The New York Time just published an analysis of a recent study, and here is the big conclusion: Many people report not losing weight even when they exercise more.
While this article is written as though it’s a surprise, this lesson has been a part of the Habits of Health Transformational System from the very beginning, and my long-time readers will remember that we cover this topic early in Dr. A’s Habits of Health. We have known for years that while Habits of Healthy Motion are crucial to optimal wellbeing, the idea that you can lift or run the pounds away is not only false, it is incredibly frustrating for someone who tries working out to get healthier.
You can put in so much effort only to discover that you aren’t losing weight. Worse yet, you may discover that you gained weight.
Here’s why:
Many of us consume far more calories our bodies actually need. Our bodies burn fat when we reach a calorie deficit, which is when we burn more calories than we have consumed, so our bodies use our stored energy (fat) to compensate. When we try to exercise to reach a fat-burning state without changing how we fuel our bodies, we often come woefully short of burning more calories than we have consumed.
We have found–through our work with thousands of clients, people just like you–that the most efficient and most sustainable path to a healthy weight is not to start with exercise but to start with fuelings. We build Habits of Health around eating, hydration, and decision-making first, and then slowly introduce more movement in smaller, manageable chunks.
The result? Our clients enter fat-burning more rapidly. They learn how to manage portions and to properly fuel their bodies, and they adopt changes in their routine that not only help them lose weight now but set them up for long-term success. No yo-yo diets. No painful injuries from working out too hard too early. Just a straightforward, manageable process for putting your body in fat-burning and keeping it there.
Exercise is still important, but it comes later. If you are just thinking about beginning a health journey or have perhaps started and were surprised by our approach, I hope this helps. This path works. We have seen it ourselves, and medical research continues to support our system.
If you have more questions, reach out to your health coach. They can tell you about the short and long-term steps to your plan.
As always, talk to your physician before beginning or changing your exercise routine.