Exercise
It's a pretty well known fact that most people who try to lose weight try to do so through their diet alone. While this is a great way to lose weight, exercise helps you to tone up your body and get in shape to look good.
Also, just dieting to lose weight in the short term can often have the effect that weight comes back again as soon as the diet is completed and normal eating is resumed.
That is something most people don't want, but it happens and it happens for a very good reason, as we shall see.
Exercise and Diet
When you restrict your calorie intake through one of the popular diets, or cut out certain food groups as favored by some diets such as Atkins, you force your body to adapt to the new regime and obtain its energy source from its store of fat.
If you only do this through diet and do not include any form of exercise or work in the equation, then this works for a while until an equilibrium is reached. Then you will not lose any more weight because you reach a balance between the calorie count coming in and the level being burned by your normal bodily functions.
You will only get so thin through diet unless you keep reducing the amount you eat. This will eventually lead to malnutrition and be dangerous to your health. Muscle density gets lower and eventually they will become emancipated.
Exercise Builds Muscles
A far better way to lose weight is by combining a healthy diet with regular exercise. Exercise when done is sufficient amounts causes the body to demand more energy which must be supplied, first from the food intake and when that is all used, then from the store of fat.
If you continue with a stable diet and calorie intake along with a moderate daily exercise routine, you will get to the stage where muscle density is greater and the body's ability to burn energy is much more efficient. Metabolism is increased and energy levels are high, enabling you to exercise more and feel good for doing it.
A stage will be reached where you will have burned almost all of your body's store of fat and will have achieved a slim, toned appearance that looks and feel very good indeed. Because your energy levels are high, you will have no problem in continuing with your exercise routine because you will actually want to. This is quite different from dieting, where most people soon get fed up with their diet, their energy levels drop and they feel weak and lethargic.
Burning Body Fat
Once you reach the stage of very low body fat, you will then need to actually increase your calorie intake to maintain the exercises. That is great news if you love your food, because it will mean you will be able to eat almost anything you like within reason and not put on any weight!
Is this situation not a dream come true for someone who has been beset with being overweight and has failed repeatedly to lose it for any length of time merely by dieting?
Of course it is and is so far removed from the repeated situation of "diet, lose weight, stop diet, gain weight." Exercise really does allow you to modify your diet to meet the demands of your body as you go along, so you never get bored with the food you eat and because your energy levels are raised, you feel great, lively and motivated.
So next time you look at the scales and don't like what you're seeing, instead of heading for the next fad diet, try exercising and eat healthily. Together they will not only help you lose weight, but gain energy, a great looking, toned and slim body and a real boost in self esteem and the best part is that it stays that way for the long term.
What Readers Say:
"This is one awesome article post on exercise. I can empathize with you on this one because I workout every day for an hour plus and I know its keeping me in shape and my weight stable. best part is I enjoy doing it so its really no hardship. Thanks Again" - Renee
"One of the hardest things about weight loss is finding the energy to do it... sometimes you just need a little help." - Berry
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