Myth- You need to Exercise Hard to lose your weight
There are 2 most common New Year Resolutions worldwide.
One is to quit smoking,
& the second one is to exercise regularly to lose weight.
We will talk about the second resolution today.
It seems very obvious that to lose weight,
the first thing that comes in your mind is to exercise more
(without any modification in diet).
And the reason is very simple.
You believe in the theory that, if
you will exercise hard, all those unwanted fat that is
there in the bulges of your body will melt away….
and you will be able to wear that old jeans again.
Well, I am sorry to tell you this and break your heart, but
the truth is that exercise alone is not enough to lose weight.
In fact, it has very little supportive role in your weight loss mission.
Please don’t get me wrong here.
I am not against exercise.
You must exercise regularly as
you do get great health benefits from exercise including-
-It reduces your blood pressure
-It reduces triglycerides in your blood
-It reduces risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss in your old age.
-It reduces risk of type-2 diabetes.
-It reduces risk of heart attack.
-once you lose weight, it helps you maintain your weight with proper diet.
However, Exercise plays a very small role in your calorie burn.
Let us see how ……
your body burns 70 to 90 % of its energy in process that you cannot control
- Your BMR uses 60 to 80% of your energy expenditure.
What is BMR? BMR is energy used for basic function of your body like breathing,
temperature maintenance etc. even when you are not doing anything!
- 10% of your energy is used to breakdown the food you eat.
So, you burn only remaining 10 to 30 % of your energy
through your physical activity,
and exercise is only a small portion of that!
Thus, exercise is having very little role in your overall calorie burning.
In reality, chances are, that when you exercise,
you may take additional calories or reduce your
routine physical activities. And this ruins your
sincere efforts Of weight loss.
This tendency is known as “ COMPENSATORY BEHAVIORS”.
When you exercise,
- You are prone to increase your food intake
either because you feel more hungrier, or
you simply over estimate the calories you burn
- You may simply reduce your routine,
physical activity as you may feel more tired.
YOU WORK HARD ON THAT MACHINE FOR AN HOUR,
AND THAT WORK CAN BE ERASED EASILY
WHEN YOU OVER EAT AFTERWORD
Now you must be thinking,
How can you reduce your weight more predictably?
As per your age, level of physical activity and personal liking and disliking,
You need to take—
- Right kind of food
- In right quantity
- At right time
And, to know what is right kind of food, quantity and time for you,
you need to consult a qualified dietitian
Remember-
EXERCISE REGULARLY FOR YOURHEALTH BENEFIT;
BUT FOR WEIGHT LOSS,CONSULT YOUR DIETITIAN
That’s all for today.
See you next Tuesday with another TUESDAY TIP
till then, TAKE CARE….
Providing simple solutions
for the complexities of life
Dr. Bhumita Makwana
Your Dietitian & Cosmetic Clinician
