?Need to Lose Weight? Diet and Exercise Go Hand in Hand
Americans are obsessed with weight loss. Maybe it is because over half of the population can be considered overweight. Maybe it is all the skinny and gorgeous celebrities we see on the TV. Either way, it seems like every other commercial, radio spot, or magazine advertisements that are for some sort of diet program. There are meal plans, there are pills, or there are shakes. Many people do not realize that diet and exercise must go hand in hand for a successful weight loss program.
The number one key to weight loss is to consume fewer calories than what your body needs a day. Unfortunately, the conception then is that all you have to do to lose weight is to eat less. However, this is not the case. The initial weight loss that you experience is often just water weight. This gives you the false impression that you are making progress with your weight loss. Starting a crash diet puts your body in “starvation mode”. Your body thinks that it is starving, since it is no longer getting the calories and nutrition it needs, so it slows down your metabolism. This means that the number of calories you burn on a given day is less. So even though you are consuming fewer calories, your body is more likely to store the few that you are consuming. This causes a plateau in your weight loss, and can cause the pounds to come back faster once you return to your normal eating practices. You might even find yourself gaining weight while still on the diet. This often holds true for the many diet pills available on the market. They work for a brief time, but without exercise the body often adjusts. On the other hand, exercise speeds up your metabolism, and the affect lasts long after the workout has completed. So more calories are being burned meaning that you can actually be burning more than you are taking in – diet success!
Another downfall to dieting without exercise is that protein is easier for the body to burn than fat. So it is a simple case of losing it if you are not using it. Muscles are comprised mainly of protein. So instead of eating away at those fat stores, your body starts to digest itself, reabsorbing precious muscle tissue. What is the result? You feel weak and terrible; yet remain fat. Exercising tells your body that you need those muscles, at which point it is forced to attack the fat stores to get the calories it needs. What is the result of that? Weight loss! Burning away the extra fat also will give you the leaner, toned look you are going for.
The stress of dieting alone can wreak havoc on your system. It can be stressful counting calories or watching what you eat when you normally just grab a candy bar. Your blood sugar may fluctuate. You can become irritable, moody, or even depressed. Exercise helps to boost energy and control stress. Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins – the “feel good” hormones. These can boost your mood and give you more confidence. The better your attitude, the more like you are to succeed. Plus, people who exercise can eat more and still lose weight. The important thing to do is to make healthy eating choices, not necessarily eat less.
Exercise has been directly linked to lowering high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and even helping to prevent diabetes and other diseases. Dieting, however, can cause a myriad of problems, particularly if the person is inclined to try crash diet after crash diet. Risk of deficiency diseases increases as you may be cutting out essential vitamins and minerals as you cut out food. You can end up with serious damage to your heart, liver, or kidneys. Long term crash dieting can also turn into dangerous eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Any of these risks could land you in the hospital needing long-term care.
Remembering to partner exercise and diet will allow you to have the most successful weight loss program possible. Remember to always speak with your doctor before starting any weight loss or exercise program. Exercise often and make healthy eating choices and you will be well on your way to a leaner, sexier you!
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