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Have
you ever watched “The Biggest Loser”? The participants take leave from
their jobs (and family) for months. They are allowed only small portions
of food, and work out as though it was their full-time job – 40 hours a
week, sometimes more. This method is clearly unsustainable for your
average person in the long run.
Just taking the stairs instead of
the elevator, or getting off the bus one stop earlier, isn’t going to
change the numbers on your bathroom scales. It’s a myth.
Sorry about that. Studies show that if you just start exercising,
you’re going to need at least one hour of tough workouts every single
day to noticeably lose weight.
Basically, the effect of exercise on our weight is vastly overrated.
That’s why it’s only number 13 on this list. There are other things you
need to take care of first. It’s not a good idea to eat bad food, drink
sugar water (so-called “sports drinks”) or be on medications which
force you to train for hours daily just to compensate. Metaphorically
that’s like digging a hole, into which you put your ladder, on which you
stand and paint the ground level windows of your house.
Exercise cannot compensate for other issues in your life. Those must be addressed first.
The good news
If, on the other hand, you’ve already taken care of steps 1-12,
you should have a rested and recharged body which is already happily
burning fat. In this case, increased activity will accelerate your
weight loss, and act as an nice bonus. You’ll be burning even more fat
from the very first step.
For example, you could take long walks (golf), cycle, dance, or play any sport you’re happy and comfortable with.
Exercise
also burns the body’s glycogen stores, which are essentially
carbohydrate. This means that after a workout, you can eat a little more
carbs than you otherwise can permit yourself, without negative effects
on insulin or fat storage. Also, don’t forget that the non-weight-related health effects of exercise are quite impressive.
Hormonal effects
For
even more impressive effects on body composition: aim for exercise
forms which elicit a positive hormonal response. This means lifting
really heavy things (strength training), or interval training.
Such exercise increases body levels of the sex hormone testosterone
(primarily in men) as well as growth hormone. Not only do greater levels
of these hormones increase your muscle mass, but they also decrease
your visceral fat (belly fat) in the long term.
As a final bonus, exercise can both make you feel and look better.
What kind of activity suits you?
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