The synergistic effect of diet and exercise
Many fitness experts and the media suggest that to lose weight, we need to eat less and move more. While they’re right to say that, you don’t hear many people ask how these two factors, diet and exercise, really work together. This article looks at how its additive effect can give you more results in less time. In fact, when people do one without the other, they usually won’t like the way they end up looking, even if they hit their goal weight. Also, getting results will be a slow process.
So what is synergy? Synergy occurs when the result of the union of two things is greater than their additive effect. For example, you have an exercise program that will make you lose 1 pound per week. Then, with a great nutrition program, you can lose 2 pounds a week. With synergy, 1+2 does not equal 3; is equal to 7! This is how the combination of exercise and nutrition can be a powerful tool in fat loss.
It baffles me when people try to lose weight simply by exercising or eating less. Why not multiply your results by doing both? As our metabolism slows with age, exercise is the only way we can level the playing field or even increase our chances of losing stubborn body fat as our metabolism increases. Also, eating nutritious food is a way to take advantage of the fact that food works for your goals instead of against them.
But, keep in mind that you would have to have a good exercise program, designed by a fitness professional that is designed for your goal in order to achieve this synergistic effect. The same goes for your nutrition. Most people starting their weight loss journey are able to lose a fair amount of weight at first. But, after a few weeks, your body will tend to adjust to your diet and exercise plans, so you may need a more advanced level of programming in both areas. Most of the time, this will involve changing your current programs in order to continually see results. In fact, this is how fat loss plateaus happen: people doing the same thing for several years, and yet expecting results.
So what can you do to continually harness the power of synergy? Here are some tips:
Recalculate your calorie deficit
If you knew how many calories you were eating before you hit a fat loss plateau, you’d know how many fewer calories you should be eating after you’ve lost some weight. There are many calorie deficit calculators online today and it simply involves inputting your weight, height, and age to arrive at your calorie deficit number.
Try a training program made for you
You can achieve this by hiring a personal trainer, going to a fitness boot camp, or searching for a general training program online that is designed for fat loss. Most of these programs are superior to something you come up with on your own because fitness professionals have the knowledge to design programs with specific goals.
experiment with your food
People can have very different responses to certain diets. For example, I could lose a lot of fat while eating a high-fat diet, and yet when my sister tries it, she may not do as well. Losing weight requires a fair amount of trial and error, which is why it can be frustrating for many people. But, once you try something that works for you, you’ll be set for a lifetime.
If you’ve been trying to lose weight without exercising or changing your diet, this may be the answer to why your weight loss has stalled. If you follow these 3 strategies, they are sure to help you get closer to your weight loss goals. You may be thinking that you can’t afford to hire a personal trainer or other fitness professional, but because losing weight gives you such a huge health benefit, not to mention a sexier body, you can’t afford to don’t do it. This process can be as simple as asking yourself, “how important is my health and losing weight to me?”
