Like many of my fellow foodies, I suffer from chronic hungriness.
This is particularly problematic for me because I happen to be pretty petite.
Yep, when you're only 5 feet 3 inches tall, you don't have much room on your body to store extra "flu," so, unfortunately, your figure tends to experience weight fluctuations incredibly fast.
As a result of this, my life has basically turned into a constant struggle between wanting to stuff my face with all of my favorite foods and not wanting to get fat.
Not to mention, I've also become extremely envious of tall people because they can eat way more than the pitiful amount of calories I'm forced to consume on daily basis.
If you're one of the many people who wishes you could eat whatever the hell you want without gaining weight, I have some good pretty amazing news for you.
It turns out that you don't have to spend the holiday season counting calories and avoiding grandma's infamous pumpkin pie like the plague.
Science just confirmed that you can eat whatever your hungry heart desires without turning into a whale as long as you hit the gym on the reg.
That's right. A new study from the University of Michigan just revealed consistent exercise can protect you from the negative consequences of up to one week of overeating.
Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, finding out that you can stuff your face without gaining weight couldn't have come at a better time.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, this news couldn't have come at a better time.
For the study, researchers asked one group of adults to continue their workout regiment of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise at least six days a week while increasing their daily calorie intake by 30 percent for one week.
The researchers asked a second group of adults to skip out on the gym altogether while increasing their increase their calorie intake by the same 30 percent for a week.
It should come as no surprise the group of adults who overate without exercising gained fat and exhibited markers for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
However, the group that continued their exercise routine, on the other hand, didn't suffer the same fattening fat.
Yep, the researchers found that those who maintained a moderate activity level kept their svelte shape because the exercise essentially acted as a shield that protected fat tissue from changes in fat metabolism and inflammation.
Now, before you frantically run to the nearest grocery store and buy a lifetime supply of Nutella and frozen pizzas, there are some things you need to know about pigging out without making yourself look like an actual pig IRL.
Unfortunately, this glorious fat fighting phenomenon only works for a limited amount of time, so you have to keep your eating binges relatively brief.
If you want to go on a one-day see-food diet (you know, that diet where you see food and you eat it) that's perfectly fine. But you can't cram endless amounts of junk food in your mouth for a month and expect to stay skinny.
I know. Life can be so unfair sometimes. *Sigh*
You should also keep in mind that the more consistently you work out, the better your body will be protected from those extra calories.
This means that kicking up your workout routine now can really help to ward off the extra pounds during the holiday eating season.
So yeah, if you want to eat your heart out without having to hide your post-holiday bod in a sweater all winter long, you might want to make time for some extra gym sessions this month.
Citations: It's OK to Overeat (as Long as You Exercise), Says New Study (Shape), Exercise may shield against the health fallout of a weeklong overindulgence (Science Daily)
