This is a common statement we hear a lot from our clients at MD HEALTH. Losing weight has long been a contentious issue when it comes to exercise and losing weight.
Over time many people have subscribed to the theory that the more exercise you do, the more weight you lose. When you take a simple approach like that, it appears that simple. People think “I can just exercise that little bit more to lose those unwanted kilos”. This especially happens around the holiday period, where we are a little more indulgent. We think we can dial up the exercise to lose the extra weight.
A lot of the current research indicates that losing weight doesn’t correlate to the amount of activity you do. The body is very adaptable, it matches the calories burned from activity and rest to the number of calories you eat. A person with a sedentary lifestyle will generally burn the same or similar calories to an active person (1).
This doesn’t mean we don’t stop exercising, but a bit more background on exercise is important.
A report from the UK’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges described performing 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week, as more powerful than many drugs administered for chronic disease prevention. It showed that regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers by at least 30%. However, physical activity does not promote weight loss.
It shows that we should still exercise, however we should understand why we exercise and that exercise for weight loss is not necessarily going to be the outcome we desire.
The message from the information available to us is that to lose weight, we are better off eating less food than exercising more. In order to lose weight, one must actively reduce their food intake and not necessarily increase their exercise volume.
When looking at changing your eating habits, staying away from processed foods like high calorie snacks and sweets, and start to focus on foods high in protein and fiber. This is a great way to start changing your eating habits and will set you on a path to losing more weight!
We wanted to help you lose the right weight, talk to our professional healthcare specialist on (03) 9857 0644 so we can assist you better.
References
1)Editorial. It is time to bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity: you cannot outrun a bad diet A Malhotra, T Noakes, S Phinney, British Journal of Sports Medicine August 2015 – Volume 49 – 15
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