I TRIED TO OUT EXERCISE A BAD DIET AND FAILED
5 Reasons Exercise Alone Isn’t Enough To Undo Bad Eating Habits
KEY POINTS
Calories in versus calories out
Overall implications of nutrition and health
Weight management for the long-term
Performance and recovery from your workouts
Mental health and how it effects your mood
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, it can be frustrating. It’s a delicate balance of making sure you are doing enough exercise to maintain a calorie deficit and eating enough to support good workouts and recovery. The reason I’ve failed in the past, and most of us continue to fail, is that we overestimate the number of calories we burn and underestimate the number of calories we eat. When you pair those things together, it’s a recipe for failure, and it’s a meal I’m very familiar with.
So, what can we do about it? There are calorie counting apps, systems with points, and you can do endless cardio. The fact is that cardio alone will not solve your problem. It’s like digging a hole, and the more you dig, the deeper you get. You keep digging, and the hole gets deeper and deeper. The only way to get out of that pit is to build muscle. Otherwise, you may as well start applying the lotion on your skin for fear of getting the hose again. You’ll be waiting around for Clarice to come save you, but in this version, nobody’s coming. Building muscle is your bridge and or ladder that will finally help you escape.
1. Caloric Intake vs. Expenditure
Caloric Imbalance: Even with regular intense exercise, consuming more calories than you burn will lead to weight gain. For example, it takes approximately an hour of running to burn 500-600 calories, but consuming that many calories can be done in minutes with high-calorie foods like fast food or sugary snacks.
Forget about your Starbucks Frappuccino and muffin. That will ruin an entire day’s worth of exercise, and then some. When you think about how hard you work on a treadmill, one drink cancelling out your entire workout is hard to imagine. Resistance training does not burn that many calories and lifting weight for 1 to 2 hours will only burn a couple hundred calories. Do not fool yourself into thinking you “deserve” dessert. This is a mistake I have made where even a handful of nuts can derail your progress.
2. Health Implications
Metabolic Health: A poor diet high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed foods can lead to metabolic issues like insulin resistance, even in individuals who exercise regularly.
I went through a period of detox for several weeks before my body stopped craving sugary foods. I’ve heard that sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine, but that’s still hard to believe. Although, I’ve never tried to kick a cocaine addiction, so I’ll take their word for it. Once your body finally adapts to less sugar, you’ll start to avoid the highs and lows that come with daily doses of it.
Chronic Diseases: Diet plays a significant role in the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Exercise alone cannot counteract the negative effects of an unhealthy diet on these conditions.
3. Weight Management
Fat Loss vs. Muscle Gain: Exercise can help build muscle and improve fitness, but it is less effective at reducing body fat if not paired with a healthy diet. For effective weight management, a combination of both exercise and proper nutrition is necessary.
It wasn’t until I started to focus on building muscle, that I started to manage my weight more effectively. Picking foods that are high in protein will help you not only build muscle but will help you feel less hungry.
Satiety and Hunger: Poor dietary choices can lead to increased hunger and cravings, making it difficult to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss, regardless of exercise habits.
4. Performance and Recovery
Energy Levels: A bad diet can lead to poor energy levels, affecting exercise performance and overall physical activity. Nutrient-rich foods provide sustained energy and improve endurance.
I’ve gone through several periods where I would always focus on calorie restriction. I would continue to struggle through my workouts, and never make any real progress. In my experience, being in a slight calorie restriction over the course of the week has been the best way to manage my hunger and results. Many people like to target 1 to 2 pounds in week, although I like a more conservative approach. My goal is to lose roughly ¼ of a pound in one week. This equates to being in a deficit of about 125-150 calories per day. I try to make sure I get my maintenance calories each day and perform enough exercise to burn the difference through walking.
Recovery: Proper nutrition is crucial for recovery after exercise. Protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates aid in muscle repair and replenishment of glycogen stores.
5. Mental Health
Mood and Cognitive Function: Poor dietary habits are linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Exercise can improve mood, but a healthy diet is essential for optimal brain function and emotional well-being.
If you are currently in a phase of unhealthy eating it can be a vicious cycle. You’ll feel lethargic and tired as eating garbage food will drain your energy. Next you will start to want to eat more bad food to make you feel better, but it’s a short term high. Breaking the cycle can be tough at the start, but that will be the only way to get out of the lows and highs.
Conclusion
While exercise has been a huge benefit in maintaining my health and fitness, it can’t offset the negative impacts of an unhealthy diet. Both are essential for achieving and maintaining overall health, optimal weight, and preventing chronic diseases.