Get a Move On... Or Not
Looking at it that way, it's hard to imagine exercising your way to weight loss. If you follow the calorie burning model, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound...let's see, that means you'd only need to run 23 miles! No thanks. I'll just go eat fat and protein. So then why exercise at all if it's not helpful for losing weight? Well, at first, I say don't bother. If you are particularly heavy, imposing strenuous exercise on an already strained system could actually cause more damage. Your joints and bones, your heart, and your other organs are genetically created to sustain your body at optimum weight. When you add pounds of fat, you stress the body beyond it's design. This weakens the system and adding strenuous movements to a weakened system is a recipe for injury. As Dr. Eric Berg is known for saying, "You get healthy to lose weight, you don't lose weight to get healthy."
Before you can expect any sort of improvement in your physical form, you have to teach your body to be healthy. Eliminating the body's primary known source of energy is a little bit shocking to the system at first. It's similar to switching your appliances from burning propane, to burning natural gas. Natural gas burns cleaner, the supply is steady, and it is utilized more efficiently by your appliances. By the same token, ketones burn clean and efficient as fuel in your body and the supply is practically endless because they are manufactured naturally in the liver, not dependent on the intake of carbohydrates to convert to glucose. So, the conversion is a good thing. But it does come at a price...
When you first begin adapting your body to burning fat, you will not feel great (although, some do, most don't). Don't fret! This is NOT a sign that Keto is bad. It's actually a sign that it's working. See my last post about the Keto Flu, a very real, but very temporary condition that will leave you feeling achy, tired, and somewhat sick. It's just your body using up the last of the sugars it's been using for only you know how long.
Once you've rid yourself of the ready supply of glucose, your body will naturally turn to its stores of fat...after all, this is what its been saving for, a time when the fuel supply runs out. One argument you'll hear against Keto is when they say that "if you rob your body of carbohydrates, your body will begin to burn muscle." You'll hear that a lot around the gym as people "carb-up" before their workout. Well that's just silly.
The analogy I've used before is this: Imagine you're in your home in the winter, and your heating oil runs out (or your power goes out). Are you going to go to the barn and get some of the cords of wood you've been hoarding for just such a time? Or are you going to burn the sofa? Of course you're going to use the wood you have stored. You might need that sofa! Well you body knows instinctively that if there is going to be food in the future, it's going to need those muscles. It will protect those till the very end.
Okay, so what about exercise? As you get fat-adapted, your body will naturally produce the fuel it needs to function and you will begin to feel a more steady, even flow of ketone-based energy rather than the up-and-down spikes of carbohydrate based energy. As this happens, you will feel more like exercising. When you feel it, do it!
If you are not in the habit of regular exercise, now is a good time to start, but remember again, that your body's joints and muscles were designed to perform best when your body is at optimal weight. Start slow and build your strength and stamina gradually. Don't push too hard at first and risk injury. If you are already accustomed to an exercise regime, keep it up and only increase your exercise when you feel that your current routine is not enough.
You will lose weight based on what goes into your body. Exercise is used to shape that body the way you want to wear it. Muscle tone will improve your looks and increase your metabolism so you DO want to get up and move as much as you can in order to be the best you, but don't rely on exercise to move the numbers on the scale.
Should you exercise? Absolutely. The more you are able to move about, the better your body will feel. Your blood will circulate better, your muscles will become defined and strong (and this includes your heart), and your skin will tighten up and refresh itself more frequently, giving you a healthier glow.
Here's the part to keep in mind. This is the part that everybody misses. Diet and Exercise are two completely separate, independent modes of body maintenance. Think of it like putting gas in the car and tuning up the engine. Both of these are necessary for a well-honed, functional automobile. You don't tune the engine (exercise) to make the car continue to run, and you don't just put gas (food) in the car and never take care of the engine. Take care of your engine and always put in high quality fuel, and you'll be running smooth in no time.
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Have a blessed day!
Good read. It’s true, exercise doesn’t make you lose weight, in fact many people use exercise to increase the amount of calories they can eat in a day. If you increase your calories (on a standard, non Keto diet) your not losing weight, and the more exercise you do, the more fuel your body calls out for. It’s a vicious cycle. Another thing about exercise, at first, when your not used to being active, exercise helps you gain weight, because you are building muscles and muscle weighs more than fat. It’s always key to remember when first starting an exercise routine, not to give up when at first you see increased weight. Not saying exercise in any good - it is, in so many ways. But it can also be discouraging if your not really changing your lifestyle and expecting a quick weight loss.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rhonda! That's exactly right. Exercise is very healthy, when you're body is ready for it. Strenuous exercise at the beginning, when you are heavily overweight can strain your joints and tear muscles.
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