Easiest Way to Lose Weight

For those who struggle with excess body fat, attempting to lose weight can be an incredibly frustrating and difficult process that often fails to produce success. In many cases, the reason people fail to lose weight is not because they did not stick to their plan closely, but instead because their plan was idiotic and unsubstantiated by science.

Fortunately, however, those who consistently adhere to an intelligent strategy, rather than attempting to follow the latest fad diet, can significantly increase their chances of success.

Is exercise the easiest way to lose weight?

When many people think about losing weight, the first thing that comes to mind is exercise. Many alleged “experts” continue to blame decreased physical activity for the increasing obesity rates in the country and most people are led to believe that the key to weight loss is endless hours on the treadmill.

Unfortunately, however, exercise is very poor at burning calories when compared to dieting. The reality is that it takes about an hour of jogging to burn off a small piece of food, such as a bagel or can of Coke. For example, the following video shows that in the amount of time it takes for a jogger to burn 33 calories on the treadmill, it is possible to consume over 800 calories of pizza:

In some extreme cases, such as those portrayed on television shows such as “The Biggest Loser”, it is possible to lose an incredible amount of weight through very large amounts of exercise. Although this may be possible for those who have the time and determination to commit eight hours per day to exercise, most people lack the financial resources to quit their day-job for exercise, as well as the mental fortitude to stick to an 8 hour/day workout regimen.

To make matters even worse, in some circumstances, exercise could actually make you GAIN weight. The reason for this is that in many cases, people attempt to “reward” themselves for exercising by treating themselves to extra food. Unfortunately, research in the “Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness” has shown that people have a tendency to exponentially overestimate the amount of calories they burn from exercise, as well as underestimate the amount of calories in the “treat” they reward themselves with, and may actually add more calories to their diet than they burned during exercise (1). Naturally, this will cause weight gain.

Although exercise does have advantages, the reality is that when it comes to burning calories, it is significantly easier to eat less than to attempt to lose weight through exercise.

Are low carb diets the easiest way to lose weight?

When it comes to losing weight, the most effective method is to engage in a low carb diet. In a low carb diet, fruits and vegetables are completely acceptable and encouraged, but starches such as bread, pasta, rice, and other processed sugars are avoided.

According to many alleged “experts”, the reason that low carb diets are effective is due to their effects on insulin. In reality, however, this could not be further from the truth (2). Instead, the reason that low carb diets are effective is that they naturally cause people to consume less calories. Macronutrients such as protein and fat are very satiating, and allow consumers to feel full with ease. Conversely, numerous research has shown that one must consume significantly more calories of high-glycemic carbohydrates in order to feel full compared to protein or fat (3,4).

Consequently, the easiest way to lose weight is to eat a diet high in protein, fat, fruits, and vegetables while avoiding any processed foods or starches such as bread, pasta, rice, etc. This way, you will feel full on less calories and will naturally lose fat without excessive amounts of exercise or suffering from immense hunger.
References

1 Willbond SM et. al. Normal weight men and women overestimate exercise energy expenditure. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. (2010) 50(4):377-84.

2 Krieger J. Insulin… an undeserved bad reputation. Weightology. 2010 Jul; Retrieved from http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

3 Chaput JP, Tremblay A. The glucostatic theory of appetite control and the risk of obesity and diabetes. International Journal of Obesity. 2009 Jan; 33(1): 46-53.

4 Holt SH, et al. A satiety index of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995 Sep; 49(9): 675-90.