more exercise isn’t the answer
Why do most people choose to exercise? I assume it’s deeper than simply making an attempt at being healthy, and more along the lines of wanting to lose weight to look good naked. That’s fair, I TOO want to look good naked. HOWEVER, I am here to tell you not to fall prey to the simplistic mantra of “calories in, calories out.”
More exercise isn;t the answer in your quest for a sexy body. Multiple studies carried out by health and fitness experts have concluding that exercise doesn’t really result in much weight loss(1,2). A study from Harvard University, reported that exercise alone was not adequate for preventing weight gain in people who are already overweight(3). Furthermore, after 8 weeks of your favorite aerobic exercise, you’ll hit a plateau, where continuous work will not bring you any further progress AND may even cause you to lose muscle while storing more fat.
None of this is to say that we shouldn’t be exercising, but relying on it to get you the body you want without addressing all other aspects of your lifestyle is misguided. The reason why certain exercise protocols — specifically, resistance training — are implemented when it comes to transforming your turnip shaped body into one made for selfies is that it helps RETAIN MUSCLE while cleaning up the diet is largely responsible for the reduction in fat mass. Both are necessary for the best results, but neither will give you the best results on their own.
References:
1 W. L. Haskell et al., “Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association.” Circulation 116, no. 9 (August 2007): 1081–93.
2 M. Fogelholm et al., “Does physical activity prevent weight gain—a systematic review.” Obesity Reviews: An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 1, no. 2 (October 2000): 95–111.
3 I.-M. Lee et al., “Physical activity and weight gain prevention.” JAMA 303, no. 12 (March 2010): 1173–79.