To Lose Weight is Exercise Necessary? or is a Good Diet all you Need.

In order for you to Lose Weight you need to create a calorie deficit, which gives one of two choices.

The first is to decrease the amount of calories you consume (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn (exercise more).

Of the two ways, burning the calories with increased activity is the superior method. Or, you can also combine the two – eat a little less, and exercise more.

Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach of all is to eat more and exercise a LOT more (as long as you still keep your calorie deficit). Nutritionist and exercise physiologist Dr. John Berardi calls this a “HIGH ENGERY FLUX,” which simply means, higher energy input, higher energy output. The result is a high level of nutrition and a turbo-charged metabolism.

Here are the Top 11 reasons why exercising (“burn”), not dieting (“starve”), is the superior method of losing body fat:

1. Exercise increases your metabolism.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering starvation mode.
3. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better.
4. Exercise (strength training) tells your body to keep the muscle. Dieting causes muscle loss.
5. Exercise increases bone density.
6. Exercise helps prevent diabetes, control blood sugar, and improve insulin sensitivity.
7. Exercise improves cardiovascular health.
8. Exercise improves mood, helps relieve depression and increases self esteem
9. Exercise increases mobility and quality of life as you get older
10. Exercise helps you keep the weight off long term.
11. Exercise is the #1 Anti-Aging Drug. (Ask Dr. Oz)

Here’s the Science behind Burning More, Not Eating Less

Take a look at some of the research-proven benefits of the “burn more” approach and see for yourself:

“Strength training may have greater implications than initially proposed for decreasing body fat and sustaining fat free mass. Research suggests that adding exercise programs to dietary restriction can promote more favorable changes in body composition than diet or physical activity on its own.”
-Stiegler, Sports Medicine, 2006

“Treatments relying only on energy restriction commonly cause substantial loss of lean tissue…” – Walberg, Sports Med, 1989:

“Increasing daily activity and regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance due to an impact on daily energy expenditure and a direct enhancement of insulin sensitivity.”
- Astrup, Int J Vitam Nutr res, 76:4, 2006″

“Physical activity is a critical factor for successful body weight regulation. Physical activity facilitates weight maintenance through direct energy expenditure and improved physical fitness.”
- Saris, Int J Obes relat Metab Disord, 1998:

“Reduced energy expenditure appears to facilitate weight gain in individuals susceptible to obesity.”
- Saltzman, Nutr rev, 1995:

Think about it: What will your body shape look like by dieting without doing any training?  Diet without exercise tends to create a “skinny fat person” – someone with a low body weight but little if any muscle, and the last 10-15 lbs of stubborn fat is left defiantly clinging to your hips, butt, thighs, abs or “love handles!”

It’s tempting to keep looking for some kind of “no-sweat” secret, whether in the form of a special diet technique, a magic fat burning pill or whatever, but in the end, it always, comes back to this: You need a calorie deficit to lose weight… and it’s better to burn more calories than to cut more calories.

Exercise – including weight training and cardio training – should be a part of every weight management program and a part of your lifestyle. This is one of the ultimate secrets to fat loss and long term weight control:

Remember; don’t starve the fat, “BURN THE FAT.”