Why Exercise Alone Doesn’t Work

Its a fact: based on the pool of scientific evidence, health and medical experts agree that while exercise is important, it does not lead to significant weight loss on its own. As we saw in chapter 5, although it is theoretically possible to lose weight using exercise as ones sole weight-loss strategy, that approach is not realistic for most people. The reality for both men and women is that without paying careful atten- tion, it is very easy to eat the calories burned in exercise.
For example, it takes about 1 hour on the treadmill for a man of 170 pounds to burn off a bagel (without cream cheese), a few cookies, or a donut. Each
30-minute  session that  a  woman spends circuit training burns about 150 calories. For a 150-pound woman, thats the equivalent of a
12-ounce glass of orange juice. Still not convinced? Here are some other examples that illustrate how long women and men need to exercise (at moderate intensity) to burn off some of their favorite indulgence foods.
If a 170-pound man ate or drank   He would have to spend
2 pieces of deep-dish        21⁄2 hours walking briskly pepperoni pizza
a 12-ounce bottle of beer  45 minutes raking leaves
a 1⁄2-cup handful of peanuts        13⁄4 hours washing the car a 5-ounce serving of nachos                              13⁄4 hours bicycling on flat
with cheese                       terrain
a 12-ounce broiled steak  21⁄4 hours swimming

If a 150-pound woman ate or drank        She would have to spend
A 16-ounce coffee mocha 11⁄2 hours walking briskly without whipped cream
1 fudge-walnut brownie    13⁄4 hours vacuuming
1 cup of butter pecan ice cream     11⁄2 hours doing aerobic dancing a 4-ounce glass of white wine                        1⁄2 hour doing yoga
1 slice chocolate chip          11⁄2 hours lifting weights cheesecake

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