Cutting calories is often the first step that people take when they want to drop pounds. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, however, your primary goal should be increasing your overall fitness levels. Routine exercise is by far the most effective way to shed unwanted fat stores. It is also the easiest. Following are several reasons why.
Exercise Expedites The Metabolism And Dieting Slows It Down
Your metabolism determines how fast or slow your body is able to convert calories into energy and use them. If you have a robust or fast metabolism, you can eat what you want, when you want, and without gaining weight. Many dieters, however, have slow or sluggish metabolisms. For these individuals, no matter how many calories they cut, losing weight remains an uphill battle.
This is because the body always prioritizes it's well-being, especially when it comes to the conservation and availability of energy. Excess fat stores are considered energy stores and your body is always reticent to let too many of these go at any given time. This is especially true if you attempt to get rid of excess fat while simultaneously depriving yourself of incoming energy in the form of high-value, nutrient-dense foods. Crash or deprivation dieting makes the body nervous. This causes the metabolism to slow down and enter a phase called starvation mode. When this happens, fewer calories will be burned and more will be stored away as fat.
While dieting causes the metabolism to slow down, rigorous exercise instantly elevates it. This is true even if you have a sluggish metabolism as the result of yo-yo or fad dieting. In fact, if crash dieting has slowed your metabolism down in the past, implementing a solid workout routine while maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is the quickest and surest way to speed it back up.
Take Control Of Your Emotions
One of the truest statements about weight gain is that it rarely occurs as the result of people eating because they're hungry. Most people pack on extra pounds as the result of using food as a coping mechanism or for comfort. If this is something that you do, attempting to crash diet or deprive yourself of specific foods or entire food groups can put you on an emotional roller coaster. This often results in binge-eating, guilt and a host of other problems that will ultimately throw diets off track.
Exercise, however, tends to have the exact opposite effect. When you work out, this causes your brain to release mood-boosting chemicals like seratonin and dopamine. These chemicals can elevate your mindset and give you feelings of peace and happiness. This is a much healthier way to comfort yourself and it provides the added benefit of making you less prone to overeating for all the wrong reasons.
Exercise Expedites The Metabolism And Dieting Slows It Down
Your metabolism determines how fast or slow your body is able to convert calories into energy and use them. If you have a robust or fast metabolism, you can eat what you want, when you want, and without gaining weight. Many dieters, however, have slow or sluggish metabolisms. For these individuals, no matter how many calories they cut, losing weight remains an uphill battle.
This is because the body always prioritizes it's well-being, especially when it comes to the conservation and availability of energy. Excess fat stores are considered energy stores and your body is always reticent to let too many of these go at any given time. This is especially true if you attempt to get rid of excess fat while simultaneously depriving yourself of incoming energy in the form of high-value, nutrient-dense foods. Crash or deprivation dieting makes the body nervous. This causes the metabolism to slow down and enter a phase called starvation mode. When this happens, fewer calories will be burned and more will be stored away as fat.
While dieting causes the metabolism to slow down, rigorous exercise instantly elevates it. This is true even if you have a sluggish metabolism as the result of yo-yo or fad dieting. In fact, if crash dieting has slowed your metabolism down in the past, implementing a solid workout routine while maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is the quickest and surest way to speed it back up.
Take Control Of Your Emotions
One of the truest statements about weight gain is that it rarely occurs as the result of people eating because they're hungry. Most people pack on extra pounds as the result of using food as a coping mechanism or for comfort. If this is something that you do, attempting to crash diet or deprive yourself of specific foods or entire food groups can put you on an emotional roller coaster. This often results in binge-eating, guilt and a host of other problems that will ultimately throw diets off track.
Exercise, however, tends to have the exact opposite effect. When you work out, this causes your brain to release mood-boosting chemicals like seratonin and dopamine. These chemicals can elevate your mindset and give you feelings of peace and happiness. This is a much healthier way to comfort yourself and it provides the added benefit of making you less prone to overeating for all the wrong reasons.