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Exercise Alone Will Not Produce Long Term Weight Loss

Exercise Alone Will Not Produce Long Term Weight Loss
Exercise Alone Will Not Produce Long Term Weight Loss

For people looking to lose weight, the first piece of you may hear is to exercise. The idea is that increasing your energy expenditure will lead to increased calories burned, which leads to weight loss.

Although the health benefits of exercise are clear (improved muscle tone, reduced risk of several diseases and health conditions, reduced blood pressure, improved self esteem, improved stress management), the effects on long term energy expenditure are less clear. A very observable example of this is when people “plateau.” People who begin an exercise regime often see immediate weight loss followed by a period where weight loss tapers off, or sometimes even reverses.

It seems there is a “sweet spot” for exercise. Too little produces a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, but too much makes the body readjust, making the activity counterproductive for weight loss. Moderate levels of activity seem to be in the sweet spot.

This also explains why when discussing weight loss the words “diet” and “exercise” are usually spoken together. By combining a healthier, reduced calorie diet and moderate exercise you can get a cumulative effect.

For those who have had bariatric surgery (gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band surgery) adhering to your post surgical diet and adding exercise will give you the best chance of attaining your weight loss goal. Exercise can not be left out of the equation as it is important for health as well as weight loss.

The above is offered by Dr. Shillingford, M.D., P.A., a board certified surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. Dr. Shillingford’s bariatric patients, those who have had gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and lap band surgery, often come from all over South Florida, including Boca Raton, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Port St. Lucie. Both before and after bariatric surgery, Dr. Shillingford encourages his patients to include exercise into their lifestyle to promote both health and weight loss.