One of the most common reasons people start exercising more is to lose weight. We all want to feel confident in the way we look and feel healthy, and for many people, losing weight is part of the journey toward those goals. Unfortunately, it’s common for people to get frustrated in their weight loss journey because they have misconceptions about exercise and how it plays a part in weight management.
To help you stay on the right track and enjoy a healthier, smoother weight loss program, we’re busting the top myths about exercise and weight loss.
Myth: Exercise Can Make Up for an Unhealthy Diet
To most people, the basic idea of weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn. Yes, that’s true overall, but it’s far more nuanced than it seems. Your body doesn’t just see a blanket number of calories; it processes the nutrients in your food in different ways so each food affects your weight differently. 200 calories of a sugary dessert aren’t the same as 200 calories of raw veggies.
As a result, don’t expect that if you eat, for example, a 400-calorie slice of cake that wasn’t in your nutrition plan, you can exercise enough to burn 400 calories and it will be as if the cake never happened. Both diet and exercise play their own roles in your body’s health and in your weight, so you need to be conscious of them both.
Myth: Only Cardio Exercise Leads to Weight Loss
Most people think that between cardio exercise and weight training, cardio is the way to lose weight. In fact, the best way to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight is a combination of cardio and strength training.
While cardio workouts do burn more calories per minute than weight training, weight training keeps your metabolism high for longer after your workout. Weight training is also better at building muscle, which raises your base metabolism (the number of calories your body burns to sustain itself on a daily basis). The best workout plan for both your weight and your overall health is a combination of cardio and strength training.
Myth: If You’re Working Out but Not Losing Weight, You Aren’t Getting Healthier
It’s so easy to get frustrated if you’re putting in the work to exercise more but you aren’t seeing the number on the scale go down. In fact, it’s this common problem that leads many people to stop trying to lose weight and go back to unhealthy habits.
The truth is that your weight is just one of many, many metrics that impact your health, and your weight doesn’t tell the whole story. You might be building enough muscle to make up for the fat you’re burning, so while your weight may not be dropping, you’re getting a slimmer, more toned, and healthier body composition.
Empowering Your Health with Education about Exercise and Weight Loss
The myths above have been spread around for longer than anyone can keep track of, and they’re typically based on information that researchers used to think was true or on a misinterpretation of research. Regardless, today is the day you can take better care of your health because you have the knowledge to improve your weight loss plan.
For more help getting fit, check out our Mommy and Me fitness programs and do something your future self will thank you for.