B3Smart Feature Article
In January, new is the topic on everyone's agenda. New year, new body, new you, new lifestyle, not to mention the new way of achieving all this newness. Personal trainer Mike Scarlett (BSc.Kin.) takes a look at the 2009 Time Magazine article that rocked the fitness world, and looks at the bottom-line health strategies that the article didn't discuss. While these three basic strategies aren't new, they lay a strong foundation for success.
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Three Strategies for Success
In 2009, Time magazine stirred up the exercising world. John Cloud’s article Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin* spread what some would cite as weight loss blasphemy across media and the Internet. The article contended that, "Whether because exercise makes us hungry or because we want to reward ourselves, many people eat more — and eat more junk food, like doughnuts — after going to the gym." Cloud went on to say that this leads to proportional weight gains when exercising takes place. In an industry seemingly divided between boot camp trainers and diet pill miracle workers, this was one heck of a gauntlet to throw down. What piqued our interest was that this article was supported by many facts and citations from scientific journals and authors.
Many individuals and organizations, quick to rebuke Time magazine’s article, published responses. The American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM) response was maybe the most circulated. The ACSM presented its own string of countering facts supported by many citations from scientific journals and authors. These arguments demonstrated the greater success of weight loss programs that include exercise in conjunction with improved nutrition, as well as greater success with weight maintenance, after weight loss, if exercise regimes are used. The most logical argument came from Janet Rankin, Ph.D. FACSM,
"A practical response to the claim that exercise makes you eat more and gain weight is to look around. If this were the case, wouldn’t those who regularly exercise be the fattest? Obviously that isn’t the case."
Now, in the early days of 2010, has the debate ended? It might be that there is an obvious right and wrong answer. I would imagine that professionals and enthusiasts in the exercise world were quick to flock to ACSM’s response. But the ideas brought up by Time’s article might be convincing for others who have exercised and never lost weight, or for those who dislike exercise.
No matter which article gets to win the argument, the bottom line about exercise and weight loss is unaffected. Here are the three basic lifestyle strategies that improve health and weight managment. They're not new for 2010, but that doesn't seem to alter the effectiveness.
Behaviour change is the key and it will take time. What kind of workout you do, or do not do, or what kind of super food you eat, or do not eat, are just pieces of the puzzle. Proponents who state otherwise are usually selling something. Building a more effective lifestyle of consistent habits, among which are moving (exercise) and eating (nutrition), is key.
When it comes to exercise we were built to move. Consistent moving is not a re-injection of 30-90 minutes of physical activity 3-5 times a week. You can not rely on only one hour of activity for every 28 hours of inactivity to keep you healthy.
When it comes to nutrition were built to eat whole unrefined foods throughout the day. Consistent nutrition means consistently avoiding anything with refined sugar, high fat content, or anything devoid of vitamins and nutrients. It means consistently choosing fresh foods, which are more trouble to prepare and keep, but should make up the majority of your meals.
In some ways, John Cloud’s article for Time Magazine, and the ACSM both missed the boat. Cloud lent his voice to the millions of people that simply don’t want to change, giving them “scientifically proven” reasons for continued inactivity. For their part, ACSM rose to the bait, militantly defending exercise, rather than injecting the debate with a fresh approach for those who have grown tired of hearing about it. The basic strategies for healthy living aren’t new, its true. But they do make a good foundation for a fresh start in this new year.
*Cloud, John. (2009). Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin, Time.
January, 2010, Mike Scarlett, BSc.Kin
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