Gretchen Reynolds reports for The New York Times on a new study that speaks to the effects of exercise on hunger. As you might expect, you are not likely to lose weight simply by exercising moderately, if you are not otherwise active. But, you are not likely to gain weight either.
Researchers looked at how moderate exercise affects the appetite of overweight men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 who don’t tend to move their bodies. It found that while they did not eat more afterwards, even when offered “enticing” food, they did eat heartily. In short, exercise did not lead them to eat less.
The data suggest that when you begin exercising, you are not likely to lose the weight that you think you might, given the calories you burn from exercising. Our bodies do not release our fat easily or quickly. It can take months. Some earlier studies have found that exercise can decrease people’s appetites in the short-term. But others show that exercise can lead people to eat more, to have bigger appetites.
Differences in study results are to some extent a function of who the participants are. If participants are young and active, the results could easily differ.
In short, if you’re mildly overweight and take up walking or light weightlifting, you are not likely to lose weight. Study participants burned about 300 calories each time they were active. But, they ate about 1,000 calories at lunch. Still, you can take heart that exercise should not lead you to eat more and gain weight.
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