Is Diet Or Exercise Better For Losing The Pounds?

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bananaFrom Your Health Journal…..”A informative article recently from one of my favorite web sites to promote, Medical Xpress – the article is called Is dieting or exercise better for losing weight? Exercise may not lead to as much calorie burn as many of us imagine, as many people tend to eat more when they exercise. In my encounters with others who frequently tell me how they are exercising, but not losing weight, my first comment to them is to journal for one week how much they eat each day. What I usually find, they have increased their calorie count, as well as cheated a little. When I say cheated, I mean they feel since they exercise, they now have a ‘free ticket’ to eat more junk or snacks. To successfully lose weight, one must combine a strong and consistent daily exercise program along with a healthy diet, which includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats – more of the UNsaturated kind. With obesity on the rise all over the world, and many people, including children showing risk factors for heart disease, cancer, weak joints, low self esteem, type 2 diabetes, and other health issues, it is important we learn to take care of ourselves. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese, and many experts are worried about how this will effect healthcare in the future. According to the CDC, in 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. I encourage you all to visit one of my favorite sites, Medical Xpress (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

Are you diligently exercising but seeing no results around your midsection? It’s not just you.

Two new studies may explain why many people who begin exercise programs often lose little to no weight in the long run.

In the first study, published in the online science journal PLoS One, researchers compared the daily energy expenditures of Westerners and the Hadza, a population of hunter-gatherers living in northern Tanzania. Many believe modern Westerners burn fewer calories than in the past because their lives have become more sedentary. The Hadza, who are generally very lean, hunt and forage for food without modern tools such as vehicles or guns. Men walk about seven miles each day, while women walk about half that.

What was surprising was that although the Hadza seem to be more active, the researchers found little difference in calories burned between the Hadza and their Western counterparts.

The second study, published in Obesity Reviews, analyzed the effect of exercise interventions on body composition. The researchers found that—contrary to popular belief—when people exercise but keep their energy intake constant, their resting metabolic rate (i.e., metabolism) actually goes down. Exercisers who ate more calories than they usually do did burn more fat than predicted, but some overcompensated and negated the effects of their hard work.

These studies suggest two things: exercise programs may not lead to as much calorie burn as you would think, and many people start eating more when they exercise, and they may eat too much.

To read the complete article…..Click here