This past summer, I ran an experiment. I literally ran and trained for my first half marathon with my 60+ year old father. Now, if you know me in real life, you'll know that I'm a bouncing ball of energy! My question: Can we outrun a diet that has too many calories? If anyone could, surely it would be me.
When we think about weight loss, there's a common misconception that diet (calorie reduction) and exercise are equal players. They're not.
I honestly was shocked by this experiment. Yes, I've read the literature: most exercise interventions don't result in significant weight loss. But I had to experience this phenomenon for myself. I chose a run trainer (App), talked my best friend into joining me (my dad) and ran more miles per week then I ever have in my life -- and I ate according to my appetite. Shockingly, I didn't lose any weight. Just as the literature had predicted!
Now, my starting point was around 130 lbs (which is more weight than I am comfortable carrying on my 5'2" frame). If you've gone through the Evidence Based Weight Loss Course, then you know that I was later able to successfully lose and maintain the last 10 lb weight loss through dietary intervention alone, settling in at a comfortable 120 lbs (my high school weight).
When it comes to losing weight, it really does come down to calorie balance. Yes, there's a bit more nuance to it (that's why Lifestyle Medicine Maine has a free course all about this -- now with videos!). But it's much easier to add more calories to our diet, than it is to exercise those calories away.
Through talking to people in the clinic about how many calories we think that we're burning with exercise, I've realized that most of us aren't aware of the current understanding of how exercise influences how many total calories we burn per day.
A couple of years back, a well regarded researcher in the field, Herman Pontzer wrote a book called Burn. In it, Pontzer tells the story about how his team discovered the groundbreaking research that exercise, over time, doesn't appear to lead to more calories burned per day.
This concept, known as the the "Energy Constraint Model", details how our body adapts to increasing levels of exercise by becoming more efficient, not burning more calories. "Pontzer's groundbreaking studies with hunter-gatherer tribes show how exercise doesn't increase our metabolism. Instead, we burn calories within a very narrow range: nearly 3,000 calories per day, no matter our activity level" (2).
How does exercise influence how many calories we burn?
There are 3 basic models of how our body responds to exercise. Now, I know that this graphic below has a lot of things going on, but take a moment and focus on the third column (column c).
You'll see that there are 3 different models: The Additive model, the Performance model, and the Compensation model (1). While these models might sound unfamiliar, you've likely heard about them already!
The Additive Model
Exercising more and our body will burn more calories (but mostly just during that exercise).
The Performance Model
This is the idea of an "after-burn". Here we burn more calories while exercising and then our body goes on to continue to burn more calories throughout the day because exercising has speed up our metabolic rate.
The Compensation Model (the most accurate model)
Here, we burn calories while exercising, but the body compensates for this by actually burning less calories overall that same day... and it's not just that we're moving less after we exercise (ie, less NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis). So we burn calories during exercise, but at the end of the day, our body actually burns less calories than expected. Based on this model, our bodies actually have less energy to perform metabolically important tasks. And this could actually be a good thing for some of us. For example, it's postulated that exercise may reduce over-activation of the immune system in those of us living with autoimmune disease, potentially helping to lower autoimmune activity.
Take home message: The research on diet versus exercise for weight loss is quite clear. We can't outrun a diet that has too many calories. Diet trumps exercise when trying to lose weight. They are not equals.
If you're struggling to feel full while eating less calories, then consider reaching out to Jessica Krol, FNP, DipACLM at Lifestyle Medicine Maine for guidance and support. With so much misinformation on the internet, it's easy to get lost in the weeds. Lifestyle Medicine Maine offers Evidence Based support, with exceptional support, to help you reach your weight loss goals. No magic or unrealistic promises. Just new habits, consistency and self love to get us where we want to be. Schedule your free new patient consult online today, or give us a call.
References
Energy compensation and adiposity in humans. Careau et al. Journal Cell Press. (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.016
Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. Herman Pontzer. (2021) https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Research-Really-Calories-Healthy/dp/0525541527
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