Why the most popular rule of weight loss is completely wrong
[Via Ezra Klein]
In fact, it’s a total myth.
“I see dietitians using it all the time, making recommendations based off of it,” said Kevin Hall, who is a researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Unfortunately it’s completely wrong.”
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When you start losing weight, you body adapts to make it harder to lose weight. You metabolic level goes down, you release all sorts of hormones to stop the weight losses.
As you lose more, there are more changes.
You have to keep your metabolic rate up, which means exercise. And you have to exercise harder as you lose weight, because the metabolic effect of the exercise is reduced as the body fights harder to keep the weight on.
Because if you reduce the exercise at all, your body will rapidly try to regain the weight.
This is often a losing battle for most people who simply give up.
Perhaps someday we will have the tools to change the body’s thermostat in order to make this easier. Until then, keep those metabolic rates high.
Image: Ben Ostrowsky
A Man With A Ph.D. 