Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
“It was once very standard advice to exercise if you wanted to drop pounds, but more recent research has shown that while exercise has a myriad of positive effects on the body, it is an ineffective way to lose weight,” says weight loss coach Dr. Katrina Ubell.
“Exercise has many health benefits when it comes to your heart, your brain, and just about every other organ; its just not a weight loss tool. Once you've lost weight, exercise can help you keep it off, but initially, it can actually make you gain weight because you feel hungrier after working out.”
The problem with exercise, according to Ubell, is that most of us believe that exercise gives us the liberty to eat more. And when we do overeat, we believe we’ll be able to work off the extra calories. This is why all that running or cycling or weight lifting frequently doesn’t make a difference on scales.
What Ubell advises is not focusing on exercise for weight loss.
“If you already exercise regularly, it feels amazing to you, and you enjoy it because it helps you have more energy or sleep better or socialize with friends, definitely don't stop… but if you have been exercising with the intention of losing weight, I suggest you take a break from that exercise, for now.”