Exercise vs Diet

Which is Better for Weight Loss?

Exercise vs diet... do you change your diet or lace up your gym shoes. Is there a better choice when it comes to losing that unwanted weight? I believe most moms can barely find time to take a shower, let alone add an extra 60 minutes at the gym. Then again, trying to change food habits when you’re exhausted seems like a real chore compared to zapping speghattios. So what is going to be the most time efficient area to focus your limited attention?

Let’s Consider Exercise:

• If eating habits remain the same and you start working out, you will lose weight
• Building muscle mass increases daily calorie burn and makes weight loss easier to maintain
• Working out has psychological benefits (some individuals choose exercise over medication)
• Men can typically lose weight with just exercise, women need more
• Exercise can make you hungry, making it difficult to keep eating habits the same
• To lose weight, most individuals need to workout 5-6 times a week… is this attainable with a busy schedule?
• If you hit a weight plateau your only option would be to increase more exercise (it is hard to continue increasing exercise and it may become dangerous for your body)

Let’s Consider Diet:

• If you decrease calories from food intake, you will lose weight
• Losing weight through reducing portions and fat can often times be quicker than exercise
• Focusing on food may be less stressful than carving out time for workouts
• If you only diet, you will not get the cardiovascular or psychological benefits of exercise
• If you hit a weight plateau, the only choice you will have is to cut more calories… remember, it is important to consume enough calories in the day for your body to lose weight

Are you staring at the screen saying I’m still confused, which is it? Exercise vs diet? I’ve purposefully laid out the facts so that you can draw up your own conclusion... there is not a correct answer. Exercise vs diet should not even be a debate, the truth is that you need to combine both exercise AND diet to succeed and obtain weight loss.

Benefits of Combining Exercise AND Diet

1. Your goals can be more moderate by eliminating only a few hundred calories from food and burning off the extra calories through exercise (i.e. eat 200 less calories a day and run off 300 calories in a 30 minute jog… this would bring you to a 500 calorie deficit per day or a one pound weight loss per week)
2. Diet and exercise will create a calorie deficit and boost daily caloric burn
3. If you hit weight loss plateau’s you could increase exercise without dropping extra calories or eliminate calories without planning an extra hour at the gym

If you need a jump start for exercise and diet changes, check out our Weight Loss Tools and start setting weekly goals. Also, feel free to Just Ask if you need some expert advice!

Weight Loss Tools
Exercising after Pregnancy
Healthy Eating
Weight Loss Eating Plan

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