What do you mean, exercise doesn't burn fat??

After working in the fitness industry for over two decades, I’ve learned there’s a great deal we still don’t know about the body, exercise, and fat loss.

I’ve seen people show up for intense indoor cycling classes for years, as if it were a religion, without much noticeable change to their bodies. The abdominal machines at the gym are always occupied, where literally millions of crunches are performed, yet the jiggly bellies remain.

For those who sweat on the stairmaster, run endless laps on the track, or do jumping jacks until infinity in boot camp classes, all in an effort to drop pounds, science has some startling news: Exercise, on its own, doesn’t have much impact on weight loss.

Research has shown that people who exercise nearly every day may lose just a small amount each year, and some will lose none. What’s up with that?

While exercise of all kinds increases fitness levels and lowers the risk of disease and illness, science suggests that creating a calorie deficit through diet is far more effective in reducing body fat.

Anthropology professor Herman Pontzer studied communities of highly active indigenous peoples, as well as ultra-endurance athletes. His research showed that they didn’t burn the amount of calories expected from their hours of daily physical exertion. This is likely due to metabolic adaptation, where the body, in an effort not to waste away, will slow down and limit its calorie expenditure.

In a research project known as the Midwest Exercise Trials, hundreds of overweight/obese participants exercised 5 days weekly for 10 months, with no dietary changes. The men lost an average of just 9 pounds, while the women lost virtually no weight. Explained Pontzer, “Within a couple of months of somebody doing the exercise, we see the body adjusting and spending less energy (calories) than it should be. In terms of being able to create an energy deficit to lose weight, diet is by far the bigger lever.”

The takeaway shouldn’t be that exercise isn’t worth the effort. Says nutrition professor Adam Collins, “If you're just looking at exercise purely in terms of how many calories you're burning, then you're on a road to misery – that's not really the benefit of it. You are exercising to become fitter, to improve how your body and its metabolism function.”

When I work with clients who want to modify their dietary habits, we start by developing two skills: eating more slowly and identifying their fullness cues.

Most people eat rapidly, taking the next bite before the previous one has been fully swallowed—this results in excess calorie consumption. Slowing down allows the gut’s satiety mechanism to communicate with the brain that a sufficient amount has been eaten.

With this “mindful eating” practice, a person can tune into their fullness levels. Stopping at 80% fullness is ideal—no longer hungry nor stuffed. Done consistently, this results in the necessary calorie reduction that can reduce body fat.

You can learn more about metabolic adaptation and Professor Pontzer’s studies in this article from BBC Science Focus.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/weight-loss-theories
If you have any thoughts about the research or mindful eating practices, I’d love to hear them.