eat less move more

I’m sure you’ve heard others recommend eat less move more as weight loss advice, and I’m also pretty sure you’ve heard some people call it the worst advice ever cos it doesn’t really help at all.

I agree.

I agree that the mere 4 words “eat less move more” is as good as telling someone to “cheer up” when they’re feeling down. Kinda pointless. Maybe would have even been better just to say nothing at all.

But…

“Eat less move more” isn’t exactly wrong advice. So that’s what I wanna break down today. Hopefully so if some random people utter those 4 words to you that it’s not completely pointless and in some shape or form it reminds you to do what you gotta do to inch your way towards your goals.

So let’s break it down.

What does “eat less” actually mean?

“Less” doesn’t mean volume, but calories. One snicker bar is roughly 48g for 245kcal while 500g of watermelon is roughly 150kcal. If instead of eating 1 snicker bar you eat 500g of watermelon you’re actually eating more food, but less calories.

I think it’s easy to misunderstand “eat less” to being eat as little as possible physical amount of food or starve yourself where it really means the opposite. It’s totally fine to stuff yourself with high volumes of food if you’re aware of the total calories you’re consuming.

A grande cafe latte at Starbucks is 190kcal. Add a random cookie (150kcal) that’s 340kcal. Having a latte and a cookie may seem like you’re “not eating much” but it’s 340kcal which is more calories than a 6pc McNuggets (261kcal). The nuggets will definitely feel like more food and more guilt than a latte and cookie but is actually less.

If you have a habit of drinking soda or alcohol, changing the sodas to zero calorie types and cutting down on the amount of wine you drink in itself is already “eating less” even if you don’t actually change any of the foods you eat throughout the day.

“Less” means less calories consumed.

What does “move more” mean?

“More” doesn’t mean you gotta hit the gym or start jogging for hours everyday. It just means be more active in your everyday lifestyle. It could mean more steps in a day, it could be standing more, or taking the stairs whenever you get a chance.

“Move more” basically means more energy expenditure. Spend more calories. Burn more calories. Two main ways to make that happen is to increase your daily activity level as mentioned above, and/or start taking some form of exercise on a weekly basis.

Remember exercise doesn’t have to be the traditional gym or running. It can be sports, it can be a yoga, it can be dance, skateboarding, rollerblading, gymnastics, anything that makes you move more than you would without the activity.

While moving more burns calories and is great for health, it does not have the same effect for weight loss as “eat less” does. Out of the two, “eat less” is way more important than “move more”.

You could “eat less” and “move less” and still lose weight. But if you “eat more” and “move more” there’s a high chance you’ll actually gain weight. “Moving” isn’t key to losing weight, “eating” is. It’s possible to make progress practicing “eat less” alone while the opposite is quite unlikely.

I hope with this breakdown the next time you hear “eat less move more” it reminds you what’s important for your journey and to make sure you’re on track!

Till the next one~