Beyond just boosting caloric expenditure and tempering appetite, exercise supports weight loss in several other ways. Resistance training helps maintain and build lean body mass as muscles and bone, sustaining both functionality and metabolic rate, according to new research by Gallagher and her colleagues. Metabolic rate tends to decline after weight loss, and overweight people may have impaired metabolism, exacerbated by the fact that fat is not metabolically active, while lean body mass is, says Gallagher. With a severe diet, in which a large chunk of weight is lost quickly, more lean tissue is lost, Fisher explains, thus lowering the rate of metabolism. Some Fat Worse Differing from subcutaneous adipose, that dimpling fat just under the skin, the visceral fat around the middle, surrounding the organs, is the most ominous for health.
Cumulative exercise is okay, but fat oxidation is best if exercise is continuous.
Exercise also has psychological benefits, she notes, particularly sense of control and reduction of stress. And much of binge eating is prompted by stress. Many overweight people eat impulsively, without planning. Keeping a diary of food consumed and physical activity also helps, he says. If lean body mass goes up, body weight resets at a leaner level.