The common belief that exercise increases metabolism is untrue. Since exercise does not increase the body’s ability to burn fat after a workout, there must be more to weight loss than regular exercise. Caloric intake, taken from food eaten throughout the day holds just as much importance in losing and maintaining a healthy weight as does exercise.

A person who replaces the calories they burn while exercising by eating more is in all truth no better off than someone who did not exercise, at least in regard to weight loss. Exercise does not lead to the burning of excess calories after a workout. However, some experts still suggest that longer and harder workouts combined with a greater variety of exercise can lead to a better post-workout fat burn.

However, the #1 secret to weight loss comes down to simple math: a person has to burn more calories than they intake to loss weight. In order to loss a pound a pound of fat, a person has to lose 3,500 calories, whether by exercise, diet or both. For example, by reducing caloric intake by 500 calories a day through exercise or diet, a person can lose a pound a week. Once weight does come off it is a matter of maintaining a healthy lifestyle by eating well and exercising regularly. Of course, some people may require more exercise than others in order to keep the weight off.