Whenever someone brings up their weight loss goals, the advice they get pretty much always boils down to two words: diet and exercise.
And there’s truth in that simplicity: diet and exercise are two of the most tried-and-true drivers of weight management. That said, there are plenty of misconceptions surrounding them, especially regarding how exactly exercise helps when we’re trying to slim down.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the real role that exercise plays in weight loss or fat loss, and try to debunk a few long-standing myths.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only and not meant to replace the advice of a health professional. If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to seek the advice of your GP or a qualified dietitian, especially if you have any preexisting conditions.
It’s important to remember that ‘weight loss’ and ‘fat loss’ are not synonymous.
Depending on your diet and exercise plan, it’s possible to become leaner (i.e., decrease body fat) but still see an increase in weight because you developed muscle mass (and muscle is, by volume, heavier than fat).
Just because the number on the scale isn’t going down, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not making progress.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume that the goal is fat loss—in other words, to become leaner.
Truth: Diet plays a more significant role in driving weight loss.
We see the trope all the time in the media: someone is trying to lose weight so in the next scene they’re clad in gym clothes and are fighting for their lives on a treadmill or spin bike.
This idea is also why we see so many gym sign-ups right at the start of the year—the “new year, new me” resolutions—as well as in the months leading up to summer.
But the reality is, your diet is always going to be the main driver of weight management.
For the most part, losing, maintaining, or adding body mass (a.k.a. weight) comes down to the number of calories we consume versus how much we burn.
Our TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) refers to the total number of calories we burn in one day. Regularly consuming more calories than your TDEE leads to weight gain, and regularly consuming less than your TDEE leads to weight loss (caloric deficit).
It is estimated that 60-70% of our TDEE is made up of our BMR, or our basal metabolic rate. That refers to the total calories that our bodies burn in a day just by existing and performing survival functions such as circulation, respiration and cell repair.
Meanwhile, depending on your level of activity, exercise only takes up 15-30% of your TDEE. So you can’t really expect exercise to be the main factor in caloric maintenance.
It will likely be much more efficient to control your diet instead, especially if you are trying to lose a significant amount of weight.
Let’s say you’re trying to lose weight by going into a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories under your TDEE.
Depending on your size, burning around 500 calories will require about an hour of moderate to intense exercise. On the contrary, it’s very easy to consume an extra 500 calories’ worth of junk food or sugary drinks.
So if your goal is weight loss, it’s often a good idea to take a look at your diet and see where you can make a few healthy edits.
Truth: Exercise has other, arguably more important, benefits!
Don’t get us wrong: while it’s likely not going to be as significant as diet is for your weight loss, exercise is still important. We are not saying to skip it altogether!
But we are saying, we should probably reframe how we think of exercise when we’re trying to lose weight.
Instead of looking at exercise as a way to simply drive up our caloric deficit, we should start looking at exercise more as something that keeps us healthy and feeling good throughout our fitness journey.
Improves our mood:
Ever felt cranky while on a diet? You’re not alone. Being on a diet can leave us feeling hungry or deprived, leading to irritability or low energy. The good news is exercise is known to improve our mood and release feel-good endorphins—and that boost might be the difference maker that keeps you from giving up on your fitness journey.
Improves our physical health:
Of course, exercise is also proven to strengthen our cardiovascular and respiratory health as well as our immunity. This helps keep illnesses at bay, making it easier for us to stick to healthy routines.
Besides, let’s not forget: improving overall health is the best reason for wanting to lose weight in the first place!
Truth: Resistance training is great for weight management.
Another common misconception is that if weight loss is your goal, then cardio is the way to go; lifting weights is best reserved for people who want to grow bigger and bulk up.
That’s simply not true. Remember BMR from earlier? Our individual BMR is determined by a number of factors, such as our size and sex. Another major factor is lean muscle mass.
The more lean muscle mass we have, the more calories our bodies burn even while at rest. This means developing muscle can help with weight management over the long term.
The stimulus of moving against heavy resistance—such as when we’re lifting weights—is what stimulates our muscles to grow. This makes resistance training an important part of any good weight management plan.
Lifting weights builds lean muscle, which is key to your weight loss goals.
When it comes to exercise, getting started is often the hardest part. It can be intimidating!
But with the right support, it doesn’t have to be.
Our team of qualified physiotherapists are here to guide you through the start of your exercise journey, no matter what your fitness level.
Whether your goal is weight loss, recovery from injury or illness, or just overall health improvement, our physio team will make sure to create a plan that’s safe and tailored to your specific needs.
Call 02 8808 4000 to learn more or contact us through this form!