This question has been hotly debated for years: which is better – to focus on diet or exercise when you’re trying to lose weight? Is it possible to lose weight without exercising? According to nutritionist Oleksandra Sova, exercise alone is not a very effective tool for weight loss. But exercise is still important for cardiovascular health, overall longevity, and cognitive health.
ContentCan you lose weight without exercising? However, exercise is still important when it comes to weight lossStrength training or cardio: which should you choose?
So, you can't do sports? WomanEL suggests figuring out why some experts still emphasize the importance of exercise in a comprehensive weight loss program.
Can you lose weight without exercising?
To put things into perspective, Dr. Mir Ali suggests considering this comparison. A 150-pound adult burns about 200 calories doing 30 minutes of low-impact aerobics. A tall mocha at Starbucks is almost 300 calories. Based on the math alone, you'll be more effective in your weight loss efforts and save more time if you just skip the mocha.
Studies have reached similar conclusions. One scientific review concluded that consistent moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, is unlikely to lead to significant weight loss in most people without changing their diet.
Another older scientific analysis of six studies, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that people who focused on diet and exercise for weight loss did not lose more weight over six months than those who changed their diet alone.
However, exercise is still important when it comes to weight loss
Some evidence suggests that a combination of diet and exercise is better for weight loss. “Most weight loss is diet-related, but exercise plays a big role,” says Dr. Ali. “It helps maintain weight loss and boosts metabolism.” But if you don’t change your diet first, you’re unlikely to see any noticeable results, he says.
Plus, exercise can have a bigger impact on your waistline in the long run. The same study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, that found that people who exercised and dieted lost the same amount of weight over six months, found that people who focused on a combination of diet and exercise lost more weight over a year.
Exercising more than recommended can also make a difference. One study found that people who burned at least 400 to 500 calories per workout five or more days a week lost weight without the intervention of a dietitian. That's why you might notice weight loss if you're training for, say, a half marathon.
According to Dr. Sowa, exercise can also help prevent weight gain and maintain it after you reach your goal. That's why she advises her patients to “make exercise a habit to maintain weight loss and improve their health in the long term.”
Strength training or cardio: what to choose?
The question of whether strength training is more effective for weight loss than cardio still remains open, Source: freepik.com
Strength training is generally considered a smart move because it helps build muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the harder your body has to work at rest to burn calories, Dr. Ali explains. It's also important to focus on increasing muscle mass as you lose weight, because the body tends to lose lean muscle mass along with fat. Not only can this hurt your overall strength, but it can also lower your metabolism. So you end up not burning as many calories at rest as you used to, Dr. Ali adds.
Of course, all exercise burns calories. And that’s not to be underestimated. “But exercise can also increase hunger,” says Dr. Ali. So if you’re not watching your diet while you’re working out, you could end up eating as many calories as you burned during your workout, or even more.”
A 2022 scientific review published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that a combination of resistance training and calorie restriction was the most effective way to reduce body fat compared to either exercise alone. However, researchers also found that combining resistance training with aerobic exercise also led to “significant results.”
A 2021 analysis of 12 reviews and 149 studies also found that aerobic exercise and HIIT training are effective for weight loss, and resistance training helps reduce the likelihood of losing lean muscle mass during weight loss. “These data suggest a beneficial effect of exercise on weight loss and body composition changes in overweight or obese adults,” the researchers concluded.
Should you drink still or sparkling water to lose weight? Let’s find out together.
