WHY "EAT LESS, MOVE MORE" DOESN'T REALLY WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS.

 

The "eat less, move more" slogan has been hailed as the answer to weight loss for decades, but for most of us, this advice doesn't quite work. At first glance, the idea seems simple enough—consume fewer calories than you burn, and presto, you will lose weight. But weight loss is far more complex than just eating less and moving more. This simplistic advice ignores essential considerations like metabolism, hormones, stress, sleep, mood, and the overall quality of what we eat.

Second, calories are not all equal. A calorie from a soda will not affect the body in the same way as a calorie from a handful of nuts. Different foods have different effects on hunger, insulin, and energy. Consuming very processed, low-nutrient foods will make individuals hungrier, causing them to consume more overall, even if the calorie content is ostensibly lower. When an individual merely consumes less caloric intake without focusing on the quality of food, the body will react by slowing down metabolism, rising hunger hormones, and stimulating cravings—making weight loss more difficult and not sustainable.

In addition, the body adapts to calorie deficit. When you have less calorie intake, your metabolism slows down so that it can assist you in saving energy. This biological reaction is an adaptation mechanism, but it works against losing weight over the long term. As a result, people will acquire a weight-reduction plateau, even with following a low-calorie diet. It will reach its peak at frustration and eventually quitting.

A second issue with the "move more" side of the equation is that exercise does not work very well for weight loss. Although exercise is wonderful for health and for keeping weight in check, it is not a good calorie burner. It takes an hour to walk or jog off a few hundred calories, which can easily be gained back in one snack. Moreover, the individuals also end up taking in more after exercise since they are hungry or feel they "deserve" it, eliminating the calorie deficit.

Secondly, this sentence denies psychological and emotional reasons for eating. Not because the majority of people are hungry, but due to stress, boredom, or emotional reasons do people overeat. Telling an individual to eat less without knowing the why behind their behavior does not fix the core reason behind the issue. It also puts the blame on the person, making him or her feel guilty or weak when they cannot lose those extra pounds when pitted against biological and emotional challenges.

Sleep and levels of stress also play a significant role in weight. Lack of proper sleep can elevate hunger hormones such as ghrelin and suppress satiety hormones such as leptin, which results in increased food consumption. Stress increases the levels of cortisol, which can enhance fat accumulation, particularly around the belly. None of these issues are addressed by the plan to "eat less, move more."

In the real world, sustainable weight loss is more about understanding what the body requires, eating whole foods, resting well, stressing less, and creating healthy habits over time. It's not about starving the body, but nourishing it. So while "eat less, move more" may seem logical, it doesn't resonate with the bigger science and reality of how the body loses weight.