Weight loss is truly a challenge. Many people turn to exercise when they want to lose weight. It might be due to health concerns or simply to look good and get that perfect body. We should keep in mind that exercise is done not only to lose weight but also to gain it. However, this is not widely known. People usually turn to diet and fitness regimes to achieve their weight loss goals.
When choosing a fitness regime, it is very important to keep your objectives in mind. What works for someone else may not work for you in losing weight.
Is exercise not helping you lose weight?
Weight loss simply means losing more calories than you consume. So it makes sense to start working out to lose weight. But if you are putting in so much effort, why isn’t it showing on the scale?
Following may be the reasons why exercise is not working out for you:
- Vigorous exercise
Vigorous exercise can lead to the loss of excessive calories. This can lead to an unexpected increase in appetite. This in turn will cause you to make poor eating choices. In this way whatever calories you burnt with exercise are gained right back with not changing eating habits. It is believed that resting metabolic rates decline when we start to lose pounds which leads to weight gain.
- Not doing the right exercise
Most people focus on Aerobic exercises to lose weight. This is because aerobics burn off maximum calories. But it also increases the tendency to gain these calories right back. The best method is to combine aerobic exercise with a cardio workout. Studies have shown that cardio helps to keep body weight off.
- Using the scale to track progress
You might be using the wrong method to track your weight loss. Keep in mind that exercise, especially a strength-building workout, increases muscle mass. And this increase will be evident as the scale goes up. So it’s better to use the measurement tape to know if you are toning up or not.
- Not eating right
Are you focusing all your energy on exercise and none on following a proper calorie-controlled diet? Are you exercising just to earn brownie rewards? This could be a very big reason that you are not losing any weight even with a serious workout routine.
Stick to your diet and it will work
The best thing to do if you want to see results from exercise is to combine it with a healthy diet and limit your calorie intake. The important factors to keep in mind when following a diet are:
- How much and what are you eating?
- When and why are you eating?
- How are you eating? (Mindful eating)
If you have consistency in following your diet then you will lose the weight you want. But keep in mind to exercise as well because it has other more important benefits than losing weight.
Importance of exercise
Exercise is not only important to lose weight. It plays a major role in maintaining overall body health. It helps to maintain blood sugar levels and helps reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. Exercise also has a positive effect on mental health and is known to be beneficial in treating depression.