Want to Lose Weight? You Gotta Work Out
Posted on Sep 18th 2009 1:00PM by Bob GreeneExercise physiologist and certified personal trainer Bob Greene has helped millions of people slim down, most recently with his online program TheBestLife.com. The best-selling author shares the sure-fire strategies for losing weight, protecting your health and living your best life.
A recent story in TIME magazine suggested that when it comes to weight loss, exercise doesn't work. The author claimed it was because exercise stimulates hunger, which leads people to "make up" for the calories burned during a workout, either by eating more calories or by moving less afterward.
One major problem with this argument is that the study the author primarily used to support his theory only looked at low-intensity exercise. During the six-month study from Louisiana State University, participants worked out at only 50 percent of their maximum heart rate. In my experience, low levels of exercise can (and often do) stimulate the appetite in direct relation to calories burned. So, the more calories you burn, the more your appetite increases. Not surprisingly, that's exactly what the study found.
However, if you work out hard enough (which should be at about 80 percent of your target heart, or vigorously enough that you could still carry on a conversation during the workout, but would prefer not to), you'll likely burn more calories than you take in -- even if you experience an increase in appetite. And the fitter you are, the longer and harder you can work out, which will further increase your calorie burn not only during the session, but throughout the day as well.
I'm not knocking low-intensity exercise -- it certainly has its benefits, particularly from a health standpoint. The researchers did note that even the low-intensity exercise participants saw an increase in their fitness levels and a decrease in waist circumference, a measurement that's been linked to more than a handful of diseases. Still, when it comes to weight loss, vigorous exercise is the key.
It's also worth pointing out that the increase in appetite with activity might not be a problem for everyone. Some of the compensation people experience after exercise may be more psychological than physical. You may think you burned enough calories to splurge on that cupcake, or feel that a workout has earned you a reward indulgence. But the reality is, walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns only about 150 calories -- far less than the number of calories in what most of us would consider a treat.
If you find you're falling into a reward trap, try treating yourself with something other than food. Get a manicure or buy a new pair of sneakers. If you have trouble moving away from the food-as-a-reward thinking, opt for a healthy snack, like fresh berries topped with a little whipped cream instead of a pint of strawberry ice cream.
The author of the TIME article thought that diet alone is the key to weight loss, but I'm not on board with that theory. There's plenty of research that suggests losing weight through diet alone produces the same appetite-stimulating effects the author attributes to exercise. It's a simple fact that people who lose weight -- whether through diet, exercise or a combo of the two -- tend to get hungrier. In my experience, exercise helps because it allows you to eat more calories than you would be able to if you were only dieting, and still lose weight.
My advice: Don't use this article as an excuse to give up on your fitness plan! Stick with exercise, and at worst, you'll reap the disease-fighting benefits, which include a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and more, as well as an increase in self-esteem and energy. And at best, you'll also see a dip in those numbers on the scale. That doesn't sound like a bad deal to me!
Having trouble getting fit? Maybe it's time for a trainer.
A recent story in TIME magazine suggested that when it comes to weight loss, exercise doesn't work. The author claimed it was because exercise stimulates hunger, which leads people to "make up" for the calories burned during a workout, either by eating more calories or by moving less afterward. One major problem with this argument is that the study the author primarily used to support his theory only looked at low-intensity exercise. During the six-month study from Louisiana State University, participants worked out at only 50 percent of their maximum heart rate. In my experience, low levels of exercise can (and often do) stimulate the appetite in direct relation to calories burned. So, the more calories you burn, the more your appetite increases. Not surprisingly, that's exactly what the study found.
However, if you work out hard enough (which should be at about 80 percent of your target heart, or vigorously enough that you could still carry on a conversation during the workout, but would prefer not to), you'll likely burn more calories than you take in -- even if you experience an increase in appetite. And the fitter you are, the longer and harder you can work out, which will further increase your calorie burn not only during the session, but throughout the day as well.
I'm not knocking low-intensity exercise -- it certainly has its benefits, particularly from a health standpoint. The researchers did note that even the low-intensity exercise participants saw an increase in their fitness levels and a decrease in waist circumference, a measurement that's been linked to more than a handful of diseases. Still, when it comes to weight loss, vigorous exercise is the key.
It's also worth pointing out that the increase in appetite with activity might not be a problem for everyone. Some of the compensation people experience after exercise may be more psychological than physical. You may think you burned enough calories to splurge on that cupcake, or feel that a workout has earned you a reward indulgence. But the reality is, walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns only about 150 calories -- far less than the number of calories in what most of us would consider a treat.
If you find you're falling into a reward trap, try treating yourself with something other than food. Get a manicure or buy a new pair of sneakers. If you have trouble moving away from the food-as-a-reward thinking, opt for a healthy snack, like fresh berries topped with a little whipped cream instead of a pint of strawberry ice cream.
The author of the TIME article thought that diet alone is the key to weight loss, but I'm not on board with that theory. There's plenty of research that suggests losing weight through diet alone produces the same appetite-stimulating effects the author attributes to exercise. It's a simple fact that people who lose weight -- whether through diet, exercise or a combo of the two -- tend to get hungrier. In my experience, exercise helps because it allows you to eat more calories than you would be able to if you were only dieting, and still lose weight.
My advice: Don't use this article as an excuse to give up on your fitness plan! Stick with exercise, and at worst, you'll reap the disease-fighting benefits, which include a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and more, as well as an increase in self-esteem and energy. And at best, you'll also see a dip in those numbers on the scale. That doesn't sound like a bad deal to me!
Having trouble getting fit? Maybe it's time for a trainer.
