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Diet and Exercise
Cardiovascular Articles
by: Mary Watson
Diet and exercise are the perfect combination for consistent weight loss.
If you have ever tried to lose weight and
couldn’t understand why it was so difficult, you may have been neglecting to combine diet with exercise. No matter how little you
eat, there is no substitute for exercise. If you wish to achieve consistent weight loss, you have to understand how weight loss and
exercise tie in together.
Losing Weight without Exercise
Some of the fad diets in existence today promise that you can lose weight
without exercise, and though you may experience some small amount of loss, it will not be consistent nor have any great impact. Any
weight you may lose will be short-lived if you are not exercising in order to build lean muscle mass and boost the rate at which your
body burns calories.
The Impact of Exercise on Weight Loss
In spite of what some diet programs may tell you, there is a definite connection
between weight loss and exercise. In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Although normal daily activities
such as walking, cleaning house, and even sleeping burn some calories, these activities do not burn enough to make any impact on weight
loss. It is necessary to perform aerobic exercise such as walking, bicycling, swimming, and skiing in order to boost the rate your
metabolism burns calories in order to experience faster and more consistent weight loss. The addition of resistance exercises such
as weight lifting will build lean muscle mass which burns calories at a faster rate. Thus, the perfect exercise routine for weight
loss is a combination of both types of exercise.
Choosing the Right Foods
In addition to exercise, you must choose foods that will stimulate weight loss. In order to do this it’s
necessary to consume low fat proteins and minimize the simple carbohydrates you eat. Simple carbohydrates include almost everything
in the starchy category and not just sweets. That doesn’t mean you cannot eat carbohydrates at all because you need the energy. Contrary
to what we were taught during instruction in food groups, there is no difference between eating a candy bar or a piece of white bread—both
will turn to sugar when consumed. The difference lies in eating whole grains such as wheat bread, wheat flour, brown rice, and whole
grain cereals such as oats, barley, and wheat.
Not only are whole grain starches in the low-glycemic index category, they provide
the fiber that is necessary for a healthy colon. By consuming lean meats such as poultry, veal and fish instead of beef and pork,
we limit the amount of fats that are entering our bodies. This not only helps with weight loss but also has a positive impact on the
heart as well. By concentrating on eating healthy foods and snacks we give our body the opportunity to undo any damage we have done
with our poor eating and lack of exercise.
Lifestyle Changes
Although diets are intended as a means to lose weight; the best diets
incorporate weight loss into lifestyle changes. No matter how well you do on your weight loss program, if you don’t change the way
you eat and live, your weight loss will not be permanent. You must learn how to eat healthy and exercise all the time and not just
when you are attempting to lose weight. You also need to substitute soft drinks and sugary fruit juices for water and natural fruit
juices containing no additional sugar. That doesn’t mean you cannot have some of those sweets, but you must learn how to limit them
in order to prevent gaining all the weight back that you lost.
About The Author
Mary Watson writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Slim Eazy website at http://www.slimeazy.com
Diet and Exercise
