Count your steps. Hit the gym. Bike to work. If you’ve tried to lose weight, you know it’s important to get moving. But with all our emphasis on working out to “burn off” what we eat, experts say we’ve missed the real problem: What we eat.
“There’s a persistent myth that you can exercise your calories away,” Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian and the cofounder of Dietitians for Professional Integrity, told Business Insider. In reality, while getting active is important for your mood and overall wellbeing, it generally does not result in rapid weight loss. On the other hand, successfully changing your diet might.
Dietary changes are especially important at the beginning of any new weight loss plan, Bellatti said, since people who are trying to lose weight by dedicating hours each day to exercise may get discouraged when the pounds don’t magically melt off. Instead, it’s better to focus on making gradual changes to your diet, such as eating more vegetables and cutting back on refined carbohydrates.
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