Nov 24 2008
The Power of Exercise for Weight Loss
You often hear diet plans claiming that there is “no exercise needed” or “lose weight without going to the gym”. This is not such a great idea as any fitness expert will tell you. The best combination for weight loss has always been eating “less” and exercising more. Exercise has a lot of benefits beyond just the number of calories it helps you burn (which is really helpful since you can eat more while losing weight).
Super low calorie diets will let you lose weight without working out, but there is a long term consequence to this approach–it slows your metabolism. The slower your metabolism, the less you can eat to lose or even maintain your weight. That is precisely why you gain back even more weight than you lost when you “go off” this type of diet even when you are eating the same amount as before the diet.
Exercise helps to increase your metabolism which means you need more calories to sustain your weight and it also means you can eat more while losing weight. Especially when you include some weight training because added muscle requires more energy which again means that you can eat more while you are losing weight.
There is a big difference between losing weight while eating 1500 calories a day and going on a 1000 calorie a day “starvation diet”. You will be able to eat plenty of delicious whole foods and basically feel like you are eating a “normal” diet that you can live with for the rest of your life. When you stick to a sensible plan like this that includes regular exercise, you can even enjoy a desert one a week and not feel guilty about it–now that’s worth an extra 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer, right?
Allison Marie Saad
I am so glad I don’t have to put my kids in daycare!
