Weight Loss & Exercise: Are We Getting It All Wrong?

Have you ever wondered why hitting the gym religiously doesn't always lead to the weight loss results you're hoping for? Today, we're diving into some fascinating research that explains exactly what it takes to lose weight through exercise – and keep it off for good.

Before continuing, I want to be clear: focusing solely on the number on the scale isn't the most effective way to approach fitness or dietary changes. Instead, prioritize body composition – think fat loss and muscle gain. Even if you're carrying extra weight, building strength through muscle development will naturally lead to fat reduction, which improves your overall health and will contribute to meaningful weight loss.

In some instances, you might even experience a temporary weight gain while noticing a decrease in your overall size. I experienced this firsthand when I began lifting heavier weights three times a week. I gained six pounds almost immediately and remained at that weight for several weeks. After four weeks of consistent training, I compared my measurements to a time when I weighed twelve pounds less. Remarkably, my measurements either remained the same or decreased! I was effectively getting smaller, even though my weight had increased. Honestly, who would complain about that?

The truth is, despite the hours we spend working out, it's our diet that ultimately controls weight loss.

Here's a reality check many of us need to hear: exercise alone typically only leads to modest weight loss (about 4-6 pounds). Even when following the standard recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, most people won't see dramatic changes on the scale without dietary changes. Here’s just one study by Swift, et al showing these results.

It's not all bad news though! You don't have to cut your calories significantly just to lose some weight - although the research shows this would work. Using a combination of a moderate calorie restriction and 30+ minutes of exercise five times a week will provide the best results to not only losing weight, but maintaining your new weight once it's gone!

There are many different ways to change your body. Research shows the magic happens when you combine these key elements:

First, you will need to do a little research to figure out how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight. This Calculator is a straightforward way to determine the calories you should be eating each day. You can track your food on paper, or you can use an app - which have greatly improved in recent years! I highly recommend daily food tracking, since I personally learned how easy it is to underestimate how much we eat each day. My two favorite apps are My Fitness Pal and Cronometer. Both have a version for free meal tracking.

Next, create a weekly exercise plan. The easiest plan is to do 5×45 minute workouts or 4×60 minute workouts. Once you've decided on the number of days each week, decide how many of those days you'll do resistance training (strengthening exercises using weights or your body weight) and how many you'll do other types of workouts.

From there, you can start creating your exercise plan. My best advice to anyone preparing a new program is to choose workouts you enjoy doing! If you dread your workout, then you likely won't stick with it, and no one wants to hate their plan. If you enjoy swimming, plan to dive in! Running? Lace up! Pilates, sign up for a class. If lifting weights is your thing, but cardio is not, then plan to do resistance training four days per week, and add some brisk, or hill/incline walking.

Here's a sample plan that gets you to 275 minutes for the week:

Followed consistently, this workout plan together with a calorie deficit of 250-500 calories per day, would easily burn fat and build muscle!

It is important to note that muscles burn more calories than fat because muscles are metabolically active, which means that they require energy to maintain themselves. Therefore, increased muscle mass burns significantly more calories when exercising, and even a few more calories while at rest, like watching Netflix, or reading this post.

I want to stress again: Body weight is just one metric for measuring your health! Though we all know muscle weighs more than fat, it sure doesn't behave and appear the same - so the focus should be more on fat loss, than weight loss. Remember, muscle gain could actually equate to weight gain, but your clothes may fit better and body will appear different. The cartoon below is meant to show a person who weighs the same, but has a different composition of muscle to fat:

Perhaps the most valuable finding is about maintenance. A shocking 80% of people regain lost weight, but research shows that consistent physical activity is one of the best predictors of long-term success. Even modest weight regain (2-6%) can reverse improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure, and other health markers.

Create an exercise plan that you enjoy and can stick with long-term, then consistently follow it! It will take some time to first see results, and when you do you must continue on that path to maintain your new body. Remember: The journey to sustainable weight loss isn't about finding shortcuts – it's about creating a new lifestyle and building habits that last a lifetime.

Remember, you can do this! Gotta Run~

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