In theory, if you're starving, exercising less helps conserve energy. But obviously you're going to place finding food and eating at the top of your to do list. But dieters today do exactly what they shouldn't do...exercise less if they were to starve and start dieting when trying to lose weight.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System recently published their findings from a 21 state study with over 112,000 participants on how weight loss methods affect dieter's success.
Each participant was placed into one of four categories based on the weight control method they used.
1. Increasing physical activity
2. Eating fewer calories
3. Combination of fewer calories with exercise
4. None (not trying to lose weight)
For those who were trying to lose weight, the most common weight practices were eating fewer calories without other methods (32.3% of women, 24.1% of men) and eating fewer calories with exercise (33.8% of women, 19.9% of men).
Increasing physical activity as a sole weight-loss practice was reported by 3.4% of women and 4% of men.
The last statistic on exercising without dieting is where I get lost. It's hard for me to understand how only 3% of women and 4% of men use exercise as their sole weight loss practice. Is anything wrong with this?
Yes, we are wrong. The entire weight loss industry is wrong!
It all reminds me of a slogan from a few years ago, "Simply Weight Loss." It represented a return to diet basics. And that's when it hit me, a return to diet basics is what is wrong.
Dieting is Wrong
You're too heavy and you need to lose weight. The extra pounds pushing you above your ideal weight, resulted from a chronic state of positive energy balance...eating more calories (energy) than the body needs.
This is usually followed by the question, "Why doesn't my body just get rid of the extra energy?" I totally agree. Just get rid of all that extra energy, send it on it's way.
Unfortunately, the laws of thermodynamics are what mess things up.
The tough law to get around involves the whole idea that you can't create or destroy energy. It's constant. Since you can't simply destroy energy, you have no choice but to use the extra energy (packed into calories) or store it.
So, how does this make dieting wrong? Dieting only works in theory. In theory, dieting, which is synonymous with calorie restriction, causes total body energy to decrease in hopes of creating an energy deficit.
To make up for this deficit, the body will tap into energy stores to cover immediate needs. So, in theory, dieting causes weight loss.
Is this what occurs in dieters? Yes and no.
The Best Method for Using Stored Energy
Dieting, a.k.a. calorie restriction, slows down the resting metabolic rate, throwing the body into a state of energy conservation. This is not conducive of weight loss but instead is perfect for gaining weight.
Those dieters that do lose weight and keep it off, practice my concept of slow & low.
Now what? Exercise.
What is the best method for using the extra energy we didn't use in the past? Exercise. Start an exercise program first, one that centers on muscle tone and strength, then use dieting on an as needed basis to lower total body energy.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System published perfect statistics. We should be using exercise as a sole weight loss method more often.
To Healthy Living!
Michael Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website
Dr. Michael Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content based website dedicated to the on-line dieter. Please visit Dr. Smith at the slow & low and learn about things like, "Your Real Dieting Problem" and "Diet Shock." Dr. Smith's site is true cutting edge material. In an internet full of weight loss "experts" it's obvious when you find a real professional -- The Diet Basics Website.
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..My name is Greg Ryan. I am a high profile... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
Do you know what the words really mean on food... Read More
The difference between weight loss, and steady or weight gain,... Read More
A client wrote, "Help me! I thought I was finally... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the WayThat... Read More
Weight Loss Red Flag GuideDespite claims to the contrary, there... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More
One way of recognizing a fad diet is... Read More
There are a few different ways to determine if you... Read More
Many women want to be slim. Maybe you're one of... Read More
One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there... Read More
Have a conversation about gastric bypass surgery with just about... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of... Read More
In the medical community, "obesity" is generally said to be... Read More
When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say,... Read More
One of the hardest aspects of getting yourself into shape,... Read More
There are many books and internet articles written about weight... Read More
What is negative calorie effect? Whatever food we eat,... Read More
How to Break the Weighing HabitFace it, if you weigh... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
One of the hardest aspects of getting yourself into shape,... Read More
One thing I really must say at the outset of... Read More
A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More
Have you ever stepped on the scale after a week... Read More
It is much safer to your long term health to... Read More
When we discover that we are heavier than we want... Read More
For those of you who aren't familiar with ephedra let... Read More
It seems like everywhere you turn, there is someone trying... Read More
Abdominoplasty, or "tummy tuck" is a major surgical procedure that... Read More
Don't get discouraged. I, too, have found myself in this... Read More
We have plans for everything these days. That is how... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
Research from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed... Read More
Things get so confusing when it comes to understanding what... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
A question from one of our readers:Dr. Mericle,With respect to... Read More
There are numerous ways to make a bad weight loss... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes... Read More
Atkins diet was unknown 35 years ago. Though it seems... Read More
Weight Loss |