Working out does not equal weight loss. Here’s why.

Are you someone who works out occasionally, but doesn’t see results? I was the same way. 

For years I’d drag myself to the gym multiple times per week. I’d run on the treadmill or hop on the elliptical, and then finish things off with some light weight lifting. But an odd thing was happening- nothing. 

My body composition wasn’t improving, I still had low energy throughout the day, and I didn’t feel much stronger or faster. In fact, as the years went on, I felt worse. I asked myself whether this is a normal part of aging or if something else was going on.

If you were like me, you probably thought (or currently think) weight loss boils down to calories in vs calories out. I thought that if I burned enough calories working out and didn’t eat too much, then I’d get leaner. With that in mind, I kept a close eye on the treadmill calorie counter and ate smaller portions during my meals. It took years for me to learn that I was missing a big part of the equation- hormone optimization.

Mainstream health advice places too much emphasis on calories in vs calories out. While this approach can work temporarily, it rarely leads to long term weight loss because being hungry and counting calories all the time is not enjoyable or sustainable. And what’s really interesting, is that calories burned by the wrong type of exercise are more than offset by an increased caloric intake, this phenomenon is known as caloric compensation. We respond to this consciously and subconsciously by being less active throughout the rest of the day and eating more.

“The greatest benefits of exercise relate to the movement of muscles and optimization of hormones, not to the burning of calories.”

So if simply working out and eating less isn’t the answer, what is?

As with many things, the devil is in the details. How you workout and what you eat really matters when it comes to weight loss and overall health. This is yet another situation where we can take a page out of our ancestors’ book.

Our ancestors rarely ran for long periods of time or did the equivalent of a workout class. Remember, calories were scarce back then and those activities are calorically demanding. Our ancestors surely didn’t count calories or even know what a calorie was. What they did was move a lot (i.e. walking, gathering), lifted heavy things (building, hauling, etc.), and occasionally sprinted (to kill or avoid being killed). They ate real, whole foods until they were full or until the food ran out. Our genes were designed for that pattern of movement and eating, not the chronic cardio and calorie counting espoused by many health gurus today. For more info on chronic cardio, check out this blog post.

So what’s the benefit of a workout pattern like that? A combination of frequent, low-level movement and brief, but intense exercise (lifting heavy and sprinting) stimulate the release of adaptive hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone which increase energy and deliver anti-aging effects by enhancing organ function, improving body composition, and improving mood and cognitive function. It stresses the body in a good way (unlike chronic cardio). Dr. Art De Vany said it well- “Muscle is medicine; it releases many substances that promote health. Fat is poison; it sends forth chemicals that disrupt metabolism and promote chronic disease and aging.”

I applied these principles in my late 20’s with tremendous results: I walked more, worked out less frequently (but more intensely), and ae the right food. Over time I became leaner, stronger, and faster than I was in my 20’s- I’m now 36 years old.

As always, if you found something that is working for you whether it’s workout classes or calorie counting, then keep it up. But if you aren’t at your ideal body composition and you feel worse than you did your 20’s, maybe it’s time to try a different approach. As with many aspects of modern life (diet, entertainment, politics, etc.) - if most people are doing things one way, it’s probably a good idea to do try the opposite and see the impact it has on your health and life.