Dieting with a calorie controlled diet to lose weight is fine if you only need to do so in the short term,or have such an iron will that you are able to stick to it indefinitely. This form of losing weight works by restricting the number of calories entering the body,meaning it has less raw materials to convert into fuel for the muscles to burn and is forced to use its store of fat to make up the shortfall,leading in a reduction of body weight. If you don’t do any exercise however,you’ll find that over time,your weight will find a balanced level and will not reduce any further because your muscles will have become wasted through inactivity while your metabolism will have slowed to compensate for the reduced intake of food. To add to this,your body will still look soft and may remain loose and flabby in places because of the lack of muscle definition.
When you exercise to lose weight,a different process is going on that is sustainable in the long term. It is the muscles that are forced to work harder and longer through the exercise program that you follow that causes the body to burn more calories and when this is combined with a sensible,balanced and healthy diet,will eventually get to the point where calories burned through exercise exceed calories consumed through food. Body weight will start to decrease slowly as the body’s store of fat is used to make up the shortfall to supply the muscles with energy. The big difference you will notice is that your muscles will become stronger,more massive and this will cause your entire body to become slimmer,more toned and defined and look great.
The muscles that are worked through exercise will continue burning calories even when you sleep as they repair and build. Unless you embark on a specialized bodybuilding program you will not end up with a bodybuilder’s huge muscles,but your body will become well toned and look great in smaller size clothes than you have been used to. This process is almost the exact opposite of losing weight through diet,where the loss of muscle density leaves the body with less effective means of maintaining the lower weight. As soon as you resume normal eating,you will most likely put all the weight you lost back on again.
This does not happen when you exercise as the increased muscle density provides your body with a calorie burning powerhouse that continues no matter what you eat within reason. As long as the exercises are maintained as a daily activity,your diet can be interesting and varied and you will not gain any weight if you happen to go off the rails every once in a while,as would happen if you relied only on diet to keep your weight under control.
Exercise may be more work at the outset than an easy diet,but the long term benefits are worth the effort because you will end up with a toned,healthy,fit body that looks great.