Lesson 13
Energy Balance & Fat Loss
See what exercise can and can't do for weight: the real cost of a session, why crunches don't pick where fat goes, and why the scale jumps about.
What the screen doesn't say
An advert promises that crunches will melt your waist. The screen on a spin bike says you've burned 600 calories, about a meal's worth. Both make exercise sound like a way to spend calories in a chosen place or on a chosen plate. The truth is more interesting, and less tidy.
First, exercise is worth doing for health, strength, fitness and enjoyment whether or not your weight changes, and losing weight is entirely optional. If you have a medical condition, follow a prescribed diet, have or have had an eating disorder, or are pregnant or have recently given birth, get individual advice before trying to lose weight.