While reduced physical activity is a significant contributor to weight gain, we are also eating more. The average American adult eats about 300 more calories per day than in 1970. In studies that have looked at where those calories are coming from, mixed grain dishes like pizza and tacos and calorie-containing beverages except milk top the list. Experts agreethe combination of eating more and moving less is behind the weight gain of the past thirty years. Sara Levitt, a graduate student, was heavy her entire life. “Most of my family is overweight. It seemed that we were just prone to being larger people. But I always exercised. I figured that simply exercising would be enough and that I didn’t have to watch what I ate because I was exercising regularly. “My weight was always high and I never was happy or confident with the way I looked, but I figured that I was meant to be big.

In my freshman year of college, I stopped exercising. Within a few months, I had reached my highest weight ever. One day, I just got tired of being unhappy with myself and thought that it was worth a try to make things different. “I joined Weight Watchers. Then three close relatives died, including my father. It would have been so easy to go right back to my old habits out of stress and grief. But I remembered how much support I got from my father and knew that he would be disappointed if I didn’t stick with it. So I did. Now I do activities that I never could have done before, like jogging and kick boxing. I am having so much fun that I hardly realize I am exercising.” Sara lost 59 pounds to reach her goal weight. She recently wore a two-piece bathing suit for the first time since she was 9 years old and has a newfound confidence that has changed her life in countless positive ways.

calories in and calories out.You gain weight if you take in more calories than you burn, and you lose weight if you burn more calories than you take in. To lose 1 pound, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories. Over a week, this translates into 500 calories a day.You can create this calorie deficit through a combination of increased physical activity and cutting back on food. But how much can exercise contribute? Can it be an effective stand-alone weight-loss solution?

Food Counts

Exercise alone as a weight-loss method is particularly ineffective without paying attention to food intake, and increasing activity is not a free pass to ignore eating habits. People who begin an exercise program often overlook the food side of the calories in/calories out equation. Some people even increase the amount of food they eat because they think they are burning more calories than they really are. The end resultweight gain rather than weight loss! Going to the gym without a similar effort on the food front is sure to backfire. Numerous research studies show that it is common for people who are trying to lose weight to overestimate their physical activitythey think that they worked longer and harder than they really did. People also underestimate the amount of food or calories they are eating. So the difference between calories in from food and calories out from exercise is smaller than they think. It is all too easy to overeat any time spent in exercise. For example, it takes about an hour on the treadmill for a 170-pound man to burn off a medium-size bagel (without butter or cream cheese), a few cookies, or a donut. A 150-pound woman doing a 30-minute workout at a circuit training gym like Curves burns about 150 calories, or the equivalent of a 12-ounce glass of orange juice. That’s not a lot of food.

It Takes a Lot of Exercise

Burning enough calories to lose weight takes quite a bit of exercise. It takes about 51⁄2 calories of activity per pound of body weight for a person to maintain his or her current body weight. For an adult weighing 170 pounds, that is 925 to 950 calories in daily activity.To lose 1 pound of fat through exercise alone, a person needs to burn an additional 3,500 calories. So in order for that 170-pound adult to lose 2 pounds per week without making any dietary changes, he would need to continue doing everything that he is currently doingplus walk an additional 10 miles per day (that is 70 miles a week). If your goal is to lose weight by playing basketball, it will take more than five hours of active playing to lose a pound. It is extremely difficult to exercise enough on a consistent basis to lose even 1 pound of fat without making any changes to your diet.

The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss

Mathematically you can design an exercise schedule for yourself that burns enough calories to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. While this works on paper, the level of exercise commitment such a regimen requires is not sustainable for the vast majority of people, especially if it is started all at once. Several panels of experts have looked at all of the evidence and reached the conclusion that while exercise is extremely important, it does not lead to significant weight loss on its own. This does not mean that it is a waste of time to exercise. Exercise is one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself. Even a moderate activity like walking for thirty minutes every day at a comfortable pace will burn an additional 200 calories.

True, this is not enough activity to cause a dramatic drop in your weight, but it will give your weight loss a boost. Additionally, the few hundred calories that are burned with regular physical activity compensate for adding a bit more food to the eating plan during weight loss. That can make the difference between a diet that feels as if it’s depriving and a weight-loss program that is livable. It is important to have realistic expectations about what exercise can and cannot do for weight loss. During the early days and weeks of weight loss, scheduling exercise is a way to help organize the day. About 200 to 300 calories burned during exercise can give weight loss a bit of a push.

At a time when living a healthier lifestyle is foremost in your mind, physical activity can be a bright spot in the day. So watch out for the trap in thinking that exercise alone will be enough for weight lossthat is a setup for disappointment. People who expect a lot of weight loss from exercise alone may become so discouraged that they give up their goal of losing weight or stop exercising altogether. No Single Exercise Works Best No single type of exercise or exercise program is right for everyone. Nor does one type of activity work better than others. Some people prefer to add more activity to their daily routinetaking the steps instead of the elevator, parking farther away,washing the kitchen floor by hand, using a hand mower, and other thingsrather than doing planned, structured exercise. That is okay. One randomized, controlled weight-loss study found that women who participated in a structured activity regimen (in this case, aerobic exercise classes) had the same results as those who increased time and effort spent doing everyday chores.

Adopt a step-by-step approach, adding exercise slowly rather than trying to do too much too fast. Spend the first few weeks becoming comfortable with and mastering your new eating plan before tackling a formal approach to physical activity. During the early phase of weight loss, diet changes have a greater effect than activity changes do. Start simple with an activity like walking. Once you have fully incorporated your walking program into your daily life, then consider other types of aerobic activity or strength training. Remember to check first with your doctor, then to get advice from a certified personal trainer or fitness professional who has experience working with overweight adults. Proper training and guidance along with a gradual increase in activity helps prevent injuries. Think comprehensively. Exercise is only one component of an overall approach to sustainable weight loss.

Your eating plan, mindset, behaviors, and encouragement from friends and family are also important. Support from people around you may offer an added boost and motivator even if you choose to do the exercise by yourself. Something as simple as having your spouse watch the kids while you go out for a walk after dinner can be a big help. Most importantly, make it fun! Physical activity or an exercise class should be something that you look forward to every day. After all, it is a great way to relieve stress, relax, and do something just for you. Match the activities you choose to your personality and lifestyle.