Eat Less and Exercise More for Weight Loss

All too often I hear people grumble when they hear the recommendation to eat less and exercise more for weight loss. “It’s not true,” or “It doesn’t work.” are two of the many responses I hear. However, the truth is that it does work for most people most of the time. Yes, there are exceptions. That’s true with just about anything in life but the reality is that the statement is a simplified way to share a complicated concept. An article I wrote a short while ago may help to clear up some of your questions.

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Eat Less, Exercise More for Weight Loss – Yes or No?

You’ve likely heard the line “eat less and exercise more to lose weight” more times than you care to remember. But is it true? I see it as a vastly oversimplified response to an incredibly complex issue.

In all fairness to the health professionals who advocate this approach to weight loss, it is the easiest and quickest way to provide a response to the question of how to lose weight. And therein lies the problem. Not everyone understands the basic nutritional and physiological concepts that support this recommendation.

Here’s a short list of things to keep in mind:

1. Is it possible to lose weight without exercise?

Yes, it is. What matters most is calories. In general, if you eat more calories then your body burns the extra will be stored as fat. If you eat less, your body will burn stored calories and you will lose weight. It is actually more complicated than this but for the most part the concept is true. You can choose to reduce your calorie intake to be lower than your total energy needs without exercise or create an energy deficit with exercise and calorie reduction.

2. Is it better to lose weight with exercise?

Exercise in combination with calorie reduction is always the better choice whenever possible. The benefits of exercise for improved health and wellness go far beyond the potential benefit of faster weight loss.

3. Is it possible to exercise and not lose weight?

Yes, absolutely. Again, calories are of central importance. Many people chose to exercise for weight loss without giving much thought if any to calories. For example, it is all too easy to unknowingly overeat and thereby overcompensate for calories burned with exercise. The net result is weight gain not loss. That’s one example. There are many other reasons why exercise may not result in any weight loss.

4. Can you eat less and not lose weight?

Yes! It comes back to the question of calories. It is possible to eat less food in terms of volume but still be eating too many calories. This is easy to do if you choose calorie-dense foods (high calorie foods) such as those rich in sweets and/or fats. On the other hand, it is possible to reduce your calorie intake too far. If you neglect to eat enough calories to meet basic energy needs, you could slow down your metabolism. You may be eating fewer total calories but your body needs less to survive. This is something to avoid!

5. Do you know how many calories you need for maintenance for someone of your age, sex, and current weight? How many calories would you need at a healthy weight?

If you choose to eat less, know your calorie needs. A recent survey study (International Food Information Council, 2007) revealed that only 11% of Americans know the correct calorie intake for someone of their age and weight. If you don’t know these figures find out how many calories you eat on average vs. how many you need to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

6. Do you know the recommended MINIMUM* calorie intake for someone of your age, sex, and weight?

A general guide for women is a minimum intake of 1200 calories a day. The general guide for men is a minimum intake of 1500 to 1600 calories a day. However, what you may not realize is that these values are based in part on basal metabolic needs. If you weigh significantly more than the recommended weight for your age and sex, your minimal caloric needs will likely be higher. You will also have higher caloric needs if you are an active person or you engage in regular exercise.

7. Calories contribute to your total energy intake no matter what the source.

If you choose to eat healthier foods such as low calorie fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, lean protein or low fat milk products, it is still possible to overeat. You may be eating less high calorie, unhealthy food, however, too many calories are still too many calories no matter what the source. It seems that as few as 31% of Americans understand this concept (International Food Information Council, 2007).

The idea of losing weight simply by choosing certain foods over other foods and keeping calorie intake constant is tempting. Certain food components actually do cause a small increase in metabolic rate in the same manner as the ingredients of some weight loss supplements. An increase in metabolic rate will burn more calories. However, having said that, the degree to which metabolism can be increased and the safety of doing this go beyond the scope of this article. The bottom line is that calories count and always will.

Your best bet for weight loss success will continue to be “eat less and exercise more.” First get a handle on how many calories you need* to maintain a healthy weight for YOU based on your metabolic rate and activity level. Then determine your calorie boundaries. Know how many calories are too many as well as the number for what is too little. These are the basics you must keep in mind to make the eat less, exercise more recommendation for weight loss work for you.

*To determine your minimum safe caloric intake when cutting back on calories read my article 1200 Calorie Diet: Getting Started!