Have you ever wondered whether diet or exercise would give you better ‘results’ if you were to only choose one? Well first of all, I am a firm believer that you must strike a balance of both to feel good and realize overall health, but it also depends on what you are trying to achieve.
I can tell you that for a long time I exercised to eat, or I had this idea in my head that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I got in a good, strong workout for that day. Food was my reward for my effort. The only problem with this approach was that I never really got the results I was looking for in terms of fitness. If you are trying to lose weight, and again I believe you must watch what you eat as well as incorporate exercise, it’s easier to restrict calories than it is to work out to burn off all those unwanted calories. I have now changed my thinking about what will most help me achieve my fitness goals. But again, this only touches on one aspect of what people may be trying to achieve when it comes to diet and exercise. Let’s talk more specifically what you might be trying to accomplish and then determine if diet or exercise will have a bigger influence on that goal.
Lose Weight- DIET
“It’s much easier to cut 500 calories than to spend an hour in the gym burning 500 calories every day,” says Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D., director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. I think that sums it up pretty well!
Get Toned-EXERCISE
Cutting calories will certainly help you shed pounds, but it won’t help you tighten up those muscles. For that you should consider adding light weight exercises, yoga, Pilates, etc. But remember, extra layers of uhum…skin will conceal that sexy six pack if you still have weight to lose.
Boost Energy/ Improve Mood- EXERCISE
Exercise causes the brain to pour out invigorating neurotransmitters like dopamine (responsible for alertness and energy) and norepinephrine (responsible for attention, motivation, pleasure and reward). A deficiency of these chemicals can cause anxiety, irritability and a loss of motivation.
Prevent Cancer- DIET and EXERCISE
Eating a mostly plant-based diet and exercising regularly remain the gold standard for warding off cancer. Keep in mind: Studies have found the more consistently you work out, the greater the protection.
Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease- DIET
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you’re worried about heart disease, eating one to two servings of fish a week could reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by a third or more. Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and to a lesser extent tuna, contain the most omega-3 fatty acids and therefore the most benefit, but many types of seafood contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Sorry Mr. Salmon.
Prevent Diabetes- EXERCISE
Achieving a healthy weight through diet and exercise is the strongest defense against the disease, but physical activity has a slight edge. Active muscles gobble up glucose from the blood for fuel, which helps keep blood-sugar levels stable. The American Diabetes Association reported that 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes (Data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet released January 26, 2011).
I struggle just as much as the next person to eat right and squeeze in a workout each day. The best any of us can do is to keep these things in mind and keep finding small ways to work them in. Over time they will become a larger parts of our lives.
~Stacey
Live Well! 