Is exercise enough to lose weight?

Almost every one of us is probably in the situation from time to time that we no longer feel completely comfortable in our own bodies and would like to get rid of a few kilos. Since it is not easy for anyone to change their diet from one day to the next or to forgo the beloved bar of chocolate or bag of chips, some people ask the following question: Is exercise alone enough to lose weight?

To answer this question, you need to take a closer look at how the body works and shed some light on some topics. Accordingly, in the course of this blog post, we will take a closer look not only at the importance of sport , but also at sports nutrition . Of course, there are also tips and tricks that make losing weight easier than you thought.

Why is exercise good for the body?

As is well known, sport is not only supposed to help with weight loss, but also has a variety of advantages. In this way, it not only helps you get closer to your feel-good figure, but also initiates a series of physiological adjustments.

Accordingly, you get your circulation going , strengthen your immune system at the same time, and are more efficient both in sports and in everyday life. However, what exercise alone cannot achieve is weight loss . This is primarily due to a certain mechanism in the body – the calorie balance.

How do I calculate my calorie needs?

The calorie balance serves as the basis for calculating your daily calorie requirement. It consists of the following components:

The formula for your daily calorie requirement looks like this:

Basal metabolic rate + power turnover = daily requirement

Now that you know your daily requirement, all you have to do is compare it to your calorie intake. As long as you are now in a calorie deficit – i.e., eating fewer calories than you need – you will usually lose weight . So much for theory. In practice, however, this means one thing above all – track, track, and track again. And do a little math.

Therefore, it is not surprising that very few people maintain this diet over a longer period of time. While you may tend to control your calorie intake better if you track it regularly, who wants to spend hours counting calories?

Counting calories – does it have to be?

We have a question for you: Have you ever seen an animal in the wild that was overweight? Except for the overfed neighboring cat, probably not. This is for a simple reason. Every living being – yes, even humans – has a mechanism that sends out signals when we are full.

However, many people have forgotten how to perceive their body's signals. We will explain how you can rebuild confidence in your body and prevent possible food cravings using the following life hacks:

4 Simple Tips to Fight Cravings

1. Be sure to drink enough

Many people mistakenly confuse hunger with thirst. This may sound unusual, but it's the rule rather than the exception. The reason for this is, among other things, that your stomach cannot distinguish between solid and liquid food. Thus, drinking enough water can prevent possible food cravings.

2. Consciously take time to eat

If you consciously take your time and enjoy every single bite of your meal, you can not only take pace out of everyday life, but also listen more to your body and its signals. Of course, this only works if you can actually enjoy your food.

For breakfast, we recommend our cereal porridge, as it not only keeps you full for a long time, but also tastes delicious. And isn't it wonderful to start the day with a fruity, warm porridge ?

3. Incorporate healthy satiety into your diet

In addition, healthy fillers with a high fiber content, such as oats or various seeds ( chia seeds , flax seeds, etc.) can ensure that you feel sufficiently satiated despite smaller portions. It is particularly easy to integrate such superfoods in the form of toppings for your yogurt or fruit bowl. But our porridges are also rich in fiber and help you start the day full of energy.

Fiber and satiety: The effects of oats on satiety. ^​1​

4. Choose healthy snacks for between meals

For many people, snacks during a diet are a taboo – but it doesn't have to be! It is important that these are foods with a high nutrient density. Because if you only eat "empty" calories, you will struggle with weight loss. Nuts are particularly suitable as a snack, as they not only provide valuable nutrients, but also contribute to long-lasting satiety. At Verival, we not only pay attention to a balanced distribution of the types of nuts in our nut blends, but also combine them with dried fruits to create a unique taste experience.

Do you already know your BMI value?

With the Verival BMI calculator , you can easily and quickly calculate your BMI. It does not matter whether you want to lose weight, just want to do something for your health, or are currently engaged in muscle-building training. The Body Mass Index is often the first measurement that shows you whether you have your body weight under control.

Here you can calculate your body size index in a few seconds and find out the background to this value.

The role of nutrition in weight loss

As we found out earlier, the calorie deficit is essential for successful weight loss. Since the body is now "fed" with fewer calories than it consumes throughout the day, it is particularly important to resort to nutrient-rich foods.

Especially foods with a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are important during a calorie deficit . But a variety of vital micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) should also be present in as many of your daily meals as possible.

This is particularly easy with the products from our Porridge range. Because oatmeal is a great nutrient supplier – not only because of the almost perfect ratio of macronutrients, but also because it provides many necessary vitamins, phytochemicals, and other micronutrients thanks to the freeze-dried fruits and berries .

Did you know? A study by the European Food Safety Authority – EFSA states “Oats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels with beta-glucan. Lowering blood cholesterol can reduce the risk of (coronary) heart disease.” ^2​

The role of sport in weight loss

Now that we have dealt in detail with the topic of nutrition, we should get back to the origin of the blog post – sport. Even if exercise alone does not lead to weight loss, it can still play into our hands in various ways. In this way, we not only burn calories during the training itself, but can also increase our daily requirements in the long term. This happens especially when we convert our adipose tissue into muscle mass.

Regular strength training can work wonders here, as muscle tissue requires more energy compared to fat tissue and thus increases the basal metabolic rate. If you want to build muscle, you need plenty of protein. That is why we attach particular importance to a sufficient, but purely plant-based protein content in our Verival Sport Range to support you in your sporting ambitions in the best possible way.

However, if

But whether jogging, hiking, racing, climbing, or weightlifting is your favorite, do what you love. The goal should be to integrate exercise into everyday life, as sport – as we have already noted – can not only help you lose weight, but can also have many other positive effects on your body and your life.

Exercise in everyday life

Even though the above-mentioned sports bring many advantages – the inner sloth is sometimes stronger. But don't worry, there are also a variety of ways for "anti-athletes" to increase the daily requirement without having to sweat in the gym.

For example, instead of the escalator, good old steps can be used as a training tool. Instead of waiting for the bus, you can simply walk to one or the other station. Or on warm spring days, you can choose to take the bike instead of the car – this is not only good for the body, but also for the environment!

Through all these additional everyday activities, calorie consumption can increase significantly and thus mean a little more freedom for the diet. Of course, you can also reward yourself appropriately for these achievements – how about, for example, our berry crunchy as a dessert? 😉