THE BEST METHOD FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS

THE BEST METHOD FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS

Many people are looking for the perfect formula for weight loss, but the advice offered in mainstream media is often conflicting. Is eating healthy enough to shed pounds? Can lose weight with only exercise? The answer is more straightforward than you might think.

THE VALUE OF DIET

If your focus is solely on eliminating unwanted pounds, studies agree that cutting calories is the most effective thing you can do. However, you still need to take in enough nutrients to support healthy bodily functions.

Switching to a diet that includes a lot of leafy and crunchy vegetables along with moderate amounts of lean vegetable proteins and whole grains instead of processed foods allows you to feel satisfied eating fewer calories without missing out on crucial vitamins and minerals. It also removes the refined grains and processed fats that cause many people to put on weight.

Although eating less is easier for most people than trying to burn off excess calories through exercise, low-calorie diets arent sustainable in the long term. Restricting intake too much can also backfire by creating a sluggish metabolic state that leads to weight gain when you return to eating a normal amount.

THE EXERCISE FACTOR

People who dont like exercising likely rejoice every time an article comes out that claims you dont need to work out to lose weight. While this is true in the most basic sense, adding exercise to your weight loss regimen helps ensure that you lose the right kind of weight.

Instead of shedding water, fat and muscle, you maintain or increase existing muscle mass and wind up with a healthier body composition. In the long term, exercise supports sustained weight loss by burning calories and stabilizing metabolism.

Studies reporting that exercise doesnt shed pounds usually reveal that study subjects were eating back what they burned and then some, making it more a problem of perception than an issue with exercise itself. A more accurate representation of the power of exercise would be seen in a study where participants stuck with their diets while maintaining a consistent gym schedule.

WHATS BEST FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

To lose weight and keep it off, the best thing you can do is combine a healthy diet with a regular exercise regimen. Dieting alone is likely to fail when caloric restriction results in feelings of deprivation, and its difficult to burn enough calories through exercise alone to result in significant weight loss. Exercise also cant be used as an excuse to eat poorly, even if youre eating fewer calories.

I’ve put together a V-Lifestyle Guide that incorporates nutritional guidance and some exercise tips to help you achieve the results you want – and keep them for life!

Regardless of how much weight youre looking to lose, health needs to be the driving force behind any lifestyle changes that you make. Exercise and clean eating not only allow you to achieve your weight loss goals but also reduce your risk of chronic disease. When you establish beneficial habits that produce measurable results, youre more likely to stick with your plan and continue to look and feel better.

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