This is a column I never thought I would have to write. I will do my best to not get too angry, but I’m upset. Why? Because of a recent article titled “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” The article was a pretty lousy yet hilarious attempt to try and present some evidence for why spending your time exercising will be spent in vain. Not only are the points flimsy and misinterpreted from its source data, but it was somewhat irresponsible for such a major publication [TIME, August, 9 2009].
I struggled on my decision on how to respond to this as I have literally helped many people LOSE WEIGHT WITH EXERCISE. As an EXERCISE (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) and DIET (Registered Dietician) professional, I am surprised by these claims. Instead of being angry about these misleading statements, I will present to you, WHY in fact, exercise is your best friend when it comes to weight loss.
When it comes to weight loss (or gain), it simple calorie balance, math and physics.
Quick Example: Lose 1 pound in 7 days.
-3,500 Calories in a pound
-Subtract 500 per day for 7 days and you have lost 1 pound of dry weight.
-Then ask yourself how you would like to subtract that 500 calories.
a) Eat less
b) Exercise more
c) Both
Sure, you could eat 500 calories less each day or you could burn 500 more calories daily with exercise.
But, we can meet in the middle right? We can start by being more physically active which will immediately improve blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are all simple biochemical building blocks to the weight loss process. Then, we reduce the super sized portions and even more success is had. And the consumer did not have to go to insane lengths to achieve a healthier lifestyle and some weight loss success.
Next, there is your metabolism; this is why small frequent meals work. If you eat little food and infrequently your body must hold on tight to calories and fat cells and spare the brain and central nervous system from death as it goes into survival mode. Everything else is fair game for metabolism and energy. Usually, in starvation, muscles and amino acids are used as they are broken down into glucose easier than fat. So by eating less, food infrequently, you actually slow down your metabolism.
One of the misleading statements in the article is ‘exercise makes you hungry’. Actually, exercise stimulates catecholamines (adrenaline) which can fight off hunger for several hours after exercise (not that you should fast here … but, choose the right foods). Catecholamines also help transport nutrients into your cells exclusive of the need for insulin. This is a very good thing because your ‘insulin sensitivity’ improves. By improving your insulin sensitivity your body uses insulin more efficiently decreasing you risk of diabetes and improving your diabetes control if you already have diabetes.
So why do you feel hungry? Well if you just burned 500 calories in the gym, and you haven’t eaten in four hours, maybe you are hungry. Here is where the control comes. You can’t ‘reward’ yourself with something bad (chocolate cake) just because you exercised. Often people feel the need to reward themselves with food after they exercise. Not quite the strategy you need if you are trying to lose weight. Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, famously consumed more than 10,000 calories a day during the 2008 games but at 6’ 3”, he only weighs 165 pounds (BMI=20.6). Again it’s simple math. He was swimming miles each day so the calories were being burned.
Remember, as we most things, moderation and a balance are the best! Don’t leave exercise out of you diet.