DIET ONLY OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ONLY OR BOTH??

Why Is Diet So Important?

The key to lose weight is to achieve a negative energy balance. Energy balance is created when the energy input (what we consume) and energy output (what we lose thru sweat, urine, breathing, etc...) is balanced.
A negative energy balance is therefore achieved when we eat less and we lose more ending up losing weight.
While on the contrary, if we eat more and lose less, we will end up gaining weight.
It is all a game of balance. The one who balances correctly is able to maintain a good health while any misbalances can lead to weight gain or loss.

The Thumb Rule Is Simple!

To lose 0.5 kg weekly: minus 500 kcal from total daily calorie intake
To gain 0.5 kg weekly: add 500 kg to your total daily calorie intake
The reason dieting is so much more effective than exercise is because it takes a lot of activity to create a 500 to 700 calorie deficit exclusively through working out. This would mean to run 7 to 10 miles a day to lose 0.4 kg a week (Lofton; 2005). The average person cannot follow such a routine without increasing their caloric intake exponentially.
To follow an 80:20 ratio of diet to physical activity is not the ultimate goal. However try to focus on primarily on diet along with regular exercise.

Why Sweating Is Still Vital

Sweating aids in burning the excess calories; however it does not necessarily mean you should trade your 60-minute boot camp class for one hour of meal prepping instead.
It is much easier to cut down 500 calories through diet alone than to burn 500 calories through exercise. Nevertheless, when you combine an exercise with a healthy diet, there are less dramatic changes to be made.
For example, instead of eliminating 500 calories by painstakingly striking all dairy products from your diet, you could burn 250 calories at the gym and then cut another 250 calories just by skipping your nightly bowl of ice cream.

What is the solution then?

• A combination of diet and exercise is best at any stage of weight loss.
• Exercise should be a mix of strength training and cardiovascular training, not just cardio. Both modes of exercise burn calories and, in turn, lead to stored fat being used as a source of energy.”
• The body tends to resist weight loss when you start eating less, which can lead to a plateau. This is called as starvation mode which happens to everybody who successfully sheds pounds. When you lose weight, you actually slow you’re your metabolism but you can speed it up by working out especially by strength training.