Why Nutrition Is Important For Weight Loss
We have all heard the age-old mantra for weight loss, ‘eat less, move more’. But, over the past few years, the focus on weight loss is largely on how long you exercise and how much you can lift. Diet, on the other hand, is embarrassingly reduced to a high-protein, low carb intake that does not account for differences in metabolic rate, body structure, and other important factors among people.
In short, exercising 5-6 days a week for 40 minutes seems to get greater attention than eating the right foods for weight loss. The idea hinges on burning off calories; the more we exercise the more calories we lose. But the reality is that we don’t burn as many calories as we expect and if this is not supplemented with the right foods, our weight loss journey tends to be a lot slower, if not left unchanged.
Why Nutrition Is More Important Than Exercise?
Over the past few years, consuming healthy and good nutrition is proving to be a lot more important than exercising itself. In fact, new evidence suggests that proper nutrition can account for as much as 80 percent of weight loss leaving only 20 percent contribution of weight loss to exercise. While this may seem as a shock to many people, it is not surprising to see why it is the case.
Our bodies are naturally programmed to burn off calories through the metabolic rate. The higher our metabolic rate is, the more calories and fat we burn. According to the latest research, it takes us far longer to burn calories through exercise than simply by changing our dietary habits.
Holly Lofton, an assistant professor of Langone Medical Center’s weight management program at New York University, argues that to lose a pound every week, you will have to run up to 10 miles every day. That seems like a lot of work right? Unless you are a professional athlete and not prone to injuries, this is not something you can commit to in the long run. However, by changing what you eat and consuming the right quantities, you can burn the same amount of calories a lot faster and more conveniently.
Of course, this is no excuse to skip on your exercise program or routines; they have an important role in conditioning your body. But, diet remains far crucial to your weight loss goals than you would expect.
Dietary Habits to Lose Weight
Now you may be wondering what dietary habits I need to make to lose weight. These are as follows
- Have 5-6 meals: eating 5-6 small meals is far better than dumping 3 big meals in your mouth and belly. The latter lowers your metabolic rate and makes digestion a nightmare.
- Aim for macros: ensure you consume the right proportion of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid eating processed and refined foods, especially fried and junk food.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables: fruits and vegetables, in addition to being low in calorie count, help nourish your body, keep you satiated, and encourage fat loss.
Sources
https://www.simplemost.com/weight-loss-80-percent-diet-20-percent-exercise/
