If you have not read Time's article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin," the link is at the bottom of this post.
First, let me say I'm not a scientist nor do I have a degree in exercise physiology or nutrition. BUT I do think I have learned a lot this year in my quest for six pack abs (31lbs lost and kept off so far this year!!)
But I doubt the author, John Cloud, has a lot of experience in nutrition or exercise (I tried to Google his background and was unable to confirm this). This article seems like he he found a bunch of studies that supported his argument and he threw them in his story.
Eat Junk and Exercise and You Will Get Fat!
John states that when he exercises he tends to get more hungry than on days when he does not exercise. Thank you Captain Obvious!! Of course you will be more hungry after you exercise because you have just expended more calories than normal.
I could actually agrue against that statement too. I would say a majority of the time after my workouts I am not hungry at all.
The key to not gaining weight is what you decide to put in your body, whether you work out or not. Mr. Cloud talks of consuming fast food and Starbucks after workouts. Well of course you will gain weight by eating that crap (pardon my French) after your workouts.
The key to losing weight is your diet. You need to eat healthy wholesome foods. The one rule that I learned from Craig at Turbulence Training is that you should try to avoid eating "anything out of a box or a bag." Chances are if you are eating out of a box or a bag then it is all processed and not very healthy.
So how do you eat healthy? Start with small changes and remember this should be a lifestyle not a crash diet.
You CAN'T out train a bad diet!!
Willpower
As for Mr. Cloud's study on willpower from Psychological Bulletin. I say BullSh!t!!! Before I started my weight lost crusade earlier this year I would eat every couple of hours (not even close to healthy meals). Heck, they knew me by name at the Wendy's drive through. Sure willpower does not just happen right away, but it can be learned. I manage to fight my cravings all of the time. The key is to have healthy substitutes when you do get a craving.
My 'willpower' is so strong now that I follow Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat and fast up to 2 days a week. Its really not that hard and you'd be amazed how clear your head is and how much better you sleep when you fast!
What Type of Exercise?
I would like to know what type of exercise Mr. Cloud is talking about. From reading the article I think he is talking about cardio. I did not see him mention resistance training or high intensity intervals (HIIT).
The problem with Mr. Cloud's exercise is that it seems to me is he doing long boring cardio. While he is doing this type of exercise he is just burning calories while exercising.
When someone performs a resistance training workout with HIIT (Turbulence Training is a perfect example), not only do they burn calories during their workout, but they continue to burn calories after their workout!! (Get your free report on the dark side of cardio.)
Conclusion
I may not have any studies on hand to back up my counter-argument to this article, but I do have my mirror. Since I have lost 31lbs this year, my exercise activity has gone up! That is all of the facts I need. In fact, when I reach my goal of ripped six pack abs later this year, I may send Mr. Cloud a picture and ask him how he feels!
Exercising more will not make you fat, eating more will!! Its simple math, if calories consumed is less than calories expended, then you will lose weight!!
Eat Less and exercise with resistance training and HIIT!!
Here's the link to the full Time article. After reading please leave me your comments:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html
