Diet, Exercise, or Both?

Most adults decide at some point in their life (or are told by a physician) that it is time to lose weight. This weight loss varies from dropping a few “vanity” pounds to drastically changing one’s physique. One of the most frequent questions we receive is, “What is more effective for weight loss: changing my diet or exercising regularly?”

When it comes to the diet versus exercise debate, diet will always trump exercise. Simply put, someone who does not exercise and adjusts their caloric intake will lose weight. The simple fact is that diets result in weight loss.

The Diet Solution?: Diets get a bad rap because of the fad diets that have become so popular in recent years (Atkins, Low Carb, Grapefruit Diet, etc.). These diet plans tend to work on a very short term basis. There are two reasons for this: Number one, many times there are adverse health effects if these diets are followed for an extended period of time. Number two, most people do not have the self-discipline to follow a diet regiment that requires them to eat things they find distasteful or deny themselves foods they enjoy on a long term basis. Furthermore, diet alone does nothing to sculpt muscles or provide the lean, toned physique most people desire.

The Exercise Solution?: Although exercise has many well-documented health benefits, some individuals that exercise do not lose weight or struggle to lose any significant body fat. This is because many people fail to participate in a well-structured exercise program that includes both cardiovascular and resistance training at a high enough intensity to get results. Furthermore, many people exercise and then use that as license to eat a poor diet.

The Balanced Approach: In my experience, a combination of regular cardiovascular exercise and resistance training along with a balanced nutritional plan works well for most people. A proper exercise program revs up metabolism, strengthens, tones and burns fat. When consistent physical training is combined with a sensible, nutritious diet amazing results can occur.

I encourage individuals to find a workout program they find both stimulating and challenging. This physical training should be combined with what we call the 70/30 nutritional plan. This plan means that 70% of your meals are healthy and nourishing and 30% are things that you will enjoy in moderation, but provide little benefit to your health. Most people find this ratio very achievable with a little self-discipline.