When you begin a weight loss journey, it can stressful to schedule your daily routine. You might do research on different fad diets, buy a gym membership, and track your calorie intake. Along your journey, you may notice that you are not losing weight at the rate you would like to. Is weight loss more nutrition or exercise?
Both nutrition and exercise are essential to weight loss. However, without proper nutrition, your workouts will not lead to the weight loss you are looking for. During a weight loss journey, nutrition is more important. Once you have lost the weight, exercise comes first.
Continue reading to learn more about whether weight loss involves more nutrition or exercise. Of course, having a balance of both factors is important, but it is equally useful to learn how to approach your specific situation. Weight loss is never the same for everyone. It can take time to figure out what works for you. In terms of nutrition and exercise, however, there are keys to focus on.
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Is Weight Loss More Nutrition Or Exercise?
If it was required to pick whether nutrition or weight loss is more important to losing weight, the answer is nutrition. Exercise helps burn more calories, build better physical health, and improve your appearance, but nutrition holds value that, if not utilized, will stunt your weight loss journey.
Just because nutrition is labeled as more important than exercise for weight loss does not mean you should not be exercising. Exercise is great for staying active during your day, supporting your nutrition by utilizing your energy, and improving your physical appearance to stay motivated throughout your journey.
There is a fine line between saying that nutrition is more important than exercise for weight loss and saying that nutrition is the only thing you need to focus on for weight loss. Below, you will learn more about why nutrition is considered more important than exercise for weight loss.
Why Is Nutrition More Important Than Exercise For Weight Loss?
Nutrition is more important than exercise for weight loss because it does more than simply promote weight loss. Some of the most effective benefits of good nutrition include:
- Increased energy
- Improved mood
- Strengthened immune system
- Reduced risk of disease
As you can likely gather, these attributes – while wonderful in their own rights – can also help with weight loss. Nutrition is not solely beneficial for maintaining a caloric deficit. Nutrition aids countless body processes. The factors listed above are only a fraction of the benefits of good nutrition.
With good nutrition, you will notice that you feel more energized when you wake up. This is not a burst of energy, as a healthy diet can support your energy levels throughout the day. When you have more energy, you are more inclined to take care of your responsibilities during the day. If exercise is on that list of responsibilities, credit your good nutrition for giving you the energy to perform your workout well.
Good nutrition also improves your mood. When you are in a better mood, you might be better able to appreciate your weight loss progress and push to continue what you have been doing so well. Good nutrition also strengthens your immune system and can reduce your risk of harmful diseases – both factors that can aid your weight loss.
What Happens If You Eat Healthy But Don’t Exercise?
For children and adults alike, the basic fact of weight loss is that you will lose weight if you are taking in fewer calories than you are putting out. If you eat healthily but do not exercise, you can still lose weight. However, you may not lose weight as quickly, as exercise promotes faster metabolism.
Your metabolism involves the rate at which your body takes the nutrients you eat and drink and turns them into energy to be expended. As you exercise, your metabolism works quicker, and, as a result, you burn more fat and lose weight quicker.
As mentioned, you can still lose weight if you eat healthily but do not exercise. If you are providing your body with sufficient nutrients and tracking your calorie intake to ensure that you are not taking in more than you are putting out, you will lose weight. People still struggle to lose weight when tracking their calories, however. You must make sure that the amounts you track are accurate.
One way to improve your calorie tracking technique is through something such as the TDEE Calculator. It tells you how many calories your burn daily and without exercise based on your body type. If you use a tool like this, you will be better equipped to lose weight while eating healthy, even if you are not working out.
Is It Really 80% Diet And 20% Exercise?
You have likely heard it said that a weight loss journey is 80% diet and 20% exercise. While there is truth to this, your weight loss journey is going to be specific to you. However, the 80%-20% rule is a good one to start with. Mentioning that nutrition and exercise should be a healthy balance in a weight loss journey does not necessarily mean they should be equal.
Because of the benefits of good nutrition in promoting weight loss, focusing more heavily on your nutrition instead of your exercise is useful. For example, you can still lose weight with good nutrition and no exercise. With solely exercise but poor nutrition, you might keep adding on the pounds.
You can still be healthy and get in good shape if you focus more on exercise, but chances are that you will either keep adding fat or building muscle that prevents you from seeing weight loss on your scale. If you want to lose weight, you have to become well-versed in the nutrition techniques that work for you.
The bottom line is that monitoring your exercise is easier than staying on top of your nutritional endeavors. While you might spend large amounts of time in the gym, you are not having to think about your exercise strategy as much, especially once you develop an exercise routine. Nutrition requires more attention because it is more difficult to keep yourself in check regarding your diet.
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What Are Macros?
Macros, or macronutrients, are the three most important nutrients in terms of supporting your health. Protein, carbohydrates, and fat supply you with the nutrients and energy you need to progress through your weight loss journey.
With something such as the TDEE calculator mentioned above, you can easily figure out how many macros your body requires in a day to lose weight, maintain weight, and gain weight.
Macros are essential nutrients to keep an eye on when you are trying to lose weight. If you take in too many macros in a day and are not able to burn off the energy provided, those vital nutrients will go straight to your fat stores.
Takeaway
Weight loss is more nutrition than it is exercise. However, finding a combination of both that works for you is the best way to lose weight. While good nutrition requires keen attention to detail, you will not lose weight in a healthy way unless you are happy with your process. Along with all Cholesterol is also a very important factor to notice while you are on your way to archive your best health, read more on how to lower cholesterol naturally at home.
