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Why Diet is Your Number One Key to Weight Loss

healthy diet

 

“It’s 80 percent diet, 20 percent exercise.” “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

If you have ever Googled tips for weight loss, you might have probably come across these sayings before.  But do these sayings hold any truth or are they just catchy?

To solve the mystery, we spoke with professionals to see whether what we eat truly impacts our weight-loss plan or not. Here is what we found out.

 

Calories In Vs. Calories Out

Before we move further, let’s take a look at the process that needs to happen in our body to lose weight.

Our body runs on energy or calories. So, in order to lose weight, your calorie intake should be less than the calories burned. In other words, you need to create a calorie deficit to shed those pounds.

A calorie deficit can be created through increased exercise, reduced calorie intake, or some combination of both. But as far as creating a calorie deficit is concerned, cleaning up your diet can be much easier than burning off all the extra calories with exercise alone.

One important reason why diets are said to be the key to your weight loss is that people don’t burn as many calories as they think with exercise. You might often fall into your mental trap of “I have been working out for so long, I deserve this donut!”

As we overestimate the calories burned with exercise and underestimate the calories we consume, we negate the calories we’re actually losing.

Nevertheless, we are not saying that you shouldn’t treat yourself. Any weight loss program should include you giving yourself a treat once in a while, but just be mindful that those treats shouldn’t out-do your workout efforts.

If weight loss is your goal, you need to accurately measure the calories you take in and the calories you burn.

 

It’s About The Quality, Not The Quantity

The recent studies have proved that the quality of your diet over quantity (or lack of) can generate better weight loss results. A diet that mainly includes nutritious, well-balanced, and minimally processed foods will help with sustained weight loss.

Unprocessed food is satiating in nature and thus helps you stay full and feel good for longer. Additionally, consuming more nutrient-rich food will also improve your quality of life as you age. When you maintain a positive relationship with food, it prevents you from slipping down into a crash diet.

 

Exercising Is Important As Well!

Trending diets help some people achieve weight loss, but no diet is a good enough reason to stop moving. According to researchers, building muscle with strength training and resistance is important for health.

Furthermore, working out also aids blood pressure and blood sugar control. Doing cardio is also a great way to boost your mood, and improve your heart health.

Exercise helps build a lean physique and adds muscle, which boosts metabolism and burns more calories than pounds of fat. So, once you build lean muscle through strength training activities, you keep burning calories even after you stop exercising.

 

Final Thoughts

Both diet and exercise are considered to play a key role in your weight loss journey. Nevertheless, your diet does outweigh your fitness routine.

Eat to nourish your body and feel energized, while exercising to stay fit and flexible. The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a balance. Calculate your perfect calorie deficit based on your weight loss goals, and divide it between your diet and exercise.

Need help with meal preparation, or weight loss plan that works?

Drop us a line! We can’t wait to help you shed those extra pounds!

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