If exercise is a burden right now, start by eating less.
‘I should eat a little less on New Year’s Day… .’ At this point when the holidays are over, some people regret it once once more by getting on the scale. Instead of just staring at the numbers on the scale in dismay, let’s strategize. As you know, in order to lose weight, you have to eat less and move more. If both are difficult to do, which one will you choose between eating less and exercising? The health and medical media ‘Everyday Health’ introduced the benefits of losing weight just by adjusting your diet.
Keeping calories low is important to lose weight. If you eat less than you need each day, your body will burn stored fat and carbohydrates for energy, and you lose weight in the process.
To lose weight, restrict carbohydrate intake to 50-150g per day and eat a lot of protein-rich and fiber-rich vegetables. ▲ Ketogenic diet, which makes the body in a ketosis state, a ▲ high-protein diet in which 0.7 to 0.8 g of protein is consumed per 1 kg of body weight, ▲ intermittent fasting, which restricts eating for a certain period of time, is a good diet method.
Strength training and cardio exercise are also good ways to lose weight, but there are benefits to focusing only on diet. First of all, it can be daunting to control your diet while working out, but if you don’t exercise, you can focus entirely on your diet. In addition, people who have a tight schedule and have difficulty doing both can easily challenge their diet by restricting their diet and then gradually increasing their exercise. Also, adjusting your diet may feel more accessible than deciding to exercise.
There are also risks when dieting alone. First of all, the yo-yo phenomenon can come over time. Indeed, a recent study of overweight adults showed this. These participants were divided into four groups: a diet-only group, a strength training group, an endurance exercise group, and a strength and endurance exercise group.
Each group was given a diet that was 25 to 30% calorie deficient for 6 months. Only the exercise group exercised three times a week. At first, all groups lost similar weight, but following 3 years they gained weight once more. Only one group that did both the strength and endurance exercises kept their body weight the same.
Also, when dieting alone, the metabolic effects of exercise can be missed. A good metabolism means that the food you eat is well converted into energy. That means you can burn more calories even at rest. In addition, a good metabolism can prevent metabolic syndrome.
The bottom line is that, as we know, a combination of diet and exercise is best. However, when starting a diet, it is okay to start with only dieting. This is because the core of the diet is to maintain a calorie deficit, as I said before. It would be better if you combine it with exercise to promote an active metabolism.