Exercise can help you lose weight and change your diet

The truth is, you cannot exercise your way out of an unhealthy diet (if weight loss is what you are after). The human body is very efficient at conserving energy. It will compensate for calories lost through exercise with more calories consumed later in the day or by being physically less active during the remainder of the day.

Exercise is a great way to lose weight, and it can also help you maintain that weight loss. Exercise is not meant to replace calories.

Control of your calorie intake is the only way you can lose weight. It is best to limit the intake of ultra-processed food, such as fast food and “junk” foods. Reduced consumption of ultra-processed foods is beneficial for both mental and physical well-being, even if you’re not trying to shed weight.

Regular exercise helps us to control our junk food intake by reducing stress and improving cognitive and brain processes. The best part? You can get the benefits with just 20 minutes of brisk walk.

Why do we overconsume junk food

We all know we shouldn’t eat too much candy, cookies, or cake, drink sodas with sugar, or eat too many chips. We gain weight when we eat these ultra-processed foods. They are so difficult to resist.

The goal of ultra-processed junk food is to make it as tasty and satisfying as possible. (Pixabay)

The goal of ultra-processed junk food is to make it as tasty and rewarding for consumers as possible. The brain’s reward-processing regions are activated when we see media advertisements or food products (such as chocolate bars at the grocery store checkout line). This reward-related activity in the brain leads to increased food cravings and even the desire to eat when we aren’t hungry.

The dorsolateral frontal cortex (dlPFC), a brain region, helps us to limit our consumption of ultra-processed food by decreasing activity in reward regions and reducing food cravings. It also initiates the cognitive processes necessary to exert conscious control over food choices.

Neuroscientists found that by using functional imaging, they could examine brain responses and find out how increased activity in dlPFC helped us to control cravings for food. This was achieved by decreasing the activity of reward regions in the brain. Activity is reduced in the dlPFC, which makes it harder to resist the temptation of junk food and more likely that we will eat snack foods.

Exercise helps regulate food intake.

Exercise increases brain plasticity. This is the brain’s capability to adapt functions in response to new input. It is easier to alter our lifestyle and habits when we increase brain plasticity. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive function and increase prefrontal cortex function.

Exercise-induced improvements in cognitive function and prefrontal brain functions make it easier to limit or regulate our junk food consumption. We can see results with just 20 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Regular physical activity improves cognition and can improve prefrontal cortex function. (Shutterstock)

I have shown people consume less ultraprocessed foods such as chips and milk chocolate following 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises (in our study, this was a brisk walking at 5.6 to 6.1 kilometers per hour on a slightly inclined treadmill). Researchers have also found that a 12-week program of high-intensity cardio exercise and high-intensity interval training can help reduce the desire for junk food with high-calorie content. The same effects can be seen in people who engage in moderate exercise, such as aerobics or strength training.

This study shows that exercise improves brain function and cognition, which can help people resist the temptation to eat junk food and reduce their desire for it. It is easier to reduce the intake of these foods in order to reach weight loss and healthier eating goals.

Exercise can reduce stress.

When stressed, the body releases a substance called cortisol. This hormone activates the so-called fight-or-flight response. When cortisol is high, the brain believes it needs fuel and craves sugary, salty, ultra-processed food.

Regular exercise, or even a single bout reduces cortisol levels. Exercise can also help reduce unhealthy food and drink consumption during times of stress.