It has been well documented over the last few years that increasing the amount you exercise can aid in weight loss. The operative word there is “can.” Adding more exercise to your weight loss regimen could also lead to a plateau, slowdown in the rate you are losing or possibly even add a few pounds. You must be dedicated to losing the weight and realize it is not going to be easy.
Exercise without Lowering Food Consumption
If you decide you are going to exercise to lose the extra pounds you have put on over the years but not pay close attention to what you are eating, odds are you will lose very little weight. You will probably be eating more than you normally ate when you start to exercise. Your body will send a signal to your brain that you have used up some stored energy so your brain will tell you to eat more. Find out how many calories you are burning during your work out. Pay attention to what you eat or drink afterwards to make sure you are not eating what you just worked off.
Burning Carbohydrates vs Burning Fat
High-intensity workouts tend to burn carbohydrates that are in your blood stream and not yet being stored as fat. Low-intensity exercising will have you burning stored fat. The difference here is that by mixing in both high and low intensity exercises you will burn some fat, keep your blood sugar regulated and keep the carbs you ate for lunch from getting stored. If you are only doing high-intensity workouts, under the impression you will burn more fat, you are going to be disappointed. Using up the carbs in your blood stream will increase your hunger and have you eating more.
Building Muscle
Another reason you could not be losing weight when exercising is that you are building lean muscle. Your body will look different, your muscles will be more toned and it will show, but you will weigh more. Sometimes, the number on the scale is not as important as
Gym Free-weights Area Category:Gyms_and_Health_Clubs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
you think. As you gain more muscle, you will burn more fat, but the scale may not move. If you are very overweight, eventually you will begin to drop some of the extra pounds, but it could take some time before this happens.
Whether you are losing weight or not, exercise is good for your body. It will increase your lean muscle mass and burn extra fat if you are doing low-intensity exercises. You will be able to eat more without gaining any weight. If you restrict the amount of food you eat, and at healthy foods, you will lose more weight than you would if you were just dieting. Exercise brings your body back into balance and gives you better overall health. Even if the scale says you are at a healthy weight, exercise is still necessary for good health. While it may be hard to get started on an exercise routine, it does not take long for you to start feeling better; exercise increases the serotonin levels in your brain, making you feel emotionally better. You may not be losing any weight, but you will look and feel better anyway.
This guest post comes from freelance writer Victoria. She invites you to take a look at these BistroMD vouchers and Weight Watchers codes.
Categories: Diets, Fitness, Guest Posts | Tags: eating, health, muscle, Physical exercise, weight loss | Permalink