DIET VS EXERCISE

Skip a meal or skip a rope? We weigh out what works best when it comes to getting your perfect shape.

What is more important exercise or diet? Can simply diet changes help? Can simply working out hard and then eating what you like work? These are some of the questions that we tend to ask our dietitians and trainers. Fitness expert Dr Varun Katyal explains, “A lot of studies show that weightloss is generally 75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise. While diet and exercise both are important for long-term weight loss, one must remember that you cannot out-exercise a bad diet.”

Some of us find it easier not to eat those extra calories in first place rather than shedding them off with exercise. You can for sure burn the calories following diets but getting a perfect shape is possible only when diet is followed together with a regular workout.

So best thing to do is to focus on diet and exercise together. If one is eating better and exercising more, you are going to reach that calorie deficit faster than the one who is doing either one alone. However, losing weight is quicker if you cut calories, but if you want to maintain your new healthy weight you need to exercise. Therefore, diet and exercise are both necessary for being healthy.

Always remember that you can lose weight with diet alone, but exercise is an important component. In weight loss only a portion is from fat – you are also stripping away muscle and bone density in the process. Since working out stimulates growth of those metabolic tissues, losing weight through exercise means you are burning mostly fat. And in the start you might not feel too happy seeing the number on the scale but eventually you will notice the difference when your dress size goes down.

And don’t forget that beyond burning fat, exercise can have other health perks as well, like improving the quality of your sleep, lowering your cholesterol and reducing your stress levels.

Expert consulted: Dr Varun Katyal, Founder, Health Rebalance.