Don't Stress, You can Never Out Exercise a Poor Diet

How many times have you decided to make a change in your life to get in shape?

[caption id="attachment_19506" align="alignright" width="350"] Can't I just follow the signs to "Health"?[/caption]

You start by going to the gym for a few weeks, maybe a few months if you're lucky and eventually realize (or so you think) that you're not making any progress so decide to pull the plug on your quest to getting the body you saw on the front cover of those health magazines.

You pushed yourself to the limit while at the gym, almost to the point of throwing up, with the hope that this is what you need to feel if you are to get in shape. After weeks of agonizing pain and persistence, you look at yourself in the mirror and don't see any immediate results.

It's discouraging. It hurts. Doubts creep into your mind:

• Maybe this isn't for me


• I could never get that type of body


• It's just not in my genes to look like that, I'll never be like THAT person


• Who am I kidding? Those guys spend their entire life to get that body! Who am I to think I could do the same

And just like that, we stop caring about getting in shape altogether until maybe a year later, we decide to make a change and go through the same cycle.

We go looking for the best diet and workout program to do. We look for that one special food that is supposed to magically solve all our problems and help boost weight loss. We go looking for that magic bullet, thinking that it is the answer to our problems.

It doesn't have to be like that.

There is no magic bullet. There is no special diet or workout program.

You can get results, but first you need to look at what you are doing wrong. Rather, you need to look at what you are doing wrong, and fix it.

Let's get back to the basics.



The diagram above shows that the amount of food you eat (calories to be specific) is directly related to the amount of energy you expend. If you are eating more than your energy expenditure, you will GAIN weight. The opposite is also true. If you are expending more energy than what you are eating, you will LOSE weight.

You can Never Out Exercise a Poor Diet

It is that simple.

[caption id="attachment_19503" align="alignright" width="400"] Can't Out Exercise A Poor Diet[/caption]

You could be exercising five days a week, but if your calorie intake is higher than your energy expenditure, no matter what you do, you will not lose weight.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. You cannot expect to see great results if either your diet or exercise routine are lacking.

You need both.

So does this mean if we are to lose weight we starve ourselves and exercise like no tomorrow? Well, it would work, but it is not the best way to go about it.

Instead, control what you eat and start a regular exercise routine.

It will take time, but you need to look, and think long-term.

"Rome wasn't built in a day"

Diet is as Diet does?

Nowadays, the amount of information available to us through the internet can get a little overwhelming and confusing.

[tweet_box design="box_12"]"Dieting is the only game where you win when you lose!" - Karl Lagerfeld[/tweet_box]

So I've made it easy for you and listed two popular and effective diets. Both of these diets have hundreds and thousands of positive results from the people who undertake them. They are tried and tested. Go through them and pick one that appeals to you the most.

Remember, there are hundreds of different diets you could find online. I've listed two popular and effective diets out for you to try.

Slow carb diet:

The slow carb diet is designed to help you rapidly burn fat by avoiding foods that promote fat storage.

You can read more about it here.

In a nutshell, the slow carb diet looks like this:

• Eat lean meats, beans and veggies.


• Don’t eat fruit, white foods (bread, potatoes, pasta), or sugar


• Give yourself a cheat day once per week where you can eat whatever you like

Paleo Diet:

The Paleo Diet is based on eating food just like our caveman ancestors did. This means, meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, veggies and seeds. Processed foods such as pasta, cereal and sugars are to be avoided.

You can read more about the Paleo Diet here.

In a nutshell, the Paleo diet looks like this:

• Eat fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts & seeds, healthy fats


• Avoid dairy, grains, processed food and sugars, legumes, starches and alcohol.

Pick one and follow through with it.

Remember, if you are serious about getting the body you want, you need to look at BOTH diet and exercise.

[tweet_box design="box_12"]"It is easier to change a man's religion than to change his diet." ― Margaret Mead[/tweet_box]

Exercise:

Now that you have a clear idea of what your diet should be like, you need to start an exercise program. Strength training is an excellent way to burn calories and build muscle mass. Besides that, there are many other benefits of strength training.

Begin a strength training program along with your new healthy diet plan. Train for a minimum of three days per week.

Do this, and you WILL get results. It's that simple.

Conclusion:

Being healthy is a lifestyle change, not a simple 6 week program. To see results, you need to keep at it and look at the bigger picture. If you aren't getting results, go back to the basics.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. You will see results faster by eating healthy AND exercising regularly.

You cannot expect results by doing one and ignoring the other, it just doesn't make sense.

You can never out exercise a poor diet.

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Author Bio: Waseem Khan

Waseem Khan is an Exercise Physiologist and founder of The Better Yoo. Waseem believes we all have the ability to better ourselves in anything we do, be it Health, Time Management or Productivity. If you want look good and feel amazing, download his free guide and learn how to achieve more in life. Follow Waseem on his Blog , Twitter or email at waseem@thebetteryoo.com