We’ve all been here before: at the crossroads of to be healthy or not to be healthy.
Losing weight and living a healthier life is a long, never-ending race with hamburgers and bad choices all around the corner. And sometimes, these detriments may tempt you to veer off-path. So then you ask yourself: do I need to eat healthy and exercise to lose weight? Before I close with the cheesily-predictable-yet-true statement that you can do anything you put your heart and mind to, let’s figure out why you feel the need to not do both.
Why You Crave Bad Foods
Because it’s finger-lickin’ good, duh. But there is science behind that sauce! Those packaged Oreos were not baked with love. More like processed, highly-addictive ingredients. These chemicals littered in the ingredients list are more often than not a disguise for poison—and not just any poison, but the love spell poison that keeps you on your knees begging and craving for more.
Ever wake up and craved burgers and fries? Fried foods are a whole ‘nother ball game with a new batter: trans-fat.
It’s the unhealthiest fat you can torment your body with. Yet it’s the fat that makes those fries so finger-lickin good! Trans-fat can be found in several processed and fried foods: donuts, fries, pizza, and pretty much almost all the frozen/television dinners, just-add-waters, mac- n-cheese- in-a-cups that you have stuffed in your dorm fridge.
And mind you, it’s okay to eat processed foods once in a while. The problem is most of us get stuck on the “once in a while” part. I mean, people have veered so far off from the path that they legitimately think burgers are healthy.
Why You Don’t Crave Exercise
Common complaints I hear from people regarding why they can’t exercise are:
- I have (insert disorder that causes poor physical condition)
- I’m too busy/ don’t have time
- I have commitment issues/ I get bored easily
- I don’t like to exercise
And besides the first excuse, I could totally, totally, TOTALLY identify with each one of those people at one point in my life.
But whenever I did happen to share the same thoughts, I’d imagine myself months from that time, slim thick with my cute self. A hot ROD. And that wasn’t gonna happen with me potatoe’ing on the couch all day. So I had to get to work, and if you click on the banner below, you’ll know exactly how.
At this point, you’re probably rooting for getting rid of one or the other for the reasons listed. Wellp, got some news for you.
What the Science Says:
In a research article published in Libertas Academia, a low-calorie diet and exercise were both scrutinized to reveal that exercise plays only a secondary role in weight loss. The number of calories burned while exercising simply wasn’t enough to burn off that McDonalds combo (hypothetically speaking).
Hoorah! Exercising isn’t as effective! So that means you can skip the exercising and just eat clean right?
MMM, not quite on that one either.
Yes, low-calorie diets showed stronger results of weight loss, but with the reduction of weight, you also have the addition of unstable moods and cravings, the study reveals. Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps in regulating your mood and preventing you from going bonkers at the slightest of changes.
And not only will a low-caloric diet cause you to become as moody as a pregnant woman, but it’ll even cause you to feel more hungry. The production of ghrelin, the hormone that makes your stomach growl (it’s actually your small intestines btw) increases and hormones like leptin, which tell ghrelin to shut up, decrease. In other words, when you deplete yourself of calories and subsequently lose weight, your body physiologically cries out for more food. So now you’re not only moody, but hungry. And I think the last think you’ll want to pick up is an apple. Unless that apple is a Snickers bar.
So what’s the answer?! What should you do: exercise or eat healthy?!
Simple.
Both.
“The combination of diet with resistance training seems to be more effective than diet or diet with endurance training in the reduction of body mass and fat mass,” —Libertas Academia
You’ve heard it straight from the study’s mouth. Exercising alone isn’t enough and reducing your caloric intake alone can make you hungrier (and crankier).
If you want to lose weight the healthier, happier way, you need to commit yourself to eating right AND exercising.
And in an entirely different study that promoted the necessity of both diet and exercise for weight loss, those that didn’t lose as much weight from exercise still benefited! The participants on the calorie-restricted diet lost 6% of their body fat, versus the 2% the exercise-only participants lost. But the 2-percenters also decreased their risks of high blood pressure and heart attacks, so everybody won!
When it comes to optimum health, there aren’t any great shortcuts. You’re going to have to push yourself to finish that set of burpees. You’re going to have to pull yourself from the cake and remember that no, you can’t eat it too. Sometimes you will veer off path, but like I said in the beginning, a healthier life is a life-long race. As long as you stay on track, you’ll be in first place.
If exercising is still too difficult for you, relax! I have taken time to provide tips on how you can motivate yourself to get out that bed/chair/ and sweat wherever you are. Yay free stuff!
What’s the hardest thing about being healthier? Eating right? Exercising? How do you cope?
For me, the most important thing is that I don´t have so much time for exercise. The food thing is easier for me (beside of chocolate … 😉 )
I think that would be always a difficult topic for me im my live …
Greetings! Violetta from http://twinblogg95.blogspot.de/
Hey, dark chocolate is actually pretty good for ya!
Thanks for your input. I’ll definitely include a segment on how to make time for exercise 🙂
ok, thx! I am actually trying to ONLY eat dark chocolate and well … is is working so so, but I will definitelly try. I´ll wait for your tips for making time for exercises. <3
Yeah dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, which help keep you feeling and looking young, in short. Just make sure it’s BITTER and not loaded with sugar, like Hershey’s sugary concoction. I personally like Dove dark chocolate. Especially with the almond inside? Yummmmmmm.
I also like dark chocolate with like 85% cacao, but I never look on the ingredients … well that could be something I could actually do in future 😉
I’m not gonna lie, I was hoping to get to the end and you say, “no you don’t have to exercise, yay!” but that’s not the case. Ah well, this was still really good to read even if it means I have to eat right and work out. It’s good for the body anyway so I guess that’s fine by me. Lovely post!
Ah, if only it were that easy. I’m sure you can do it though!
I’ve grown to be consistent with exercise on my journey of transformation. I am working towards consistency with my meals and water intake. I’m making healthier choices instead of being an emotional eater. But I know I can do better. It’s been trial and error. But I’m willing to keep moving forward since I know this is a lifestyle change.
The only thing constant is change, as they say. Glad you’re putting your health in your hands. Thanks for reading!
Oh these are some really cool tips. I found them really useful. I have to agree that dieting and exercising are essentials. I mean our body is made up of what we eat and how we live, how can we actually not pay heed to them and think that we will still stay in shape and live a healthy life? Thanks for the motivation and great tips 🙂
No problem, and thanks for stopping by, Unaiza!
I think it’s hard to make time to work out. But if you really want it badly, you can spare 2 hours a week (30 mins for 4 days) and you will achieve great results. 🙂
Definitely, if you want it, you gotta work for it! Thanks for reading 🙂
I think health can be an interesting conversation. Weight loss as a goal isn’t a healthy mindset. We have this idea that weight and health are linked but they have very little to do with one another. Bad eating habits and lack of exercise are most definitely the culprit but you’ll find that people who have healthy balanced diets and a healthy relationship with exercise can have fat bodies. The reason weight loss can be so dangerous is because you’re measuring your health by the scale and not by your habits. You aren’t able to pay attention to what your body is telling you because you’re so focussed on getting your weight down.
I know several people suffer from thyroid issues and hormonal imbalances which make it more difficult for them to lose weight, yet doctors say they are healthy. Associating a skinny or fat physique with healthy or not healthy isn’t very accurate, nor is it enough. Thanks for dropping by!