What has a greater impact on weight loss, diet or exercise?
This is a frequently asked question with an often-too-quick answer of, hands down, diet matters more than exercise for weight loss. Yes, you can lose weight by eating well yet being sedentary. And yes, you can gain weight by eating poorly despite exercising regularly. However, the best approach to weight loss is to not ask the question of which is better, diet or exercise. Instead, do both. Ask yourself, "What is the optimal diet plan and exercise program for me on my weight loss journey?"
Diet is calories entering your body, providing essential fuel for everything going on beneath your skin 24/7. During exercise, these calories are burned. When calories in (diet) versus calories out (exercise) are balanced, your weight is controlled. This statement is perhaps too simplistic, since not all calories are created equal and there are other factors of caloric storage and expenditure. However, the underlying concept holds true. Eat too much and your body will store excess calories as fat. Exercise too little and your body has no need to burn this excess stored fat. In other words, if you're serious about weight loss and overall health in general, include both diet and exercise in your plan.
For your diet, keep these two tips in mind: First, fill up on as many plant-based foods as possible (vegetables, fruits, healthy grains, legumes, lentils and nuts) while keeping added sugar, salt and animal-based fats to a bare minimum. Second, think super. Superfoods have above-and-beyond health benefits and even potential medical benefits. Blueberries, kale, oatmeal, avocado, black beans and chia are just a few examples of superfoods. FYI - so is dark chocolate. Every superfood you add to your daily intake potentially displaces a less desirable food choice. For example, choose a bowl of strawberries instead mindlessly inhaling a half a bag of licorice. Instead of focusing on what you shouldn't eat, concentrate on all the delicious, nutritious foods you can enjoy.
For your exercise, get help from a fitness professional so your time spent exercising is results-oriented and appropriate. Every balanced exercise program has three basic components: cardiovascular endurance, whole-body strength training, and flexibility. Each component is important for weight loss. Cardio burns carbohydrates and fat as fuel. Strength training keeps metabolism boosted for extra calories burned all day, every day. Flexibility training helps keep joints and muscles injury free, which is essential since weight loss efforts come to a halt if you're injured.
A good diet and regular exercise go hand-in-hand. Anyone willing to put the effort into healthful eating is usually interested in finding other ways to treat his or her body well, i.e. exercise. Anyone who enjoys regular exercise is also interested in fueling with good nutrition for optimum performance. Stop asking what is better for weight loss, diet or exercise. Just do both.
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Fitness Matters is the company behind TRANSFORM by moveBALL™. We're focused on high-quality exercise programs designed to make regular physical activity uncomplicated for even the busiest schedule. http://www.fitnessmattersblog.com
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