Why Diet Is More Important Than Exercise For Weight Loss

Written by Indrani Karmakar, BA Hons  • 

Gaining and losing weight is a part of life, and any person you envy the perfect body has worked hard for it and truly deserves it. Now that being said, if you are a person who owns a weighing machine, a few gym gears, a yoga mat, and running shoes, you probably have tried it all to lose the extra weight you gained during the holidays. It all comes down to a vicious cycle where you lose weight for a particular occasion, eat during the occasion, and then crib all year about how you will reduce the tire on your waist. While we mercilessly exert ourselves on the treadmill when we feel motivated, if you have tried it, you will know that the enthusiasm fades faster than hair color. But, we are not here to be all whimsical. The good news is that studies point out that following a healthy diet is more effective in reducing weight than exercising to shed kilos. Go through the article to get in-depth knowledge about how diet helps you get in shape faster and more efficiently.

What Is Calorie Deficit?

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If you are new to dieting and its ways, let’s start with the basics. A calorie deficit is when a person consumes fewer calories than what they burn while working out. On the other hand, calorie surplus is, as you can guess, when a person eats more calories than he burns out through a regular workout. So to make sure you burn what you eat, you need to cut down your food intake by 500 calories each day. Also, it does not affect your hunger, bodily functions, or energy levels, so it will not make you drowsy and lethargic all day. So generally, for women, it should not drop below 1200 calories in a day, and for men, 1500 calories a day (1).

How To Follow A Calorie Deficit Diet?

There are mainly two ways to get into a calorie deficit diet. One is through dieting, and one is through a workout. Let’s read about how they affect you and your lifestyle.

1. Through Diet

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Calorie deficiency occurs when you eat fewer calories than your body needs to keep all of your bodily processes running efficiently. The body cannot conduct its essential activities if it does not receive the calories it requires from the food it consumes. Cutting 500 calories from one’s daily food intake is the only way to achieve a calorie deficit. A 500-calorie reduction in calories results in weight loss.

2. In The Form Of Physical Activity

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Another way to sustain a calorie deficit is to engage in physical activity, such as going to the gym or participating in a sport. High-intensity workouts may also burn significant calories through physical activity, such as brisk walking or bicycling. You’d be amazed at how many calories you can burn by doing simple home tasks like cleaning and dusting!

Ideally, you should maintain a balance of both and inculcate the habit in your lifestyle, so you never gain as much weight as you need to reduce it the right way. Here is why experts choose following a good diet to exercising vigorously.

You may overestimate how many calories you burn when exercising and consume extra food to make up for it.

  1.  Without dieting, sweating off 500 to 1000 calories at the gym is tough for severely overweight people.
  1.  Exercising may lead to an increase in hunger, leading to overeating.
  1.  A research found out that we burn 10% of our calories digesting meals and 10% to 30% of our calories exercising (2).
  1.  We can reach a calorie deficit far more quickly by cutting out processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugars than by working out at the gym.

Here are a few popular diets that people have followed and got successful results from. Go through to see which one fits your lifestyle the best.

1. Atkins

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Atkins focuses on controlling insulin levels in the body with the help of a low-carbohydrate diet. Rising insulin triggers the body to store more food in the form of fat, and that gets reflected in your body parts. Consuming fewer carbs and high proteins will help you reduce weight faster.

2. The Zone Diet

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This diet aims to balance 30% fats, 40% carbs, and 30% protein in every meal. It includes unrefined carbs and high-fat sources like nuts and vegetable oils. The main focus of the diet is to control insulin levels.

3. Ketogenic Diet

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Keto has been used for decades to cure epilepsy, and it is effective in bringing drastic weight changes. It cuts out refined carbohydrates and sugar from your diet and uses the fat in your body as your body fuel.

So, now that you know all the diets you can follow to get back in shape and the kind of routine you need to follow to stay healthy, maintaining your body won’t be a problem. It is essential to work on your body and see that you stay healthy. The more you indulge in fitness, the better your mind will stay. So, do you have any diet in mind that helps you stay in shape? Let us know in the comments section.

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