“What the heck…I’ll have the cheeseburger. And the fries. And a large soda. I’ll burn it off in my workout tomorrow!” This fun poster shows that these kinds of food choices can’t be undone with exercise…unless you’re going to hit the elliptical for three or more hours.

The answer to weight control is making healthier choices now and eating fewer calories now, not trying to make up for overeating later. People will love the cute fork, which looks like it will wear out those running shoes before it even comes close to burning off the greasy fast food and giant sugary soda!

Eating fewer calories is a more successful approach to weight control than trying to burn excess calories.

• It is hard for most people to fit 1 or more hours of exercise in a day
• The more you exercise, the more you eat, (although exercise is important for your physical health)
• Researchers in one study found that there is no significant difference in calories burned daily between sedentary and active people.
• The people with the lower weight keep hunger at bay at a much lower calorie cost by eating a high-fiber diet that is low in processed foods.

(Luke A, Dugas LR, Ebersole K, et al. Energy expenditure does not predict weight change in either Nigerian or African American women. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:169-76)

This poster would go great in a cafeteria, classroom, wellness fair, or office. It is a lighthearted reminder that a high fiber diet is always the tool of choice for achieving and sustaining a healthful weigh.

Lessons from the You Can’t Outrun Your Fork post:

-The more successful approach to weight control is to eat fewer calories.

-Trying to compensate for overeating with calorie-burning exercise isn’t realistic, especially when most people struggle to fit in an hour or more of exercise a day.

-Over-exercising can backfire when it makes you hungrier and you eat more.

-It takes three or more hours of exercise to burn off 500 excess calories.