Cheating More

Now that I am exercising, I find myself cheating more. I feel hungrier and justified in my cheats. How do people lose weight exercising if it just makes them hungrier? Should I stop exercising until I lose my weight?

Great question. No way should you stop exercising until you lose weight. I actually hear this quite a bit. Many people think they should lose the weight first and then start an exercise program. They fear that they will gain muscle and sabotage their weight loss. First of all, it is not about the number on the scale; it is about your overall health and wellness. Exercise is an important part of that equation. Exercise burns calories and increases you basal metabolism. Therefore you will be burning more calories even when you are sleeping. It is better to be 25 pounds overweight and fit then it is to be at your ideal body weight and unfit.

Cheating more because you feel justified due to the exercise is also very common. I originally started exercising to get to the beer and pizza. (I no longer drink beer but I still like pizza occasionally.) The fact is that although exercise increases number of calories burned it is not a great big number. A very hard work out such as running constantly for an hour, only burns about 700 calories. That is good but, it is only two candy bars. I try to pay attention to calories in, verses what I have to do to burn them off. Often, I decide it is just not worth feeding my desire for the cheat. Make sure you are staying hydrated for your workouts. Dehydration can make you feel hungry and susceptible to cheating. Bottom line, the calories you consume needs to be less than the calories you expend in order to lose weight.

Romans 5:20 NKJ “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”