Exercise Does Not Help You Burn More Calories

This, unfortunately, means that you don’t “get to” or “need to” eat more simply because you exercised that day.

Yes, it is true that exercising takes more energy to do than what sitting on the couch does, BUT the net burn is not more than any other day. Ironically, it also means that by being a couch potato you are not burning fewer calories than someone that is much more active.

Here is the deal – your caloric rate is your caloric rate and it’s fixed. If you exercise, you will burn more at that moment, but as you slow down for the rest of the day, you will end up burning energy at the same rate as yesterday or last week.

Physical activity does not change your metabolic rate. The exercise side of the equation of “calories in versus calories out” is a myth.

Although you essentially burn what you burn regardless of what you do day to day, that burn amount can however increase over time.

What will change your metabolism?

Your hormonal state over time can change your metabolism dramatically. If you are in a high insulin exposure state due to your diet and lifestyle, then you will slow down your metabolism and store more fat, irrespective of the number of calories you eat. In general, if you do end up eating more calories, then you will store more fat.

If you are in a low insulin exposure state and are therefore in a higher HGH state as a consequence, then you will start to increase your metabolism.

There is of course eventually a top-end limit, but you will be living in the higher end of the curve.

When you limit your food intake, as in going on a daily low-calorie diet, then your body will self-adjust and decrease the energy going out. Essentially, calories in determine calories out, while calories out (exercise) do not affect calories in.

Here is the problem.

Increasing your calorie intake without changing your high insulin exposure state significantly, will not raise your metabolism, but will instead add that extra food as fat. You have to shift your metabolic profile and get those insulin opposing hormones cranking if you want to increase your metabolism.

How can you do that?

Reduce insulin-producing foods (carbs and excess protein), increase your fat consumption, and extend the times that you go without food.

If you then add in stress resilience, variable output/intensity exercise, and prioritize sleep, you will have added rocket fuel to the process.

You can do this. This is what our programs and model are based on.

And remember, a low-calorie, low-fat diet in most cases does exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve in the long term.

We can do better.