Do you have to exercise for weight loss? There seems to be conflicting opinions on this but most would agree that a combination of eating right and exercise is the best approach to losing weight.
You can compare our bodies to very fine tuned machines that use whatever we put into them to operate. If we put junk into our bodies, we can still go on, but not in the most optimized physical lifestyle. In a nutshell, our bodies run on blood sugar (glucose).
Exercise plays an important role because it leads to a depletion of blood sugar in our blood stream which then causes fat cells to release fat to replace it. Our body then uses this fat for energy instead of just storing it. And that’s how exercise for weight loss fits in.
There are a few myths that need to be addressed here and now.
1. Exercise means going to the gym every day for at least an hour or if you’re not a gym kind of person at least a brisk 30 minute walk.
2. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want and then exercise to make it go away…really that’s how you’re going to tackle your weight loss.
Let’s start with the first one. In order to be effective, exercise must be performed regularly. If you honestly believe that you can go to the gym every single day to work out for an hour, then that’s fine. Most people find this a stretch. But they feel that it must be done.
So, they will dive into their exercise routine for a week or two and then get completely burned out and quit. Wrong. Your exercise routine should consist of doing something that you enjoy (or at least don’t mind too much) in a consistent fashion. Does it have to be every day? No. But it must be something that you can stick to regularly (three to five times a week is something to shoot for).
You should try to get a combination of aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise which gets your heart rate up and strength building exercise such as weight lifting. Exercise burns calories and speeds up your metabolism.
Secondly, while exercise will make you hungrier, it shouldn’t be an excuse to eat the wrong kinds of foods all the time. How often do you hear people say “Well, I’ll have a small piece of cake and work out later”? That’s fine on a certain occasion such as a birthday or holiday. You can afford to splurge every once in a while when you maintain a consistent exercise routine.
But what you put into your body is even more important if you are exercising. The right foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, fatty fish, will give you more energy and keep you feeling good. The wrong types of foods such as junk food, excess fats, processed meats, too much sugar, will only inhibit the effectiveness of your exercise and weight loss plan.
One thing we should not overlook is the mind body connection. Treat your bad eating habits like an addiction. Look at those potato chips like cigarettes. Tell yourself how unhealthy they really are, how much salt is on each and every one of them, no matter what the label says its all useless junk going into your body.
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