Sadly, It’s What We Eat…
New research published in Scientific American this month confirms that when it comes to losing weight, what we eat is more important than how much we exercise. That’s so disappointing!
It turns out that, according to research surrounding calorie burning, the number of calories (energy) that are consumed by the body remains quite stable and is independent of our level of activity. In other words, the foods we eat will determine whether we lose the weight that we want to shed. But don’t stop exercising; exercise has incredible benefits, including reduction of inflammation in the body, lowering blood pressure, improving brain health, among other long-term benefits.
I lived with the “aging athlete” mentality that if I exercised more, I’d lose weight. However, now that I look back on my behavior over the years, I lost weight depending on the food that I ate. For instance; when I wanted to lose five pounds in my early thirties, I simply stopped eating potato chips at lunch and stopped having my daily candy bar in the afternoon. Then, when I wanted to lose ten pounds in my fifties, I stopped eating bread and pasta (basically any wheat-based foods), anything fried, and anything with sugar as one of the top three ingredients. Changing my eating habits not only helped me drop ten pounds over the course of a few months, but I also felt better and ran farther.
Until I read the fascinating, myth-busting Scientific American cover story on human metabolism by Herman Pontzer (as well as Pontzer’s previous article, “The Exercise Paradox”), I had convinced myself that in 2023 I would simply exercise more to avoid having to change some bad eating habits. In fact, I was excited to eventually “treat” myself to more indulgences as I ran more miles.
My goal as I age into my mid-sixties is to stay within 10 pounds of what I weighed at age twenty two. In order to achieve this goal, I’ll reluctantly accept these scientific research findings, strive to avoid sweet treats, and cut out chips and breads. I’ll still continue to run and exercise more often, as well.
How about you?
Set a goal. Take an inventory and identify what foods in your diet that you could add/ increase, or delete/reduce. Enlist an accountability buddy to help you succeed. And don’t forget to choose an exercise that you enjoy so you can maintain a healthy heart, mind and body.
Sources:
"The Human Engine", Herman Pontzer, Scientific American 328, January 2023
"The Exercise Paradox", Herman Pontzer, Scientific American 316, February 2017
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-exercise-paradox/
Additional Reading:
"Evolved to Exercise", Herman Pontzer, Scientific American 320, January 2019
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-evolved-to-exercise/