Exercise for weight loss isn’t always the answer
By Beth Newcomb
“It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to exercise away the pounds,” says Dr. Frank Dachtler, of Healthy One WeightLoss. “Weight loss is 95 percent diet—not exercise. Sure, it’s good for your health, joints and heart, and it makes you feel good when you break a sweat, but if weight loss is your goal it’s useless.”
Here’s why:
Counting Calories
To really burn calories effectively, you have to exercise for 60 minutes intensely. That equates to about 500-600 calories, which you put right back on the minute you have a few glasses of wine or eat a meal. In order to lose weight, you need a net loss of 500 calories per day to lose about one pound per week.
Exercise is Anabolic
Exercise is usually anabolic, which means tissues grow and get stronger.
“Getting stronger is a good thing, of course, as is toning and tightening, but growth does not equate to weight loss,” Dr. Frank explains. “Weight loss is catabolic, which is the breakdown of complex molecules, together with the release of energy, that kick-starts our metabolism.”
“People who say they exercise all the time and can’t lose an ounce are right,” he continues. “Exercise is just a small portion of calorie expenditure. It’s not designed to prompt weight loss. And our bodies quickly adapt and plateau.”
Beyond the Burn
Outside of exercise, some people lean on fad diets as a means to lose weight, Dr. Frank says. “Fad diets are not sustainable,” he notes. “They are too intense…too radical. Your body can’t sustain the radical shift in food intake. The key is to have a healthy balance, and learn how to effectively shift once your body has adapted to a new way of eating.”
Another area where people tend to pin their hopes is on supplements from the internet. “If those really worked, why is 40 percent of the population overweight?” Dr. Frank asks. “Most people who try to lose weight with these types of extreme measures fail. Our patients don’t fail.”
The Method That Works
Instead of extreme weight loss measures, exercising to the point of burnout or managing your health with medications (which can actually cause weight gain), consider the Healthy Instead of extreme weight loss measures or exercising to the point of burnout, consider the Healthy One WeightLoss program.
It’s a manageable lifestyle change during which participants learn how to modify their relationship with food, which results in a decrease or elimination of medications, a decrease in cholesterol and high blood pressure, a decrease in blood glucose levels, and a guaranteed 20- to 40-pound weight loss in six to eight weeks.
Dr. Frank participated in the development of the program that was years in the making. After ensuring it could live up to promises made, he launched Healthy One four years ago and says he continues to fine-tune the plan as new information becomes available.
“Diets should give you some results, but they won’t work forever. The body adapts and your diet needs to adapt along with it. Our plan is personalized and you’ll learn how to change it when your body needs you to,” Dr. Frank says.
Dr. Frank notes the Healthy One WeightLoss program is a perfect fit for almost anybody. Participants with as little as 20 stubborn pounds to lose all the way up to those with more than 100 to shed are candidates.
“Some people experience body changes as a result of aging and hormone fluctuations,” he explains.
“They find they just can’t lose weight the way they used too. Others have adopted bad habits that have stuck with them over the years, resulting in an annual weight gain of 10 pounds or more. Whatever your reason for holding on to the pounds, we can help you lose them—for good.”
Schedule a Healthy One WeightLoss consultation by calling 440-230-1113 in Broadview Heights, 330-201-6436 in Norton, or 330-734-7919 in Brunswick. Visit HealthyOneWeightLoss.com to learn more.