If you have been vigilant in keeping your workout appointments, but are disappointed that you aren't losing weight, there are several reasons why your body might not be shedding pounds despite the extra calories burned. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat, so it's reasonable to think that you are leaner, but not lighter. However, there are other possibilities as to why the scale is not budging.
Hunger
While exercise burns calories and fewer calories should equal weight loss, exercise may also stimulates hunger. Research by University of Michigan students revealed that exercise suppresses appetites in thin women, but obese women were actually hungrier after working out. Exercise releases a hormone called leptin which shuts down your appetite. However, obese people have high levels of leptin already, making them immune to the hormone's release during exercise. Eat complex carbohydrates two hours before workouts to prevent glucose breakdown in your muscles and avoid after-workout-carb-cravings, according to registered dietitian, LeeAnn Smith.
Compensation
Besides feeling physically hungry, many gym-goers experience psychological hunger after workouts, says Smith. Where you might normally shrug off a fatty craving, you feel you have earned it after your workout. Smith suggests that you may also overestimate the number of calories that you burn exercising and then over-compensate your caloric intake with rewards. Smith says to eat a planned snack within an hour of your workout, plus avoid going to the gym on an empty stomach to conquer psychological hunger.
Genetics
Your weight is strongly controlled by genetics, according to physician nutrition specialist, Dr. Melina Jampolis. She points out that hundreds of genes contribute to your ability to regulate weight and many were designed for your survival which makes weight-loss very difficult for some people. If one or both of your parents has trouble maintaining a healthy weight, odds are that you will have problems, too. If your genes are working against you, Jampolis suggests your best bet might be to accept your weight and instead focus on being the healthiest you can be.
Wrong Thinking
Conventional wisdom tells you that exercise and weight-loss go hand-in-hand. However, a research article published by Plos One, the non-profit public library of science, showed groups of women that exercised for six months did not lose any more significant weight than women in the control group who did not exercise at all. An exercise researcher and chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University told "Time Magazine" that exercise is useless for weight-loss. Exercising reduces your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and enhances weight maintenance, so do not give up your workouts. But if weight loss is your goal, consider what you are eating before you vamp up your exercise regiment.
References
- CNNHealth.com: Expert Q & A
- Science Daily: Exercise Reduces Hunger In Lean Women But Not Obese Women
- Plos One: Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference and Compensatory Responses with Different Doses of Exercise among Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women
- Time.com: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin
- Health Status:Exercise and Hunger are Related
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