2 Apr, 2012

Diet vs Exercise Facts

Posted by Stacy

Weight loss is perhaps one topic that occupies the minds of millions around the globe. People can be heard talking about losing weight to friends and colleagues. Losing weight gets you compliments and turns into a cause of happiness and celebration for you. The significance this aspect of our lives enjoys also gives way to confusion on the strategies that work and the ones that fail. Businesses thrive on people’s obsession with weight loss with each one prescribing a different strategy in the form of a diet, a food product or an exercise equipment to take away all your worries by serving as a panacea for all your weight loss problems.

If a single solution could have worked the best for everyone, most people would have known by now and the problem of an increased weight would have ceased to exist. Here’s how you can make an attempt at achieving the perfect weight for your body.

1. Balance good diet with exercise

This combination holds a better success ratio than the use of only dieting or exercise as the weight loss strategy. Exercise regularly. Include cardio as well as strength building exercises. Seek your trainer’s advice on building the perfect exercise regimen to cut the flab. Balance your diet in accordance to your workout. Ensure that you consume less than the calories you burn.

2. Follow a routine and stick to it

Results come gradually for the strategies you implement. The methodologies that yield quick results do not prove to be of any help in keeping the weight levels low once you lose excess weight. Gradually working towards your goals with a balanced diet and regular exercise helps you manage your weight better. Take a long term approach.

3. Be realistic

Exercising for more hours than what your fitness levels permit or keeping off food for a few days is unlikely to help your cause. If anything, these tactics delay your attempts at getting fit. Know your goals and take a step by step approach to achieve your goals.

4. Do not starve yourself

Not taking a good diet leaves you without any energy for a workout. As a result your exercise regimen suffers. It is important to take fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in appropriate amounts to keep healthy. Even while you follow a low carb diet, make sure that your body gets the minimum amount of calories you need. Do not cut down on carbohydrates drastically in favor of proteins. In the long term it may trigger ketosis, which has the potential to damage your kidneys.

5. Build on your efforts gradually

Make your exercise regimen more stringent over a period of time. Begin in your comfort zone and move ahead slowly to push and expand your limits.

An effort is not enough. The effort needs to be well directed to achieve the desired results. A combination of diet and exercise can do the trick for you in not just helping you lose and maintain your weight but also to increase your fitness levels. Fitness is not just about appropriate body weight. There is more to it. Exercise in combination with a controlled diet is just the right prescription for being and staying healthy.

About the author: Margaret is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on environment and hometone. She recently did an article on living green. These days she is busy in writing an article on small living room ideas.