It has been an on-going debate upon which is more important than which: diet or exercise? Which helps build a better body? Which helps you lose weight?
Many people tend to obsessively focus on dieting when trying to lose weight, especially with a goal number in mind but that doesn’t necessarily make you healthy. Other than looking great, you also have to feel great. While losing fat can be achieved by dieting, losing muscle is also a problem you’ll face in the long run. You could be eating healthy and still be physically weak.
Same is true for exercising alone. Exercising usually uses your energy to burn calories, but if you don’t overhaul your bad eating habits, not much will change. You can be working everyday to burn those calories but still be consuming them back right after. This is a harder habit to break than most. Also, know that some parts of your body could need more conditioning than others. If you don’t feel great, what’s really the point in looking great? You’ll know you’ve found the appropriate routine for you when you actually look forward to it, rather than dread it.
So, let’s weigh it out, shall we?
DIETING
Rule of thumb is that diet makes up 75% of your weight loss success, while exercise makes up only 25%. There are about a couple hundred different diets out there for you to try. It is normally a common recommendation to “just eat healthy”, but really, what is healthy for you? Again, listen to your body. Dieting doesn’t mean depriving yourself of all the food you love, it just means cutting out more bad, processed food than good. Even if certain diets are different from others, fried and processed food is the common enemy, no matter where you look. Others also advice to cut down on sugar. It is so much easier to just cut down on your calories than burn them, making you achieve results in a shorter period of time.
But eating smart shouldn’t feel like a chore. Be sure to keep it balanced, not having more of one thing than the other. Counting calories is a popular option for weight loss, but not necessarily the healthiest. Counting calories mentally seems more restrictive, as you have to remind yourself to eat only a certain amount. Cutting calories too low can also slow your metabolism, which makes you lose muscle mass. Experts say the healthy caloric count for the average woman is a minimum of 1500 calories per day.
Studies find that indulging in the popular calorie-laden diets and having one type of food more than others are not nearly as effective as eating whole foods. Keep this in mind when figuring out which diet really works the most effectively for you. You’ve heard it before: You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
EXERCISE
Being active is a necessary component to any fitness goals, no matter what they may be. Exercise can benefit you in so many ways. Building a better body to reducing your risks to a multitude of sicknesses. Not to mention, you’ll sleep better and see a change in your overall outlook, because of the release and reduce of stress while working out. They also prevent you from suffering cardiovascular-related emergencies in the long run.
Exercise does not only burn the fat, it also turns it into muscle. Just make sure that you consistently keep up your routine. It’s easy to find time for something you love doing, and even just doing 50-75 minutes of exercise per week is proven to give you the results you may be looking for. Consistency is key, as it also increases your endurance and stamina, making it easier for you to do the exercises. Exercises, in general, can be quite challenging when you’re not used to them, but once you are able to endure them, they makes you excited to do more. Depending on the exercises you choose to do, your consistency is really what will give you your desired result. Working out can prove to be quite hard at first, but overtime, it will turn into something you crave. All that pent up anger, frustration, sadness, stress, any negative emotion can be turned into fuel for you to sweat it all out and develop a healthy habit.
Muscle generally takes up less space because of its density, therefore making your clothes fit better and you look leaner, too! How exciting it is to finally have your pants zip up easily, and to be able to wear the clothes you were always so hesitant about wearing before. A body you worked hard for gives you a confidence boost like no other. YOU DID THAT. You really did that.
Fact of the matter is, there isn’t one without the other. They are a tag team, working hand-in-hand to give you the results you want to achieve the most. Listen to your body and try to pinpoint which areas you need the most help in, or which areas you desire to target. Remember that one size does not fit all when it comes to developing a fitness routine and meal plan that works. What may work for you may not work for others, and vice versa.
The most important thing in all of this is your control of your mindset. Often, we find ourselves comparing our results to others and that may be unhealthy, even detrimental to your own health. All of us have a body weight goal and physique we have in mind, but sometimes we have to remember that we aren’t necessarily built the same way that the people we’re comparing ourselves to are. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done while you’re at it! You’re doing the best you can for a better you.
