Diet vs Exercise - Which is Better for Losing Weight?

So, you have decided you want to lose a few pounds and you are wondering what the most effective way to go about it is.  Should you diet, or should you exercise?  Let’s take a look at both of these methods for losing weight to determine which is more effective.

The Case for Exercise

There is an old adage that says, “You cannot out run your diet”, meaning that if you have a really bad diet, you cannot do enough exercise to make up for it.

That said, exercise can play a crucial role in helping you lose weight, and an even more important role in your long-term health and having a healthy-looking body once the weight is gone.

Cardiovascular exercise like running or biking can keep your heart health and burn fat.  Weight training builds muscle and bone density.  A few extra pounds of muscle has been shown to increase your metabolism over the long-term, helping you to burn even more fat.

One of the hidden benefits of a little extra muscle, for both men and women, is that it makes you look lean and strong.  So not only will you feel great, you will look great as well.

The Case for Your Diet

If you want to lose weight, 80% of your results are going to come from the kitchen.  Eating a healthy diet, day after day, will help you lose the excess weight you might be carrying around today.  Here are a couple of easy things you can do to lose weight quickly…

• Stop drinking sugary drinks like soda.  Just one sugar laden soda per day can add a ton of sugar, and weight, to your diet over the course of the year.  Switch the soda for a cold class of water with lemon and watch the weight start coming off.
• Cut out processed foods such as fast foods and packaged foods like mac ‘n cheese.  These foods are chocked full of fat producing sugars, trans fats and high glycemic carbs.  Switch these out for natural vegetable, fruits and nuts.
• Watch your portion sizes.  A good rule of thumb when meal planning is to take ½ of a 9-inch plate and fill it with fresh vegetables.  One quarter should have a lean source of protein and one quarter should have a health, slow burring carb like quinoa.

Combining Diet and Exercise

If you really want to supercharge your weight loss results, combine these diet tips with a well-designed cardo and weight training routines.  These will work together to help you lose weight and build muscle for that body you have always wanted.

Not sure how to get started?  At Compass Chiropractic, your Algonquin, IL Chiropractor we can help you design a custom diet and exercise program that works with your lifestyle.

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