Alright Cats and Kittens, here you have it, my version of why both diet and exercise are important to your health. Spoiler Alert: There’s no magic bullet, no pill, potion, program or secret sauce to get you healthy…you have to eat less and move your body. PERIOD. THE END.
Now let’s break this down a little more.
When it comes to exercise, you’ll want to do a mix of both cardio and strength training. Cardio, or cardiovascular activity (such as walking at a fast pace, jogging, bike riding, or climbing hills) helps burn fat and strengthen you heart. Your heart is a muscle, and just like doing a bicep curl strengthens your bicep, increasing your heart rate through activity strengthens your heart. A stronger heart is a more efficient heart, meaning it doesn’t have to work as hard through out your regular activities.
The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week for heart health. You want to lose weight? Kick it up a notch! This may not mean spending more time exercising, this may just mean putting a little jog in your walk.
Now on to strength. Adding weights (or weight baring activities) to your routine is important for so many reasons. Stronger muscles not only help make things easier in our life such as bringing in the groceries or picking up our children, strength training maintains and can increase bone density. It takes more calories to sustain muscle than it does to sustain fat, so building muscle is a great way to maintain weight and even assist with losing weight. Aim for 2 days a week of strength training and never work the same muscle groups 2 days in a row. If your goal is to lose weight, focus on large muscle groups in the beginning. Work you quads, glutes and hamstrings with squats and walking lunges. Work your chest and core with planks and push ups, and work your back with rows or flys.
Nutrition – The good news and the bad news
If your goal is to lose weight, and get healthy, nutrition is key. You can exercise for an hour at a high intensity and wipe all of the calorie burn away with a single piece of pizza. UGH! Who wants that? Now, yes, you will still get the benefit of strengthening your heart and muscles with the exercise, but unless you can create a calorie deficit, the weight will not come off. In addition to creating a calorie deficit, the quality of what you eat can effect your weight. Google “Obesogens” to learn more about certain chemicals and how they can mess with fat metabolism and lead to weight gain.
You want to get a good balance of macro nutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates). An ideal balance would be 20 – 30% protein, 20 – 30% fat and 50% carbohydrates. Everyone has their own chemical makeup, some people do better with a little less fat and more protein, some do better with a little less carbs so you’ll want to test out the percentages and adjust accordingly. Remember that you will not lose any weight without a calorie deficit so keeping track of calories is key as well.
A good fitness app (I love MyFitnessPal) is a good way to track calories and macro nutrients. Although the first week or two may seem like a lot of work, we are all creatures of habit and pretty much eat the same few breakfasts, lunches and dinners, so tracking becomes so much easier within a couple of weeks and even sooner for many since most apps keep your history.
So there you have it. Both exercise and nutrition is vital to getting healthy…one doesn’t outweigh the other they both go hand in hand. Whether you decide to make a complete over hall with your lifestyle or make small changes, healthy habits will breed more healthy habits. The key is to start!
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Cheeers!
