milonizer scans your body in seconds using biometric markers. This way, you can be sure the equipment is properly configured for every workout. So even if you're older or struggling with injuries, you can still get started. You'll always find exercises that suit you. Shoulder problems? With the Milon Circle, you only get exercises with a range of motion your shoulder can handle. People with obesity, rheumatism, diabetes, or COVID-19 symptoms can also work on their health without any problems thanks to the Milon Circle. And all without large mirrors, ridiculously loud music, or shiny bodies around you.