Faceoff: Diet vs. Exercise

January 10th, 2017

When it comes to losing weight, it is much easier to cut back on calories than it is to burn the same amount of calories. Weight loss is achieved through consuming less calories than you burn during activity. A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories and an average person, running a marathon, would burn only 2,600 calories. In order to lose weight, a person would be much more successful consuming less calories on a daily basis than in trying to burn them off through exercise alone. Experts say that the key to consuming less calories lies in increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables which are lower in calories and higher in fiber and contribute to a feeling of fullness and satisfaction at mealtime. Increasing your dietary fiber intake can be key in achieving weight loss. Higher fiber foods cause you to feel fuller on far fewer calories. Drinking alcoholic beverages can add a lot of calories to your diet with little nutritional benefit and can replace good, nutritious, healthy foods in the calorie count. If you do consume alcoholic beverages, it should be very limited, especially when trying to achieve weight loss goals. Exercise can, however, help you see results faster than with diet alone. Diet and exercise together is the most effective way to maintain any weight loss achieved. Regular physical activity can help prevent excess weight gain in the first place.

Click on the image to watch the video.

When it comes to fitness and heart health, both diet and exercise are factors that can help control blood sugar, blood pressure and high cholesterol. Exercise plays a definite role in overall health beyond weight loss efforts. It improves health outcomes in many areas including heart health, musculoskeletal health, blood sugar control and mental health including feelings of well-being. Regular physical activity can help improve your quality of life. Physical activity can lower both mental and physical stress levels in the body. So, while diet is more important than exercise for weight loss, they are both important to your overall health.