Exercise And Healthy Eating - Two Sides Of The Same Coin

To achieve the weight loss goals you have set for yourself, you need to work on both aspects of any weight loss program -– healthy eating and exercise.  Which is more important?  Most would say that, if you succeed in healthy eating that means 75% of your battle is won.  The remaining 25% comes from exercise.

Exercise - A Key Component:

Let us first look at exercise.  Can you achieve your weight loss goal without exercise?  I would not think so.  The objective of a weight loss program is not just to lose a few pounds.  It is also to get fitter, which is not possible without exercise.

A moderate level of exercise contributes significantly to achieving weight loss targets.  The easiest exercise to do is “walking”.  You will not need a trainer or any specialized equipment.  Neither will you need to spend money on gym membership.  All you need is a good pair of walking shoes.  Do ensure that the shoes are a good fit; that they are not too tight, and do not pinch, or slip anywhere.

How Do You Begin?

The cardinal rule of any exercise program applies to walking, as well.  Just because you have been walking since you turned a year old, does not mean that you can start off with a fast paced three mile walk on the first day.  Build it up gradually and do remember to warm up before you start.  If you feel discomfort in your breathing or in your chest, stop immediately and consult a Doctor.  Do not forget to stretch at the end of your walk.  This will prevent soreness in your muscles.

Healthy Eating - The 75% Part:

No amount of exercise will help you lose weight if you keep stuffing yourself with high calorie, high sugar, and high fat foods.  Healthy eating is absolutely essential to any weight loss program.  This should be adopted, not only for losing weight, but as a lifestyle.

Eating the right types of food in the right quantities can prevent the onset of many lifestyle diseases.

How Do You Eat Right?

The first rule here — the one that everybody knows, is to avoid junk food.  There often is some degree of confusion on what junk food is.  Essentially, foods which have low nutritional value, are high in sodium (salt content), fat and/or sugar are classified as junk foods.  Due to their easy availability, attractive appearance and taste, we are tempted to eat such foods often.  Chips, colas, chocolates, french fries, burgers; all of these, unfortunately, come under the junk food category.

Healthy eating also means not eating excessively.  Just because you are eating healthy snacks, and healthy meals, and drinking healthy drinks, does not mean that you can eat as much as you want to, or more than what you did before you started eating healthy.  You might think that, since these foods have fewer calories, you can eat more of them.  That is not true.  It is very important to reduce the total number of calories consumed.  Keeping track of what you are eating helps a lot.

Support your healthy eating habits with some exercise and you will soon begin to see the desired results.