Is it safe to say that we’ve all read (or at least heard about) the controversial TIME article, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin,” by John Cloud? If you still haven’t read it, you may want to do so. If you aren’t up to reading this morning, I’ve taken a few key excerpts to help you put it all together.

In summary (all text was pulled directly from the article):

• “In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless,” says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher.
• The basic problem is that while it’s true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn’t necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.
• According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.
• After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in “sports” drinks like Gatorade. A standard 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. If you’re hot and thirsty after a 20-minute run in summer heat, it’s easy to guzzle that bottle in 20 seconds, in which case the caloric expenditure and the caloric intake are probably a wash. From a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.
• Another British study, this one from the University of Exeter, found that kids who regularly move in short bursts — running to catch a ball, racing up and down stairs to collect toys — are just as healthy as kids who participate in sports that require vigorous, sustained exercise.

The article really is worth reading in its entirety – there are some very interesting studies, supported by qualitative (and quantitative) data that are really worth noting. If I could have, I would have copied and pasted the entire thing, so please take some time to read it – it’s worth it, I promise

My thoughts – OK, so if you are looking to JUST lose weight, the author is correct, exercise probably isn’t the only way to do it. We know by now that diet is 80-90% of the battle, so there is some truth in what Cloud is saying. His argument is backed with research that is pretty hard to argue with, as all of it is grounded with scientific data and studies.

Does that mean there is no place for exercise? That it’s a waste of time? ABSOLUTELY NOT. And Cloud does note that exercise brings many other benefits to our lives other than weight loss. Exercise works our heart and helps with blood pressure, exercise reduces bad levels of high cholesterol and helps prevent disease. Most importantly (to me!), exercise reduces stress and raises our levels of endorphins, contributing to better moods and overall states of well-being. I love exercise because of the feeling I get AFTER my workout – I love knowing that I worked it out at the gym to better myself and shake out some of that bottled stress.

In short, conquer your eating habits to lose the extra weight. Then incorporate exercise as a healthy practice to better your health and well-being.

Image credit - Time Magazine

I bring this topic to the table today because I’d love you hear your reactions to this article and open the floor to conversation. Please leave your thoughts in the comments – GO, DISCUSS! I’ll be sure to add in my thoughts, too!