Why Diet and Exercise Should Go Hand in Hand for Weight Loss

Making the decision to get into the best shape of your life is about more than just diet and exercise-it’s a lifestyle change.

But this type of change must begin with the fundamentals of any healthy lifestyle, and that is diet and exercise. The two go together like partners in crime, inseparable besties, avocado toast, peanut butter and jelly… you get the drift!

Quite simply, you will not be able to achieve your weight loss goals without each one. But how does this work? We break it down for you in this blog.

Diet and Exercise: The Ultimate Duo for Weight Loss

Weight loss is defined by one simple rule: your calorie intake versus energy expenditure.

Simply put, if you are consuming more calories in a day than you are burning through energy expenditure, you will not lose weight.

It also works transversely-if you are burning more energy throughout the day versus your calorie intake, you will lose weight.

Sounds simple enough, right?

The principle is simple, but it also depends on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you have to lose, what you eat and the type of exercise you do.

But the basic gist is that you cannot enter a 9 week challenge to build up your fitness and lose weight but eat whatever you want during this time. The reality is that your body will plateau, and you won’t meet your weight loss goals.

There Is No Magic Pill

Ever been tempted by weight loss pills, shakes, lollipops or even injectables?

Sure, they may work as a short-term weight loss solution, but they are not a solution for long-term, sustainable weight loss with lasting effects.

At the end of the day, you want to lose weight and keep it off. What good is putting in hard work for 8 weeks only for it unravel after you’ve finished your fad diet or round of diet pills?

The reality is that there is no such thing as a shortcut to losing weight and keeping the weight off. It’s all about exercise and diet and striking a healthy balance between the two.

You Can’t Out-Exercise Unhealthy Eating

If you’re a workout junkie and hit the gym 5-6 days a week but fail to maintain a healthy calorie intake, you won’t see weight loss results.

If anything, you may see an initial shift in weight, but your body will soon begin to plateau and the weight loss will subside.

Not only is this based on the same principle outlined earlier, but it’s also a huge talking point on many of the most trusted weight loss blogs and nutrition sites: calorie intake versus energy expenditure. It’s that simple.

On the other hand, if your calorie intake is too low and your energy expenditure too high, this is not healthy either. You could lose weight too quickly, and as soon as you begin to slow down, you will notice a steady weight gain.

The key to diet and exercise for weight loss is striking a healthy balance that is easy to maintain and fit into your lifestyle.

Ultimately, you need to focus on weight loss as a long-term goal and not a short-term solution. This is how pounds are shed and kept off!

Establishing a Well-Balanced Diet

Want to know a shocking statistic that most people would hate to believe is the truth? Your diet accounts for 70-80% of your weight loss progress.

This means that only 20-30% of the exercise you do will contribute to how much weight you lose. We get it, this may sound contradictory to what we’ve been saying all along.

But this all depends on the amount of weight you have to lose. If you have a lot of body fat to lose, diet alone will move most of this weight. But exercise is what helps to support your weight loss when it comes to those last few stubborn pounds.

Along with this, exercise supports weight loss by boosting your mood, energy levels and helping you to sleep better. These are all benefits when it comes to shifting those pounds.

On the flip side, if you aren’t eating enough, starving yourself and obsessively exercising, this can send your body into ”survival mode”. Here your body will naturally store whatever you feed it as fat-a way to protect itself from future starvation. By doing this, you will not lose much weight either.

Once again, it all comes down to balance.

To achieve your weight loss goals, you’ll need to establish a healthy eating routine, complemented by exercise. Some of the most effective diet plans for weight loss include the following.

1. The Slow Carb Diet

The slow carb diet concentrates on avoiding foods that promote fat storage, instead focusing on rapidly burning up fat stores.

With this diet, you are encouraged to eat plenty of lean meats, legumes, fresh vegetables and some fruits. The key is to avoid food sources high in sugar, such as processed foods, soft drinks, some fruits and unrefined carbohydrates.

Allow yourself one cheat day a week where you can indulge in your favorite treat or meal.

2. The Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is a little stricter in terms of food sources and is based on the premise of what our cavemen ancestors used to eat.

Basically, this means you should base your diet largely around lean and fatty meats, fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, seeds and healthy fats. While on this diet, you should try and avoid dairy, grains, processed foods high in sugar, legumes, starchy foods and alcohol.

This diet is a little more extreme but is proven to deliver incredible weight loss results over time.

Establishing a Healthy Work Out Routine

To complement a healthy, well-a balance diet, you need to incorporate an achievable workout regime which fits into your lifestyle.

Over-exhausting yourself in the gym every day of the week is not the best way to go about achieving your weight loss goals. Your body will eventually burn out and switch into ”survival mode”.

Begin with exercising 3 days per week for approximately 30-minutes at a time. Make sure to get your heart rate up at a consistent pace to ramp up your energy expenditure.

Strength training is a great way to begin your exercise journey, burn calories and build up your muscle mass.

Reach Your Goal Weight With Wellness Info

Everyone needs a helping hand every now and then, and that’s what we’re here for! Find the diet and exercise advice you need with Wellness Info, your go-to portal of knowledge.

Make sure you check out our health blog for tips and tricks that’ll help you reach your ultimate goal weight and live your best life.

 

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