Diet vs. Exercise – What’s More Important?
Diet vs. Exercise
I think that after reading the factors below, you will be able to answer the age old question: diet vs. exercise yourself…
In the fitness world, knowledge is true wealth.
Just like a promotion at work we often have to work pretty hard to get good information. On the other hand bad, misleading and self-serving information is everywhere. Another form of information surfing around the internet, in fitness classes and on the gym floor is information that comes from people that have a lack of formal education and experience in this field.
While there’s plenty of free advice out there you must have the time to research it and the education to identify nonsense and half truths from truth.
One of the biggest non truths I see out there is that either diet or exercise do not matter. Basically someone will try to sell you a diet that works with you sitting on your ass all day. Or an ‘all you need’ workout program that has no nutrition guidelines; “eat french fries and burgers every day, do this workout and look amazing in no time!”.
No such luck guys! But, don’t get discouraged. Fitness and healthy nutrition should be a welcomed part of your day. The two should make you feel so great that your body will eventually begin to crave working out and eating whole foods. That is when all the real fun starts, and that is when the results are yours to get and to keep.
***FYI diets do not mean you can never eat a fruit, your favorite pizza, cake or cheese- a good diet should mold right into your life. An effective diet that considers your likes and your dislikes is the only diet that will last. That is exactly how I designed the 7Day Lean book and workout/ nutrition plan. While following the same book, everyones diet will no doubt be different. And YES we added vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, as well as a snacking, grocery list and juicing section (just to name a few)! Plus- the 7 day lean seven day cleanse.
Diet vs. Exercise
- We train to look good– yes. But we also train to be healthy, to function in our daily life with energy and to lead a life of well being. To be active and pain free. If you consider these things then you would understand that your body has to move, and be strong, while taking in the right consistency of nutrient rich foods. That is the only way to enjoy real health and longevity.
-
If we consider everyones favorite topic ‘looking great in a bikini’ then we should note thatskinny is not always sexy. Lean muscle, a healthy glow and curves are what truly define todays sexy standards. To get that you MUST follow a strength and conditioning routine. That means you have to have a regiments that brings up the heart rate and challenges your endurance, but, you must also add resistance to your workouts, plain starvation diets will make you weak and frail. You need nutrient rich food and resistance training to get the job done.
- You can not exercise ‘off’ the last fatty meal you ate. Sorry guys, in the world of fitness and health there are more then calories in vs. calories out. While your energy in vs. energy out is important food also has hormonal effects on the body. Hormones can trigger your body to store fat or burn it. We discuss this in deal and have all sorts of hormonally balanced foods in the 7 Day Lean program.
- If we think of heart disease, diabetes and other such diseases, the prescriptions are clear- activity and diet – not one or the other.
- The definition of exercise – why YOU workout is simple: Performance enhancement and injury prevention. While the definition of a good diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. Now the bi-product of both of these factors is good body composition (looking good in your skinny jeans included). Now if we consider this fact then we would understand that the two (diet & exercise) work together for your body, and can not be exclusive of one another.
- Diet can not prevent muscle imbalances caused by hours of sitting, poor movement patters and inactive muscles. Only a corrective, balanced and educated training (resistance) routine can do that.
Just doing cardio with out resistance will not correct muscle imbalances. Resistance training is also the only way you can come close to what some people call ‘spot reduction’. While you can not just lose weight from one trouble spot in your body (weight happens all over the body), you can sculpt and define areas of the body with correct, educated strength training. Yes, in all of our programs we use body weight resistance like in 7 Day Lean and in scorcher & Body series we use the kettle bell.
- Exercise can not provide you with your essential nutrition, including fluid, essential amino acids from protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins or minerals. But neither can a diet of fake, fatty or fat-free foods. Whole foods, paired together appropriately are the only way to get the most benefit out of your nutrition.
- Metabolic conditioning is a great tool to burn fat and build lean muscle, in fat all of our workout rely on different versions of MetCon. While all metabolic conditioning is typically a systemized workout with a structured patterns of work and rest periods made to elicit a desired response from the body- in our case maximize fat burn. This response can only be fully optimized with correct nutrition and workout structure.
For all of these reasons you would be cheating yourself if in your pursuit of health and wellness you would exclude one of the two factors: Diet or Exercise.
You need both to live a long and healthy life. You need both to get the best results. You need both to maintain and keep your progress.
You also need to be on a training program, where the dietary guidelines complimet your output (your workouts) and where those workouts are not random and sporadic bursts of energy or poorly put together routines. To change your body for your life you need a program that allows you explore your own likes and dislikes, that gives you good options and is sustainable for your lifestyle.
