I was just reading some interesting web articles about exercise and diet and the combination of both. The old theory was that more exercise won’t help you lose weight. The more you work out, the more you’ll eat . But new science suggests that exercise does not necessarily increase your appetite or make you crave junk food. In fact, if you skip exercise and choose to cut calories instead, you are more likely to binge-eat later.
One study in the UK looked at the extent to which the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world might be due to overeating versus a lack of exercise. They set out to compare men and women’s responses to two particular hormones, ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and peptide YY, which suppresses appetite, in two separate experiments. I won’t go into the trial details – they are lengthy – but suffice to say that the results of the experiments, which were the same for both men and women, suggest that exercise curbs cravings more than a calorie-restricted diet.
This interesting for me, since exercise has been a challenge. Okay, so has the restricted diet. And I wouldn’t call any part of my exercise routine as “vigorous.” but I do know that I’m getting regular exercise and activity – something that definitely wasn’t happening before the plan.
From everything I’ve read, I do believe that diet and exercise is still the best approach. And the exercise component is critical. You can only go down in calories so low. Sure, you lose weight initially, but you can’t continue to restrict calories forever and expect to be healthy. Also, if you’re constantly hungry, then you’re more likely to go off the rails. The studies show that when you add exercise to a balanced, healthy diet at a controlled calorie count, you can manage weight loss.
Now for a personal statement about all of this … I am on a teeter-totter of feelings about the long haul of my plan. One minute feeling good about what I’ve accomplished, the next minute wondering if I’ll always just be a fat girl. I experience this most prevalently at the pool. On the one hand, I’m so proud of how long I “swim” and the variety of exercises. But then I have to shower and get dressed among a lot of much thinner people, and in front of mirrors everywhere. I feel embarrassed and a little defeated. It’s also hard to anticipate Thanksgiving, and all the foods I love. Have to make myself behave when I don’t really want to. Thursday may just have to be a free day.