Via Vox: Why you shouldn’t exercise to lose weight, explained with 60+ studies by Julia Belluz and Javier Zarracina on April 28, 2016 – Exercise is excellent and critical for maintaining good health, but eating less is the key to maintaining a weight ideal for you. It is not one or the other – an hour of exercise is not a replacement for overeating. Calories burned by regular exercise are normally exceeded by calories consumed before and after exercise. So keep exercising, enjoy your exercise, make it part of your daily life, and eat a balanced, nutritional diet.