Is Exercise More Important Than Diet?

Diet or Exercise - What's More Important?

YOUR DAILY FIT TIP

 

By Jorge Cruise

Published September 03, 2012

 

 

Fitness is important, but remember to pay attention to your diet too. What you eat is 80% percent of your health, so try to eat no more than 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbs a day.

Why? Some researchers now say that diet – not exercise – is the key to losing weight. A Loyola University Health System study compared African American women in Chicago with women in rural Nigeria, and found that the Windy City women weighed an average of 184 pounds – 57 pounds more than their Nigerian counterparts. The researchers had predicted that the thinner Nigerian women burned more calories because they were more physically active, but they were wrong! They found that the two groups actually burn the same amount of calories a day, suggesting that their physical activity levels are equal.

So why are Nigerian women slimmer? Because Nigerian women eat foods high in fiber and carbs and low in fat and animal protein. In contrast, almost 50% of a Chicago woman’s diet is comprised of fat. Deep dish pizza may taste great, but it wreaks havoc on your waistline. So ditch the fatty, processed foods – it’s critical to your weight-loss goals.

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My Thoughts

 

If you're for weight loss, and not weight gain, how do you feel about this news?  I think it depends on how much you want weight loss instead of weigh gain.

 

Personally, I feel happy about this news that if I want weight loss and not weight gain, I should focus more on my food in take. Obviously, I'm not an exercise buff.  I always find one excuse or another.  I try to squeeze in some dancing and dumbbells.  I would prefer walking but it's too much effort to go out.

But, I've been steadily losing pound and inches the past 3 months.  It seems that my weight loss and not weight gain goal is going to be a success-despite the small amount of time I give for physical activity.   The reason for my weight loss and not weight gain is in the food that I eat.  More fiber, almost no sugar, nothing fried and all.  I think if I can give up my love for bread, I would have lost more weight.

Even with the carbs, though, my weight loss, and not weight gain, goal is well on it's way.  And this is because I load up on fiber.  Veggies and fruits, whole wheat bread and brown rice, things non-fat.  Protein is necessary but I hardly ever eat meat.  Fish and eggs do the trick.

So, for weight loss and not weight gain, exercise is important.  But healthy food choices do the trick.