Losing weight is becoming tougher and tougher after menopause. Particularly if a sedentary lifestyle adds to a lack of exercise and physical activity.
Regular exercise is an essential component to lose weight permanently- however, do you know how much exercise is really needed to lose weight? In theory, the more you exercise the better you’ll do on your weight loss program. Commonly, the perception is: If you burn more calories, you are losing more weight.
But in reality things tend to work out otherwise. And this is because of the compensation mechanism. The meaning of the term “compensation” is: If you forecast the weight lost according to the calories burned, and measure the actual weight loss achieved, you’ll often find a gap. It’s easy to understand what causes the compensation effect: People start to consume more when they go on an exercise plan. The usual thinking pattern is “I am allowed to consume more, because I will burn the extra calories on my exercise program”.
But, most dieters assess the amount of calories burnt while exercising and the amount of calories consumed inaccurately: Calories burnt are overestimated and calories eaten underestimated. The mentality “I exercise, so I am allowed to eat more” does not assist to lose weight permanently.
Researchers evaluated the amount of exercise connected to the compensation mechanism and found a very fascinating correlation. Previously desk-bound, overweight or obese, postmenopausal women took part in three different exercise programs of 72, 136 and 194 minutes per week.
The first two groups doing a bit over 1 hour of workout a week and a bit over 2 hours a week didn’t compensate- their actual weight loss was as expected. So these women did not eat to a greater extent while being on the exercise program.
But the women on the exercise plan spending more than 3 hours per week lost only half of the anticipated weight. It might be that they thought “I’ve been working so hard on the exercise program, now I can eat”.
What do we learn from this? It naturally doesn’t mean that a low intensity program is best. It means if you are exercising hard, there are risks you might feel compelled to compensate and start consuming more. Observe your calorie intake if you are on an physical exercise program- or the physical exercise might not help you to lose weight permanently after 40.
By the way: All exercise groups had a fundamental decrease in waist circumference signaling healthy weight loss. Losing belly fat lowers the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
A beneficial weight loss program should assist you to determine how much exercise you in your particular situation need and how to integrate it in your day to day life.
Are you a woman over 40? I’ve created a free, personalized program for women over 40 who want to lose weight permanently. Sign up at http://www.loseweightpermanently.com/ForWomenOver40
Perry Permann
You can read another article from Perry at Woman Over 40? Lose Belly Fat Now – The Health and Beauty Hazard
Article Source: How Much Exercise Do You Actually Need to Lose Weight?
