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As many as four out of five people exercise for fat loss and yet, only a relatively small number of exercisers actually reach their ultimate goal of being lean, fit and healthy. Clearly, there is something wrong with how many people choose to exercise. In this article I’d like to explore this all too common problem and explain why it’s all but impossible to outrun a bad diet… Weight Loss – a Question of Balance Losing weight, or more specifically fat, requires that you create a calorie deficit. In simple terms, this means you need to exercise more and/or eat less so that your body is forced to make up this energy shortfall by using stored body fat for energy. It’s a simple concept; eat less and move more to lose fat and therefore weight. Sadly, most people put too great an emphasis on exercise and not enough emphasis on diet. Even the most ardent exerciser will only burn around 500 to 600 calories per workout. Therefore, if you exercise three times per week, you will burn around 1500-1800 calories in total. This equates to a measly half a pound of fat. Needless to say, this is a very slow rate of fat loss and there is no guarantee that you will actually see any! All it would take to undo your good work in the gym is a couple of unhealthy meals and you’d be back to square one – and at exactly the same weight. So what does the typical exerciser do if they aren’t losing weight? They do more exercise. Sadly, unless they have also made some dietary changes as well, this extra exercise will still not result in meaningful amounts of weight loss. It is estimated that a single pound of fat contains 3,500 calories so to lose a pound per week (a typical fat-loss goal) you need to burn around 500 extra calories each and every day of the week. That’s a whole lot of exercise! And, as before, if you are still eating too much, even this much exercise can be ineffectual. Trying to outrun a bad really is an exercise in futility! What’s the Answer? The bottom line is this: to get the great results you deserve from your fat burning exercise you need to address your diet too! By diet, I don’t mean you should follow the latest celebrity-endorsed eating plan that promises that you will lose 10 lbs in seven days. Instead, I suggest you make some moderate and sustainable changes to your diet like eating less refined carbohydrate, eating more leafy green vegetables, cut down on sugar, reduce your consumption of “empty calories” such as soda and candy and make a point of trying to eat more protein at each meal. By combining these moderate dietary interventions with regular but not exhaustive exercise you should start to see your fat (and body weight) levels start to gradually decrease. Combining a smart exercise routine with a healthy diet really is the way forward when it comes to fat loss, weight control, health and fitness. Stop trying to outrun a bad diet – it’s a race you will never win. Instead, address both diet AND exercise to get the body you want. Author Bio Mark Darco is a professional personal trainer with 15 years experience and has worked with hundreds of clients. He has successfully completed multiple certifications and continues to provide fitness training to clients of all ages in the NYC area.
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