At first glance, dieting appears to be a straightforward solution if we want to lose weight. We gain weight because we take more calories than we need. Decreasing calorie consumption would therefore naturally be the key to weight reduction.
This is usually not sustainable, though. After a while, people appear to return to their old habits. Worse still, the sense of deprivation causes them to eat more, allowing them to gain all the weight they had previously lost.
If dieting alone would not lead to sustainable weight loss, will exercise alone do the trick?
Not exactly, according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. As part of the study, 81 overweight women were enlisted from Arizona State University in the United States to enter a fitness program.
In a three-month trial, women participated in treadmill exercises three days a week, but their dietary habits were not tracked. Three months later, despite their increased activity, 70% of women added some fat mass during the program.
Although the study did not conclude the exact causes for weight gain, researchers suggest that participants who gained weight ate more calories and increased their calorie intake. This was because they felt they had burned enough kilocalories to warrant the extra meal.
In short, a combination of calorie control and daily exercise, in the long run, is the easiest and most effective way to lose weight.
The cumulative amount of calories you burn for energy per day is your total daily energy consumption. To reduce weight, the calories you burn should be higher than your calorie intake.
By consuming the same amount while exercising more, a sustainable energy deficit (where the calories consumed are smaller than the calories burned) can be established. Regular exercise will also help improve your metabolic rate such that you burn your calories even more effectively.
Just a daily energy loss of 500 to 1,000 kcal would cause you to lose between 0.5 kg and 1 kg each week. So if your daily calorie intake is about 1,500, you can aim to burn about 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day by your daily activities if you want to shed any extra fat and weight.
Even if weight loss is not your goal, there are also many health benefits of a well-balanced diet and daily physical activity.
If you are overweight, you are at risk of having pre-diabetes. But begin with a mix of mild physical exercise and a sensible diet now, and you will lower the risk of diabetes and other diseases.
Consult your doctor before beginning every fitness routine and take precautions.
