Which is Better for Weight Loss, Diet or Exercise?
In an ideal world, you would have a good balance of diet and exercise. But, let’s face it…in an ideal world you wouldn’t have excess fat in the first place! So, which is better for weight loss, diet or exercise?
If you are looking to lose weight fast, diet is always going to win. Calories in must be less than calories out. If this is the case, you will lose weight. You must be careful though, not to decrease your caloric intake too much. If you eat fewer than 1200 calories per day, your body will go into “starvation mode” and will do all it can to preserve those precious calories, actually making it harder to lose weight!
So what about exercise? Exercise is a great way to increase your “calories out,” helping you to use more calories than you eat and thus leading to weight loss. Exercise is essential to any long-term weight loss plan. Increasing your muscle mass will increase your resting metabolic rate. This leads to an increase in calorie use even when you are not doing anything! Exercising will also give you a lean, toned look instead of the “skinny fat” appearance that you can get from diet alone.
Crash diets, fad dieting and “focal” exercise training will not help you to reach your goals long term. Any weight lost during these plans is usually gained back quickly because the lifestyle changes are too extreme to maintain long term. The best weight loss plan is a good balance of nutrition, exercise and patience. Don’t expect quick results, but if you put in the time and effort you will see great progress. Healthy weight loss is about 2 pounds per week. This is best obtained through consistent exercise (start with just 30 minutes a day if you have to, but make yourself do it!) and healthy diet choices (put in the time for meal planning and prep to avoid making poor choices because you’re “starving”).
It’s amazing how much of a change you will see in your outlook and how you feel. When you reach goals, reward yourself! However, don’t forget that your long-term goal isn’t weight loss, but rather health. Setting a final “goal” in terms of pounds can actually be detrimental to your success, since once you reach it, you’re “finished” and you lose motivation to continue with your healthy living!
Jennifer Tighe de Soto, MD is a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified through the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. For more advice from Dr. de Soto on body sculpting and other aesthetic treatments please visit www.omahaliposuction.com where you can read her blog and see before and after photos of actual patients. If there’s a topic you would like to see us cover in a blog, please Contact Us.
