Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Simply Weight Loss -- Losing Weight is Easy if You Stop Dieting

Simply Weight Loss -- Losing Weight is Easy if You Stop Dieting

In theory, if you're starving, exercising less helps conserve energy. But obviously you're going to place finding food and eating at the top of your to do list. But dieters today do exactly what they shouldn't do...exercise less if they were to starve and start dieting when trying to lose weight.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System recently published their findings from a 21 state study with over 112,000 participants on how weight loss methods affect dieter's success.

Each participant was placed into one of four categories based on the weight control method they used.

1. Increasing physical activity
2. Eating fewer calories
3. Combination of fewer calories with exercise
4. None (not trying to lose weight)

For those who were trying to lose weight, the most common weight practices were eating fewer calories without other methods (32.3% of women, 24.1% of men) and eating fewer calories with exercise (33.8% of women, 19.9% of men).

Increasing physical activity as a sole weight-loss practice was reported by 3.4% of women and 4% of men.

The last statistic on exercising without dieting is where I get lost. It's hard for me to understand how only 3% of women and 4% of men use exercise as their sole weight loss practice. Is anything wrong with this?

Yes, we are wrong. The entire weight loss industry is wrong!

It all reminds me of a slogan from a few years ago, "Simply Weight Loss." It represented a return to diet basics. And that's when it hit me, a return to diet basics is what is wrong.

Dieting is Wrong

You're too heavy and you need to lose weight. The extra pounds pushing you above your ideal weight, resulted from a chronic state of positive energy balance...eating more calories (energy) than the body needs.

This is usually followed by the question, "Why doesn't my body just get rid of the extra energy?" I totally agree. Just get rid of all that extra energy, send it on it's way.

Unfortunately, the laws of thermodynamics are what mess things up.

The tough law to get around involves the whole idea that you can't create or destroy energy. It's constant. Since you can't simply destroy energy, you have no choice but to use the extra energy (packed into calories) or store it.

So, how does this make dieting wrong? Dieting only works in theory. In theory, dieting, which is synonymous with calorie restriction, causes total body energy to decrease in hopes of creating an energy deficit.

To make up for this deficit, the body will tap into energy stores to cover immediate needs. So, in theory, dieting causes weight loss.

Is this what occurs in dieters? Yes and no.

The Best Method for Using Stored Energy

Dieting, a.k.a. calorie restriction, slows down the resting metabolic rate, throwing the body into a state of energy conservation. This is not conducive of weight loss but instead is perfect for gaining weight.

Those dieters that do lose weight and keep it off, practice my concept of slow & low.

Now what? Exercise.

What is the best method for using the extra energy we didn't use in the past? Exercise. Start an exercise program first, one that centers on muscle tone and strength, then use dieting on an as needed basis to lower total body energy.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System published perfect statistics. We should be using exercise as a sole weight loss method more often.

To Healthy Living!

Michael Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website

Dr. Michael Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content based website dedicated to the on-line dieter. Please visit Dr. Smith at the slow & low and learn about things like, "Your Real Dieting Problem" and "Diet Shock." Dr. Smith's site is true cutting edge material. In an internet full of weight loss "experts" it's obvious when you find a real professional -- The Diet Basics Website.

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.