Role of exercise in weight loss

Exercise is one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself. While exercise is extremely important, it does not lead to significant weight loss on its own. Many people believe that weight loss without exercise is impossible and they expect a lot of weight loss from exercise alone. They formulated this opinion independently or were lead to believe, that the solution must be found in the gym.

I think it is important to have realistic expectations about what exercise can and cannot do for weight loss. Exercise alone as a weight loss method is particularly ineffective without paying attention to food intake. Individuals who think that they can lose weight simply by increasing their exercise program and not controlling their food intake are almost always embarking on a futile journey.
For people who are already overweight, even 60 minutes of physical activity each day may not be enough to halt weight gain.

It takes about an hour on the treadmill for a 170-pound man to burn off a donut or a medium bagel (without butter or cream cheese). Without making any dietary changes the same 170-pound man would have to walk additional 10 miles per day In order to lose 2 pounds per week. It would take this man more than five hours of active playing basketball to lose a pound. This is a lot of exercise and time.  

My view is that exercise is not an effective stand –alone weight loss solution. We cannot lose weight by exercise alone. I also believe that the most effective tool for successful weight loss is to change what we eat. The fact is, nothing causes us to lose weight and to burn fat faster than the foods we eat and don’t eat. Following a sensible eating plan and sticking to it matters most.