Exercise and diets are inevitably the best partners when you decide to work on your general health or want to ensure that a few weeks before the holiday, the holiday photos do not focus too much on the belly. When it comes to exercise and diets, many candidates suddenly start to behave like little extremists who unfortunately, and faster than they want to admit, end up sitting on the couch with a bag of chips more than their health would like. The brand new running shoes then sit somewhere collecting dust until the next burst of “energy”. But does it really have to be this way all the time?
Everything or nothing
When one decides to start getting rid of that growing belly fat and that lousy condition, one starts to a greater or lesser extent with an all or nothing approach. When men and women find themselves in such a rush of reversal, they often start with regular training sessions, lots of fruit and vegetables and social abstinence. This automatically means that calories are reduced and better detoxification takes place as a result of the decrease in alcohol consumption. Despite the fact that this is an approach that produces quick results in the short term, it may be time to think further and conclude that a more moderate approach may have more benefit throughout the year than this short term think.
Combination of diet and exercise
For most aspects of life, periods of focus and busyness alternate with periods of calm and rest. The problem with an imposed regime of exercise and dieting is that the time between these two periods is often too long, making it increasingly difficult to maintain. People also often think too extreme, meaning that the new resolutions are too far removed from the usual habits and routine. This makes it not easy to adopt this combined lifestyle for the longer term. This is especially the case with nutrition, which leaves many feeling frustrated when giving in to time-honored “traditions.”
It is not uncommon for some people to start four to five exercise sessions per week a few weeks before a planned holiday, while simultaneously eliminating all carbohydrates from the diet and eating less. While these are all reasonable strategies for getting results, together they form a cocktail that will most likely lead to an early retreat or a return to the proverbial couch with a bag of chips. The reason for this is that when both diet and exercise are changed too extreme, they become more difficult to maintain. Assuming that these are long-term changes that one wants to achieve, it would be better to do things gradually.
Simply put, it comes down to creating a calorie deficit to lose fat and a calorie surplus to add muscle mass. Given that most are looking to lose weight and maintain muscle mass, a combination of diet and exercise that achieves a calorie deficit should be sought. This can be achieved by exercising more or eating a little less. By doing both things together you will achieve results a little faster, but the message is to gradually increase or decrease.
Eat less, exercise more
The problem with this combined approach is that on the one hand it demands more from the body, which increases energy requirements, while on the other hand it reduces the amount of fuel needed to meet this demand.
It is not that this would be a bad approach, but intuitively it makes little sense to ask more of a system while deliberately reducing the supply. One way to overcome this is to start with more exercise. Two to three sessions per week of fifteen minutes to half an hour, depending on basic fitness, are a start. At the same time, efforts are being made to focus on improving the source of calories needed for daily energy needs. In this way, one creates a calorie deficit, through increased exercise, and increases the amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients made available through better dietary habits.
Once this combination is in place and some weight loss has already been achieved, you can start setting new, achievable goals to boost energy levels and overall health. When the results become clearly visible, you can either adjust the diet or exercise program to make continuous progress. For example, you can adjust the calories by eating slightly smaller portions or by taking extra training.
This slower approach stimulates weight loss, but the training sessions are also sufficiently nourished and you will struggle less quickly with the typical food cravings because the supply of energy, necessary for the extra fat burning, is not abruptly cut off.
Result
It is true that this more moderate and incremental approach will not lead to radical weight loss in the same way as the relatively excessive exercise and restrictive diet approach in the short term. However, the chance of relapse will be smaller and it is also very likely that such an approach will be perceived as much more enjoyable, which means that people will probably stick with it for longer than a few weeks. The consistent approach is the greatest motivator for the planned long-term results.
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