While exercising is necessary when it comes to your health, according to health and weight loss experts, it is actually diet which is more effective than exercising for pronounced weight loss. So, although exercising on a regular basis is great for your health and it can help you lose some weight, the most important ingredient for successful weight loss is actually a proper diet. Here are the main reasons why diet is more effective than exercising if you want to lose weight.
1. Exercise Constitutes a Small Part of Your Daily Calorie Burn
What you might not be aware of is that working out makes up for only a small portion of your daily calorie burn. In other words, when you exercise, the additional calories that you burn only constitute a small part of your entire energy expenditure. Basically, energy expenditure is made up of three key components, which are:
• Your basal metabolic rate - that is energy used when your body is at rest for basic functioning.
• Energy used for breaking down food.
• Energy used during physical activity.
It is important to note that you don't have a lot of control over your basal metabolic rate, when it fact it accounts for the largest percentage of your total energy expenditure. For most people, 60 to 80 percent of their energy expenditure is constituted by the basal metabolic rate. Simply put, most of your energy is used when your body is at rest. And, digesting food makes up for roughly 10 percent of your entire energy expenditure.
What that means is that physical activity constitutes only about 10 to 30 percent of your energy expenditure. And, of that 10 to 30 percent, exercise is just a subcategory because physical activity is not just going to the gym or going for a jog, it includes other things such as walking around the home or something as simple as fidgeting.
2. Exercising Increases Appetite
Based on research, exercising increases your metabolism and appetite. This is something that most people can attest to. Before you decide to hit the gym on a regular basis, especially if you plan on engaging in intense workouts, you have to be prepared to deal with the increased appetite that you will most likely experience. An intense exercise routine normally results in increased calorie intake which can negate the effect of your workouts over time.
To prevent this, make sure that you limit your diet at the beginning of your weight loss program. That way, you can optimize the effect of your workouts. As you begin your weight loss drive and change your eating habits, it is important to bear in mind that feeling hungry is going to be part of the process. The road ahead of you will not be easy as you try to balance the frequency or intensity of your workouts and your dietary habits.
However, many people have had a lot of success losing weight, and you can too. If you find that you are struggling when it comes to balancing your calorie intake and the intensity of your exercises, you can always turn to the professionals who specialize in weight management such as dieticians and personal trainers.
3. The Fuel Source Which Drives Exercise is Food
If you have plans to start a weight loss program, it is important from the onset to understand the relationship that exists between exercise and food. The fact is that the food you eat provides the fuel that drives exercise. You require the right amount of calories, energy and nutrients in order to workout effectively and shed the extra pounds.
Since food is the fuel source for your workouts, make sure that you fuel your body with the correct foods if you want to boost your energy levels. For instance, eating foods that are sources of natural energy such as lean white meats and bananas can help you to attain your fitness goals and lose weight.
Studies have shown that diet is more important than exercising if you want to lose weight effectively and consistently. That is not to say that you should not exercise if you want to shed the extra weight. It simply means that you should pay more attention to what you eat than how much you exercise. Exercising is something that should be done regularly whether you want to lose weight or not because it is great for your health. But, if losing weight is what you desire, focus more on your diet.