Dietary Intake and Exercise the Secret to Success
Many diet pill companies will tell you that the secret to successful weight loss lies in their pills, but the truth couldn’t be further from that. Although there can be some value in taking supplements to aid in weight loss, at the end of the day, the true secret to success is a combination of dietary intake and exercise.
Dietary Intake
There are two parts of dietary intake that will affect your weight and either lead to weight gain or weight loss. In this section, we’re going to go over those to parts, why they’re important, and what you can do to incorporate them into your new, healthier lifestyle.
Reducing Calories
The first thing you’ll need to do to keep losing weight is reduce the number of calories you’re taking in. For many people, this is one of the main reasons they struggle with their weight. They are eating way too many calories for how much they actually need and for how much they are exercising. By reducing your caloric intake, you will force your body to start using stored fat for energy.
To reduce calories, you need to start choosing foods with less calories, and eat less in general. Start by using smaller plates to create smaller portion sizes, and start counting calories to really pay attention to what you’re putting into your body. You should also choose foods that are lower in calories but will leave you feeling full, like leafy greens and other high-fiber foods.
Eating Balanced
In addition to needing the right amount of food, you also need the right balance of macronutrients according to your body type and personal goals. The three macronutrients that you need to balance are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Getting the right kinds of these macronutrients will ensure that you’re getting everything you need to stay energized throughout the day and be able to lose weight.
Exercise
There are also two parts of exercise that work together to help you lose weight. Each part is important, so be sure to balance your workout schedule to include both of these types of exercise into your routine so you can benefit from both of them.
Strength Training
This doesn’t burn a lot of calories, but it will help you build up your muscle mass. Building up muscle mass is important for weight loss because muscles burn more calories per pound compared to fat in the body, which means that even if you are at rest, you will be burning more calories if you have more muscle from regular strength training.
Cardio
Cardio exercises will burn a lot more calories than strength training, which is one of their benefits. They will also help you burn more calories even when you’re not actively working out by boosting your metabolism, especially if you add in some sprints. The more cardio activities you can fit into your day, the more calories you will burn, and the more weight you will lose.