It’s a bit discouraging for people like me, but knowing the facts can help change your mentality towards your diet and exercise. I guess I have always known the facts, but putting it into practice is another story.
The big myth: As long as you are lifting (strength training) or exercising you can eat whatever you want. Unfortunately it’s not true. I am living proof that this is bunk. I have consistently been engaged in strength training since the mid 1980’s, and logged quite a few miles on the track, and when I have not kept my diet in check I’ve struggled with my weight.
I enjoy exercise and I enjoy food. When tracking my caloric intake and expenditure on a daily basis, seeing first hand how many calories are burned during a typical days exercise, it is almost depressing. Thirty minutes of pretty intense weight training burns 380 calories, 30 minutes of jogging (10 minute mile pace) burns a whopping 634 calories. This is where the news gets bad. On the consumption side, eating 600 calories is effortless- the pizza pictured above or 4 beers and you are back to 0. Burger and fries and you are way over the limit.
I know how important exercise is for cardiovascular health, bone density, injury prevention and mental health just to name a few benefits. I also know that increasing lean muscle mass increases your resting metabolic rate. The bottom line is that keeping a log of what I eat is finally driving home the importance of what I put into my mouth.