Wherever you look these days you can spot any number of people with some type of activity tracker. They’re so trendy and alert the world that “you are in-fact getting your steps in” for the day ☺
Heck, there are even famous designers creating bedazzled watchbands to keep the fashionistas….well, fashionable.
The interesting part though, about wearing an activity tracker, is that studies are showing that while people are moving more, they are also changing their behaviors when they’re not moving. Because exercise accelerates the metabolism, appetites are also increasing. And the results are showing researchers that people are tending to take in more calories than they believe they are burning, and weight loss is stalling. Because exercise alone is not efficient at progressive weight loss, activity trackers are somewhat sabotaging their wearers over time.
A study by Vanderbilt University and other institutions uncovered that initially activity tracker wearers showed a spike in their daily energy expenditure, according to metabolic measures, which makes sense, because they added exercise to their lives. But those in the study did not change their eating habits.
The study also revealed that the normal daily movement, that previously added to caloric expenditure, slowed down and while intentional exercise increased, so did the appetite and consumption of calories.
These changes managed to almost counteract the extra calorie expenditures, says Daniel Lark, a research fellow in molecular physiology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who led the study.
In closing, what the study revealed is somewhat frustrating, but also quite enlightening. Activity trackers not only look great on your arm and ensure you’re getting more active, but they are also just one part of the equation. Establishing what and how much one needs to consume for food, to reach the intended goal is essential to master. Without these two parts to one equation, there is no way to establish the best course to reach the intended goal.
Move more, eat right and reach the goal.
It’s a simple formula and quite a scientifically proven formula at that!
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