Exercise Isn’t Enough – You Need to Change Your Diet Too to Lose Weight

You’ve probably heard lots of experts blame the “obesity crisis” on a fall in activity levels, and if you’ve used You On A Diet’s activity calculator, you’ll know that the more exercise you do, the more calories you’ll burn.

However, exercise alone probably won’t help you lose weight, according to the most recent research. Two separate studies, Effect of Exercise on 24-Month Weight Loss Maintenance in Overweight Women and Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference and Compensatory Responses with Different Doses of Exercise among Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women found that exercising more didn’t mean losing more weight.

So why doesn’t exercise “work”? In many cases, we over-estimate how many calories we’re burning off during exercise – and over-compensate! If you’re a 140lb woman and go for a half-hour brisk walk, you’ll burn around 150 calories – but if you then “treat yourself” to a mars bar, you’ll be putting around 300 calories straight back into your body.

Of course, exercise is hugely beneficial not just for dieters but for everyone. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your exercise routine when you’re on a diet.

Eat Sensibly When Exercising

If you’re exercising at a moderate to vigorous intensity (which, very roughly speaking, means if you’re getting sweaty!) then you’ll need to eat a bit extra before and after exercising, to make sure you have enough energy. You shouldn’t work out on an empty stomach.

Sensible eating habits when exercising are:

• Don’t exercise within a couple of hours after eating a large meal
• Eat something nutritious and carb-rich before working out, for energy. A granola bar, oat cakes, a banana or a small sandwich are all good options.
• If you feel tired or shaky after exercising, you should eat something. Again, go for healthy options rather than candy bars.

Track Your Calories Burned

Most gym machines will estimate how many calories you’ve burned – though some dieticians warn that these figures can be quite inaccurate. You could invest in a heart rate monitor to track how many calories you’ve burnt, or you could use tools like the Activity Calculator.

Whatever method you choose, it’s a good idea to keep track of your exercise calories along with a record of how many calories you’ve eaten – perhaps in a food diary. This can help avoid the “I’ve been good so I’ll treat myself” mindset that prevents many exercisers from being successful with their diets.

Exercise For Holistic Benefits

One trap that many dieters fall into is seeing exercise purely as a way to “earn” calories. This often leads to resentfully struggling on with exercise that isn’t especially enjoyable, just to clock up calories. (There are also dangers of developing disorders such as exercise bulimia, also known as compulsive exercising.)

There are lots of great benefits to exercising that go beyond burning calories. These include:

• Reduced risk of a number of diseases and illnesses, including diabetes, heart conditions and strokes
• Maintaining muscle whilst losing weight, so that the pounds you lose are pounds of fat not muscle!
• Toning up your body
• Becoming stronger and/or more flexible
• Natural boost to mood and sense of well-being, improving your self-esteem

The studies mentioned above definitely don’t suggest that we should stop exercising. They just sound a note of caution: exercise is not a magic fix for being overweight, and dietary changes are necessary too.

Written by Ali Hale

Related posts:

1. ATD: I Can’t Diet or Exercise, How Do I Lose Weight?
2. How to Establish an Exercise Routine You Can Stick To
3. Five Great Reasons to Exercise