Coming up with a weight loss plan can be quite confusing, considering the number of options people are given when it comes to losing weight. People can try gymming, running, pumping iron, swimming, etc. and all of these are effective ways of losing weight. Even when it comes to diets, there are many diets out there that promise instant and permanent effects, and most of them work on opposite principles.
It can get quite confusing for someone who does not know what kind of weight loss plan to pick. So we pitted dieting against exercising to find out which one was better. Read on.
Diet and Weight Loss
Dieting
is preferred by a lot of people because it is a method that believes in
reducing intake heavily to use up the fat stored in the body, therefore
reducing weight.Diets work by denying your body certain sources of
fats. It is convenient for a lot of people because there is no strain
on your muscles or your body, as opposed toexercising. Diets can be practiced by keeping an eye on your food intake and controlling the calories that you consume. People often swear by diets and a lot of celebrities claim to have lost weight by following certain fad diets.
Diets DO reduce fats, but in the process tend to reduce the supply of certain nutrients to your body as well. Some diets, which target chemical processes in your body to burn fat, like the Atkins
diet, can be quite harmful once you are off the diet. This is because
the body tends to put on more weight than before, once you return to
your regular eating habits.
Due to the convenience of diets, people tend to go off the
diet and get back on it frequently. This can be quite harmful to the
body which is receiving an irregular supply of nutrients and energy.
Faddiets like the Atkins diet, GM diet, South Beach diet and other free online diet plans can be quite harmful for your body in the long run. Also, people are usually unsuccessful with diets because hunger cravings can be quite overpowering. And with food lying around, it can get quite difficult to resist!
Exercises and Weight Loss
Exercising is a tried and tested method of weight loss. Exercising
regularly has a lot of health benefits besides weight loss. It clears
up your arteries, improves blood circulation and also keeps you alert
and vitalized all day long. Exercising
regularly with moderate eating is recommended for those who wish to
lose weight. You do not have to skip any meals or miss out on your
favourite food but you have to watch the portions you eat.
But not a lot of people can match the level of exercise
required for them to lose weight. Those who are very obese may not be
able to do physical activities easily. In fact, if very heavy people
try strenuous exercises, it may result in injuries. A lot of obese
people complain of muscle pain due to excessive muscular workouts.
Muscle pulls are also possible ifexercising is not properly conducted.
So which one is better, Exercise or Dieting?
After evaluating both dieting and exercising, it is clear that a good balance of both is the best solution for weight loss. Dieting
should not be for a temporary period, but it should be a habit for
life. You should drop junk food and choose a healthy balanced diet
instead. Exercise is the other half, because it keeps you fit and burns
fat. Exercise also teaches your body to keep off the fat by improving
your metabolism.
Exercise without a good diet will never be effective. And dieting without exercise can prove futile as well. Therefore, a good mix of both may be just what works for you!