It is not uncommon for people to exercise for months or even years and still look quizzically down at their stomachs, which hold stubborn folds of fat that do not go away despite their efforts.

A recently study attempted to find the reason for this apparent lack of effectiveness in exercise. Louisiana State University researchers divided 464 overweight female participants into four groups, asking each group to engage in different amounts of exercise ranging from 194 minutes per week to none at all. They were asked to keep the same eating habits.

The researchers found that while exercise did burn more calories in the highest-intensity group, those calories are quickly replaced by post-exercise snacking. Some ate because the exercise made them hungry, while others were rewarding themselves for a job well done. Because of these snacking sessions, there were only nominal weight loss differences in the exercise-intensive groups and the no exercise group.

Rudolf Berthoud, a doctor at LSU, told Time Magazine that he thinks that the solution is not in more intense exercise sessions, but in lots of low intensity exercise – things like taking stairs instead of elevators or raking instead of using a leaf-blower – throughout the day. Such behavior does not create the sense of entitlement to food or the hunger brought on by intense workouts, and it has a less damaging effect on joints and muscles.

High protein foods can also be used to ensure minimal calorie consumption that will stimulate the metabolism. Supplements that contain alfalfa can be a good low-calorie source of protein.