Food vs exercise: Which actually helps you lose weight
What’s more important for weight loss: exercise or proper nutrition? (photo: Freepik)
The main role in the weight loss process is played by nutrition, not exercise. Physical activity is primarily needed to preserve muscle mass and overall health, explains Ukrainian fitness trainer Viktor Mandziak.
Why nutrition is more important than exercise
"To simplify it a lot: adjusting your diet reduces body fat, while physical exercise helps preserve muscles during weight loss and supports overall health," the trainer explains.
Mandziak notes that only about 10% of the calories the body burns come from exercise.
"Three workouts a week burn just 1,000 calories, while the body burns 18,000 calories in a week," he emphasizes.
How the body burns calories
"Around 85% of all calories burned are expended without deliberate physical activity. The heart, brain, kidneys, and liver burn about 1,000 calories per day. That's almost half of all calories the body burns, including physical activity," the fitness trainer says.
According to him, 10% of calories are spent on digestion, 15% on daily activities, and only the remaining 10% on exercise.
Why exercise makes you hungrier
"Scientific data shows that 80% of calories burned are compensated. When I start moving more, my body senses the calorie loss and urges me to eat the calories I burned. Some people even reward themselves with tasty food after an effective workout," Mandziak explains.
He adds that people often overestimate the calories burned during exercise. Those who are more active consume more calories, but they also burn more, and don't overeat.
Mandziak notes that physical activity improves sensitivity to the satiety hormone leptin.
"If I'm physically active, my brain senses this hormone well. If I'm inactive, it senses it poorly, which can lead to overeating," he adds.
Why strength training is important
"When we consume fewer calories than our body needs, it must break down fat to make up for the deficit. The body can also break down muscle," the trainer explains.
According to him, to prevent this, it's necessary to signal to the body that muscles are needed and being used. If a certain organ, tissue, or function isn't used, it deteriorates.
Mandziak emphasizes that strength exercises provide this signal. Additionally, exercise improves the regulation of eating behavior, and strength training helps preserve muscle mass.
Earlier, we revealed how to eat and lose weight in autumn.
