08/24/2025
Why Diet Beats Exercise for Weight Loss Efficiency
Weight loss only occurs in the presence of a calorie deficit, which means that someone is regularly burning more calories than they are consuming. The specifics are a little bit more complicated. Let's draw a parallel with golf.
In golf, on a single hole, three terrible shots can be overcome by one excellent shot.Weight loss is unfortunately the opposite. An individual can eat healthy, low-calorie food for 80% of the time, but there could be 20% where over-consumption erases the calorie deficit and then weight loss does not occur.
To say this another way, 5-6 days of healthy eating can be overcome by 1 day of dramatic calorie excess.The situation is not fair, but in order for us to try to have success, we need to first start to understand it better.
While exercise is the most important intervention for maximizing health, it is not the most efficient means to achieve a calorie deficit. That's because any of us can eat in 60 secondswhat it would take more than 60 minutes of vigorous exercise to burn off.
To sum up, be mindful of food choices and calorie content. Choose lower-calorie alternatives according to your preferences when you can find them.
You can reduce consumption during meals by drinking an 8-16-ounce glass of water beforehand, and you should prioritize protein during meals in order to crowd out room from calories rich in carbohydrates and fats that can be consumed in much greater volumes relative to protein.
Pay attention to snacks, sodas, and juices. These tend to be addictive, not very filling, and very high in calories.
We all deviate from our goals and none of us are perfect, but modest dietary changes can lead to significant progress when performed with some consistency.
Eugene J. Lucas, MD
DISCLOSURES August 14, 2025
