The Truth About Exercise

I can't go another day without addressing last month's Time magazine article on exercise (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html). Titled "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" and teased on the magazine's front cover, it probably sold a lot of copies. My concern is that those people who DIDN'T read the whole article and simply glanced at the cover used it as a reinforcement of their excuse for not exercising.

The article describes recent studies that show how vigorous exercise can spike hunger, which causes people to eat more than they burned off in the exercise session and sabotages their weight-loss efforts. I'll give them that vigorous exercise can make people hungrier, but it does not turn them into animals with uncontrollable hunger. It does not take away their sense of reason or their commitment to get healthier, slim down and live a better life. I'll say again what I've said many times before: if you are truly committed to your weight loss, you will be mindful of what and how much you eat, and you will not let cravings and hunger go unchecked--certainly not repeatedly. I mean, if you're going to spend an hour walking or running or lifting weights, do you really think tucking into a personal pan pizza right afterward is a good idea?

If you're one of those people who gets hungrier after you eat, the answer is simple: EAT!! But eat healthful, satisfying foods that won't blow your efforts to shreds. PLAN what you're going to eat after a workout. Eat low-calorie but tasty snacks during the day that have a balance of protein, carbs and a small amount of fat to keep your energy up and your resolve strong. You're less likely to give in to cravings for large amounts of high-cal foods if you don't allow yourself to get overly hungry. Be mindful of the way your body feels and the way you feel emotionally after you exercise. If you're just exercising so you can eat unhealthful foods, you're thinking the wrong way and using food in an unhealthy manner. And if you eat more after you exercise--even if you're NOT particularly hungry--ask yourself why. What else could you be doing to reward yourself: a bubble bath, massage, TV show you want to watch, chat with a friend, pedicure. Don't use food as a reward and it will cease to have power over you.

And for Pete's sake, don't stop exercising because of headlines that shout it's all a waste anyway. Exercise is good for you mentally and spiritually, as well as physically--healthwise! Perhaps one day we won't be bombarded with self-defeating headlines; until then, make smart and informed choices about how to take care of yourself.