Our Bodies Compensate for Calories Burned Through Exercise, but Exercise is Still Important in Weight Loss
Research has shown
that exercise,
alone, will not lead to much weight loss.
Generally, in order to lose appreciable weight, an
individual needs to follow a diet, designed to
promote weight loss. One of the reasons why
exercise, alone, does not lead to a lot of weight
loss is that our bodies compensate for the
calories burned through exercise by limiting the
amount of weight we actually lose. Still, as one
study has indicated, exercise can be helpful
in weight loss, if the exercise is combined with a
weight-loss diet.
According to a study
on how physical activity affects our bodies,
for every 100 calories we might think we will burn
when we work out, most of us will only burn 72
calories. The study found that our bodies tend to
make up for at least a quarter of the calories we
burn when we work out. This makes it more
difficult for us to lose weight by working out.
Results also show that extra weight makes it even
more difficult for people, who are already
overweight, to exercise to lose weight.
However, let’s not discard exercise in the overall
process of weight loss. A study
was done to see if changes in physical activity
(PA) are linked to important changes in body
weight and other body measurements when the
exercise is combined with a weight-loss diet.
The study looked at 535 overweight or obese
subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to
one of four different weight-loss diets, each diet
consisting of different macronutrients. PA was
measured with pedometers. Body composition and fat
distribution were measured with DEXA and CT scans
at baseline, at 6 months, and at 24 months. Results
from the study showed that for every 1000 daily
steps taken, there was a measurable drop in "body
weight, body composition, and fat distribution."
So, while exercise, alone, will not lead to much
weight loss for most people, the combination of a
proper weight-loss diet and exercise can lead to
appreciable weight loss.
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