Diet or Exercise: Which Should You Do First to Get the Perfect Body?

Weight loss has become a much discussed topic in recent years. As cases of weight gain and obesity increase, weight loss has become a necessity. Desperation by people to lose weight fast has led to the adoption of a wide range of weight loss techniques. In many cases, these methods do not work and if they do, they leave lasting negative effects. Even medical experts themselves differ as to which are the most effective and fastest way to lose body weight. rnThere are however two techniques that are agreed on by everyone; dieting and exercise. Dieting Dieting involves the regulation of what you eat, the amount of food you eat and when you eat it. It is the biggest contributor to effective weight loss. Weight gain related to diet, occurs when the body has a positive energy balance. This means that the energy expedited is less than energy intake in the body. In such a situation, the excess energy is converted into fat. Dieting therefore cuts down on the amount of calories consumed in order to reduce the amount of fat content in the body. The following food types should be included in your diet plan; • Fruits and vegetables. These are a must if you want to lose weight quickly. Replace all those sugary snacks with fruits and include vegetables in every meal. • Low calorie diet. Excess calories are converted into fat. Avoid foods that have a high calorie count. Do not go too low however (below 1050-1200) as it will be counterproductive. • A lot of water and in particular cold water. This helps to speed up body metabolism and thus burn fat. • High fiber content. Foods with a lot of fiber make you feel full quickly but they do not add any weight to the body. Exercising Exercising involves exerting strenuous effort on body muscles. The aim is to create a high energy demand which will lead to the burning of excess fat in the body. Once this fat has been reduced, the general body weight reduces. If relied on alone, exercise can to a certain extent help to reduce weight. In such a situation one may need to perform a lot of exercise over a short period of time. Below are some suggestions for exercises that can help in weight loss. • Strength training. This involves building your muscles while burning more calories. You burn calories while exercising and also while at rest due to the increased muscle mass. This can be done by lifting weights, using resistance bands or simply by lifting your own body weight. • Cardio or aerobic exercises. These are exercises that burn calories while increasing endurance at the same time. They include jogging, brisk walking, swimming and riding a bike. rnThe best thing when it comes to exercising is to find a motivation that will keep you going. Finding an exercise partner may also be of great help. Both dieting and exercising are necessary For fully effective weight loss, you cannot rely on only one technique. Incorporating both dieting and exercising into your weight loss program will ensure that as you lose calories through exercise, you are not gaining any more from the food you eat. Dieting on itself will not be very effective in loosing calories. On the other hand exercising only will not ensure that your body will not gain any calories from what you are eating. rnPlease note that it is important to consult your doctor if you have a health condition that may be affected by your weight loss program.