A paradigm shift

*** Since writing this post I have learned to recognize Diet Culture and its impacts. My views on exercise and nutrition have changed as a result of this new understanding. I explain more in this more recent post.

I turned 50 this year and my quality of life as I age and my longevity are at the top of my mind these days.  I want my 80s to look a lot like my 50s, especially in regards to my physical abilities. For me, this means that my exercise routine is very important to me.

I am currently reading Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken (there is a corresponding podcast to the book, you can listen to it here and on podcast platforms).  Chris has an identical twin brother, Xand and they are both doctors and British TV presenters. We have watched many of their factual TV shows on health and the fascinating topic of twins and twin studies. This book has been eye-opening for me and I will go into more detail about Chris's research in another post; for now I want to share with you something he says on page 130. 

After reviewing several studies comparing the energy expenditure (calories burned) of nomadic hunter gatherer groups and North American and European populations he states, "These findings challenge everything about our understanding of how the body uses calories. It seems that people burn the same amount of energy each day whether they walk 10 miles or sit at a desk. The significance of this cannot be missed: it means that we CANNOT lose weight just by increasing activity.

I struggled with this for a few days because there is a part of me that thinks if I overeat or indulge in some high calorie foods, I can "work it off" with a workout or by doing some kind of physical activity. But the more I sit with this new way of thinking I am realizing that it is also freeing. When it comes to weight loss (and ONLY WEIGHT LOSS), exercise is a non-starter. 

I now know that once I eat it, there is nothing I can do about it, I cannot burn it off.  What this has meant for my husband and I is, we are more mindful and aware of what we eat and how much we eat. Now, we stop more often during our meals and take a moment to feel if we are satiated or full. 

"Move more, eat less" has been embedded into our way of thinking about weight management, why? Why not just "Eat Less"?  I will explain why next month[1] . Stay tuned!