Did you know that 30 minutes of jogging or swimming only burns up to 350 calories? You could achieve that same calorie reduction by eliminating two 16-ounce sodas each day.
Exercise consumes far fewer calories than many people think and many people, no matter what shape they’re in. While exercise has many benefits, there are problems with relying on it to control weight. Here’s why you should turn your attention to your diet, not just your exercise routines, if you’re looking to shed pounds:
Exercise increases one’s appetite.
When you burn off calories being active, your body will often signal you to replace them. Multiple studies that looked at how people complied with exercise programs showed that over time, people wound up burning less energy with exercise than predicted and also increasing their caloric intake.
Other metabolic changes can negate the weight loss benefits of exercise.
When you lose weight, metabolism often slows. Research, however, shows that the resting metabolic rate in all dieters slows significantly, regardless of whether they exercise. This is why weight loss, which might seem easy when you start, becomes harder over time.
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Changing your diet is easier and faster than spending time at the gym.
Far too many people manage to find an hour or more in their day to drive to the gym, exercise and then clean up afterward — but complain that there’s just no time to cook or prepare a healthful, home-cooked meal. If they would spend just half the time they do exercising trying to make a difference in the kitchen, they’d most likely see much better results.
ForMen takeaway: Exercise is great; we should all be doing more of it. Study after study detail how physical activity can improve outcomes in a variety of diseases both physical and mental. But when it comes to pure weight loss, it’s important to focus on what you’re eating, not just how long you’re spending at the gym.
Relevant source:
Curated from The New York Times
