When you are trying to lose weight, do you put most of your focus on the food you eat?
Many people think they can effectively lose weight without exercise by solely focusing on the food they put in their bodies. While that is one piece of the equation to achieving success with your weight loss ambitions, an even greater advantage you have to hit your goal weight involves exercise.
What do you think of when you hear the word “exercise”? Maybe the same reaction you’d have over a four-letter F-word? Perhaps you think of bulking up and putting on muscle, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish?
Well, for starters, adding quality muscle mass is never a bad thing (and it will be touched on below). But the effects exercise has on the body without you even needing to think or act upon it are quite amazing.
Below, you will find three strange but effective ways exercise can help you lose weight — and yes, without you even having to lift a finger following your workouts.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new dietary supplements into your current regimen.
1. Decrease Hunger and Cravings
Think about all the times you were hungry. I mean, HANGRY!
Craving everything under the sun. Seriously. Sit there and think for a minute. It’s probably when you are either bored or you have nothing going on and have too much time on your hands.
Now, think of the days you’re super busy at work, and you completely skipped over lunch. You weren’t hungry then. Why is that?
The clock hit noon, and it automatically didn’t create the grumbles in your stomach. It’s because you kept yourself busy and kept your mind off food.
The fact of the matter is, when you are active, you are less hungry. When you exercise, blood moves from your stomach and digestive tract to the working muscles. Therefore, when you hit the gym and fit in an hour (or so) workout, you’re saving yourself from at least being hungry during that time.
Not to mention, when you are extremely hot and sweating profusely, you tend to be less hungry.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that exercise affects your hunger hormones. One such hunger hormone you may have heard about is ghrelin. Ghrelin, when increased, flips the switch and causes the sensation of hunger.
When you exercise, you suppress ghrelin and therefore will not have the urge to go eat something. This is extremely helpful and can allow you to effectively lose weight and hit your goals.
2. Reduce Cortisol Levels
For many, exercise is a stress reliever.
People look forward to their daily workouts — especially those working in high-stress jobs. Something that happens to those under a lot of stress is that their cortisol levels become raised. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can have some adverse effects on the body if not controlled.
If you are trying to lose weight, cortisol can cause your progress to slam on the brakes and come to a screeching halt.
Now, if you want to get technical, exercise DOES create stress on the body and can cause an increase in cortisol. However, the rise in cortisol is acute and less likely to have any long-lasting negative effects that would hinder your ability to lose weight.
The fact that you’re exercising is much better than not exercising and being under a lot of stress.
You may have also heard the term “endorphins” before. Endorphins are natural mood enhancers (chemicals) that are released in the brain. These endorphins can help lower your stress level, help you feel more relaxed, and can cause you to be more optimistic.
Add these all together, and you have the recipe needed to better manage cortisol levels and keep them normalized. And all of this can be accomplished by putting in the time at the gym to get in a good workout and help you lose weight.
3. Increase Lean Muscle Mass
You probably have one eyebrow raised and are wondering how ADDING weight (in the form of lean muscle mass) could possibly help you lose weight, but the fact of the matter is, it can — and it helps quite effectively, too.
When you think about adding muscle, many consider it “bulk” and unwanted/unneeded. Not true. Bulk can be clean or “dirty,” as many like to call it in the industry. Clean is considered lean muscle tissue gains, while dirty refers to putting on unwanted body fat.
Clearly, the latter is what you want to stay away from.
So, exactly why do you want to focus on adding lean muscle mass? And ladies, you too should not be afraid to hit the weights hard and with intensity to aid in adding some lean muscle mass. The great thing about muscle is that it’s constantly demanding energy, and where do we get energy from? Either food or stored body fat.
The more energy the muscles demand (either due to exercise or sheer muscle size), the more calories they are going to burn.
Want to hear something even more interesting? Your muscles will help you effectively burn calories even while at rest. Yes, that means while you’re sleeping! Ah, now the lightbulb turned on above your head.
The more muscle mass you add to your frame, the greater your metabolism is going to be, working to help convert food or fat into energy to create a steady source for the muscles.
Not to mention the act of muscle recovery following intense workouts, itself, also increases your caloric expenditure by working to repair and rebuild all of the torn-down muscle fibers.
Essentially, you naturally turn your body into a fat-burning machine by increasing muscle mass. Think that can help you lose weight? You bet it can! So, don’t be afraid of pushing your body to its limits in the weight room. Hit the weights hard and help build quality lean muscle mass while also reducing hunger, stress, and cortisol levels.
There you have it. Three strange but effective ways exercise can help you lose weight. Make exercise a priority, and you’ll look and feel better in no time.
Author Bio:
Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN, is a globally recognized health, fitness, and supplement industry expert with over 25 years of hands-on experience. He is the founder of Weik Fitness and one of the most prolific writers in the space, known for translating complex science into clear, actionable content. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State University and multiple industry certifications, giving his work both academic credibility and real-world authority. His writing has been featured on thousands of websites and in 100+ magazines worldwide, including FLEX, Muscular Development, Iron Man, and Muscle & Fitness UK, and he has authored 30+ published books. Trusted by leading supplement brands and media outlets alike, Matt is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and reliable voices in health, fitness, and sports nutrition.
