Your hardcore, sweaty workouts may be the reason you’re GAINING weight!

That’s the surprising conclusion of a study in the journal Appetite. Researchers tracked a group of people who kept a daily food journal while also doing aerobics at least three times a week.

The result? Researchers found that when participants ate a meal right after a workout, they generally consumed 24% MORE calories, compared to days when they didn’t exercise. And over time, this made people more likely to GAIN weight – no matter how intensely they exercised!

Researchers say it’s down to something we’ve talked about before: The “licensing effect.” That’s when you pat yourself on the back for doing something virtuous – like exercising – and give yourself license, or permission, to indulge in another way. In this case, people thought, because they had done aerobics, they’d earned the right to fill their plate with more food than usual!

Researchers say the problem is, with every pound you lose, your body adjusts to your “new” weight… and unless you also adjust your calorie intake, and consume fewer calories each day, you’ll have to exercise even harder just to MAINTAIN your new weight!

Bottom line: This is the latest study to confirm that when it comes to weight loss, the formula is simple – exercise more and eat less!