Exercise Alone Does Not Guarantee Long-Term Weight Loss

Exercise Alone Does Not Guarantee Long-Term Weight Loss

I recently researched how much exercise is needed to lose weight, and it turns out there is none. You should move to be healthier. The natural way to lose weight and keep your weight permanently is to change your diet for the long term. Exercise will help for a while, but then your body will get used to it and won’t burn extra calories by moving around as it initially did.

This is because our body is an adaptation master. It gets used to everything. It strives to conserve energy, so after a while, it will take it for granted that exercise is part of your life. Did you know that if you even out the differences, a hunter-gatherer uses the same amount of energy in everyday life as an office worker?

I think this adaptability is the evolutionary advantage that has made humans the most successful species. We have lived and reproduced from the equator to the Arctic. Of course, constant fat storage is no longer a priority nowadays, but it’s a legacy we can’t easily eliminate.

So, what can we do if we want a healthy figure for the long term? Control your calorie intake, i.e., count calories to lose weight and keep it off.

It’s important not to eat much less than your daily calorie needs, i.e. don’t starve yourself, and your daily calorie allowance plus exercise should not be 10-15% less than optimal.

So, if your body’s daily calorie requirement is 1500 calories and you burn an extra 100 calories a day due to a sedentary lifestyle (i.e. you need an average of 1600 calories for your day), then for optimal weight loss, don’t go below 85 percent of that, or 1360 calories.

I know it’s hard to stick to calorie targets. It might be easier if you think in terms of weekly goals. Average your weekly exercise and calories in and imagine it works like a wallet. If you work with weekly portions, you’ll be better able to manage social events because you’ll take more out of your calorie wallet for a dinner out, which you might already be saving for in advance.

Unfortunately, because of this adaptability mentioned above, we tend to overeat and start gaining weight, which is then very difficult to reverse. I think it’s very important, and I can’t stress this enough, that the key to losing weight is calorie deficit, and the key to keeping weight off is experimenting with foods in the ideal calorie range.

Let’s then talk a little more about exercise. It is very important to move. Regular walking, running, strength training, yoga, and cycling make us strong. They help us manage stress, sleep well, and maintain our bones and muscles. There are lots of benefits to exercise, which is why it’s worth doing. Every extra movement burns extra calories, helping us lose weight.

You also need to consider that if you incorporate exercise into your life, build in an amount that you can sustain. Of course you can and should have short-term challenges, like pushing a certain weight, running a certain distance, climbing a peak. These are the best things you can do to maintain your health, just don’t overdo it.

Every day is precious. And with each day, there is one less to live. Is there any sense in waiting?

These are the studies I referred to:

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