Proper Diet is a Better Means to Losing Weight than Physical Exercise - Essay Example

Proper Diet Is a Better Means to Losing Weight than Physical Exercise Today in the world, obesity is a major problem. Thepercentage of people who exhibit excess weight is on the rise. The steady rise translates to an increase in diseases incidences that relate to obesity. The most notable one are cardiovascular and diabetes. The risky nature of obesity calls for people to find ways of maintaining healthy weights. Diet and exercise form the basic strategies for limiting excess weight gain. It is only through maintenance of healthy weight balance that people can avoid diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Hill 2). Cambell points that high-intensity exercises often yield profound weight loss compared to low-intensity exercises (3). Dieting is one of the methods employed in weight control. The standard for establishing if one is overweight or obese is the body mass index (BMI). A BMI of 25 to below 30 translates to overweight while 30 and above signifies obesity. It is more than just calories. The paper analyzes the reasons why diet remains the best strategy of controlling weight relative to exercise. It explores the pros and cons of adopting given diets in a bid to limit and maintain weight. The varied kinds of diets and exercises adopted by individuals have different effects in relation to weight. On the diet, the kind of food taken can be either good or bad in terms of increasing weight. To limit weight gain, diet comes first them exercise may follow. The kinds of food that an individual often ingests relate directly to their BMI. Food can either increase your weight or assist you limit gaining. Nutritionists refer to certain foods as bad due to their effects on increasing weight of individuals. For instance, a diet entailing mainly potatoes would lead to weight gain. Studies indicate that individuals who regularly have potato chips servings add approximately 0.76kg over a period of four years. Beverages that have sugar as an ingredient also contribute to weight gains. Another example of bad food is the unprocessed red meat. However, weight gain that accrue from unprocessed red meat slightly fall below that of potato chips and sweetened beverages. The underlying factor that leads to the classification of diets as bad or good is the amount of calories present in the foods. High calorie in diet undergoes metabolism into fats that lead to the advent of weight gain because of accumulation of the fats. Contrary to the effects of the bad foods, many foods labeled as healthy help in regulating weight gain when taken on a consistent basis. In some instances, the foods lead to weight loss that is healthy for the body. Healthy foods include vegetables, nuts, fruits and yogurt. The healthy foods not necessarily lead to slimming but help control excessive weight gain. Such foods are often low on calorie. In order to control weight, people should take into account the quality of foods they take as some may lead to unwanted weight gain. Exercise is applicable in weight control. In most cases, the effect of exercising may not be as authentic as adopting weight regulating diets. Weight loss from exercise occurs at a relatively decelerated rate compared to diet. In some cases, exercise can lead to weight gain. The reason behind the ineffectively of exercising in weight loss is the low energy expenditure in concert with an increase in caloric intake. Weight loss usually happens when the energy expenditure exceeds calorie intake, which is not always the case for most exercising individuals. Upon completion of exercising sessions, people tend to consume more calories rendering the exercises inefficient in weight reduction. Resting metabolic rate decreases in lean individuals when they resort to exercise as a mechanism for maintaining weight. Reduced resting metabolic rate explains the maintenance of weight when such individuals exercise regularly (Whayne, and Maulik 968). Though not very effective in weight control, exercise is vital to maintaining healthy living style as it reduces the levels of stress and ensures healthy functioning of most body organs. Compared to exercise, diet comes first in weight regulation. It is impractical to lose weight through exercising without considering the diet. Minimizing calories from the first step in controlling weight gain. For an individual interested in reducing weight, it is imperative to limit added sugar in the diet (Smith 65). Intake of sugar in extra amount can be a major contributor to unwanted weight gain. Sugar is very addictive, and most individuals face challenges when they attempt to exclude it from their diets. Avoiding sugar can solely help reduce weight without initiating exercise. Resorting to the gym to reduce excess calories does may not be a healthy option for individuals who may want to control their weights. Many individuals who take to the gym end up adding weight or losing none at all. Limiting calorie intake is a sure way of ensuring that an individual do not gain weight. Different foods we consume exhibit varied quantity and quality of calories. The traditional strategy for estimating calorie contained in certain foods often mislead. Therefore, such conventional methods of estimation may result in an overestimation of the amount of calorie contained in a given food (Howe, Hand, and Manore 4955). The quality of calorie comes in based on the type of food consumed. Some foods contain a high amount of calories, but the body do not use all of it due to the nature of metabolism the food undergoes. A good example is a food composed of fibers especially nuts. Due to the presence of fiber, the calorie contained in nuts, the calorie present may pass through the digestive tract without undergoing metabolized. In contrast, easily digestible food, in most cases junks as ice creams have the calorie present fully exhausted by the body’s digestive mechanism. The different in digestion fashion explains the quality and quantity of calorie available to the body. The quality of calorie present in a given food depends on its glycemic index. Glycemic index refers to the ease with which the calorie present in the food affects the blood sugar level. Low glycemic index foods lead to a rise in blood sugar immediately after consumption while the low glycemic index foods take the time to alter the blood sugar levels. The glycemic index term is applicable mostly when classifying the quality of calorie contained in carbohydrates. Hyper- processed carbohydrates have an instant effect on the blood sugar level making them bad. High glycemic index foods lead to fluctuations in the insulin level in the blood leading to accumulation of fats and weight gain. Natural foods are good as they do not create an influx of glucose and, therefore, exhibit a limited effect on the blood glucose level immediately after consumption. It is advisable that people resort to the low glycemic index foods as they have a potentiated effect on the blood glucose levels. Low glycemic index foods are relatively safe in relation to matters to do with weight. The slow release of sugar ensures effective metabolism limiting incidences of weight gain emanating from excess calories. As outlined before, a number of individuals often struggle finding better solutions for reducing their weight. Weight loss, as well as the management, demands that an individual considers a number of things to achieve the results, which he or she desires. Another segment that needs deeper understanding and consideration relates to the metabolism. A comprehensive knowledge of how metabolism influences control of the weight is significant to its management. Thus, it is essential for one to consume foods that boost metabolism, in the attempt of weight loss and management. Metabolism denotes an intricate biochemical process in which the body extracts the calories from the consumed food and then combines it with oxygen to generate energy. It is crucial to assert that the produced energy is necessary for driving a number of processes within the body. Key among the processes driven by this energy entails breathing, circulation of blood, digestion of food and maintenance of the hormonal balance, as well as repair and growth of cells (Waldron 2). In a summarized way, metabolism provides the needed energy for the body and determines the utilization of such released energy. Different individuals have varied rates of metabolism. Thus, some individuals burn lesser calories compared to others. Varied factors usually affect the rate of metabolism. Lean individuals have a higher rate of metabolism than individuals who have more fat in their body. Thus, lean persons burn calories even when at rest. Another factor, which determine the rate of the metabolic process, is the age and sex of the individuals. Men often lose their weight much quicker than women do. Increased growth and development witnessed in young individuals usually demand large consumption of the energy. Thus, this category of people burn their calories much faster than adults do. Consumption of the right foods often helps in resolving a sluggish metabolic rate. Even though, regular exercise aids in burning calories, it leads to building of basal metabolic rate (Thomas et al. 4). Running and sometimes walking prove helpful; however, they do not lead to total weight loss and management. It is vital to point that the metabolism gets a boost as one sheds off some fats and correspondingly build up lean muscles (Thomas et al. 8). In order to boost the metabolic rate, an individual needs to factor a number of things. First, the person should take a large amount of water. This is necessary for speeding up the process of metabolism. Prior to considering the best diet that can work towards controlling the weight, it is imperative that an individual check the levels of vitamin D (Whayne, and Maulik 970). Research demonstrates that when the availability of vitamin is low then the individual can lose weight at a reduced rate. This is often the case since such situations trigger the release of ghrelin hormone, which then functions to increase the feel of hunger. For this reason, it is necessary for one to consider taking foods rich in vitamin D to avoid feeling the pangs of hunger (Whayne, and Maulik 970). Better results are obtainable by considering and incorporating another dieting plan in the daily life. Combining diet and certain weight loss exercises can yield better results for any person determined to loss and manage his or her weight. Controlling the weight by proper food plan combined with good weight loss exercises helps in reducing occurrences of chronic disease that the individuals may develop. As mentioned, exercise is key to proper blood circulation. Exercise often boost the metabolic process of the body system. Improvement in the metabolic process results in accumulation of lean muscles. It is important that one consider the proper exercise plan for losing the weight. Some exercise that some individuals engage in, usually do not lead to weight loss. In some scenario, it may lead to muscle wasting (Zimmerman 5). Therefore, the exercise plan must ensure that it improves the circulation of the body fluids. In addition, an exercise aimed at lowering the weight needs to complement the goals of the diet plan. In some cases, individuals involve themselves in strenuous exercises. Such exercise plan is often not helpful when losing weight. Exercise falls amongst the physical activities. Thus, it is a key factor in the determination of the basal metabolic rate. One improves his or her metabolism through workable exercise plan. Proper dieting consisting of the right for weight control will then work best and ensures weight loss. Additionally, it is vital to point that antioxidants are useful in the management of weight (Whayne, and Maulik 971). They scavenge any free radicals and useful in other peroxidation reactions. Thus, a proper diet plan must encompass food rich in antioxidants. Vegetables and fruits are often replete of these antioxidants. Thus, it is crucial for an individual to have such foods in his or her plan. Works Cited Cambell, Adam. “Lift to lose.” Men’s Health 25.1(2010): 1-4. Web May 10, 2015. Hill, Raymond. “It’s more than just calories-food choice matters.” Today’s Science (2011): 1-8. Web May 10, 2015. Howe, Stephanie, Hand, Taryn and Manore, Melinda. “Exercise- trained men and women: role of exercise and diet on appetite and energy intake.” PMC 6.11(2014): 4935-4960. Web May 10, 2015 Smith, Melissa. “Exercise or diet?” Answers to Your Food Questions. (2015): 64-65. Web May 10, 2015. Thomas et al. “Why do individuals not lose more weight from an exercise intervention at a defined dose? An energy balance analysis.” PMC 13.10 (2013): 835-847. Web May 10, 2015. Waldron, Patricia. “Why exercise is healthy.” Today’s Science (2012): 1-7. Web May 10, 2015. Whayne, Thomas, and Maulik, Nilanjana. “Nutrition and the healthy with an exercise boost.” Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol 90 (2012): 967-976. Web May 10, 2015. Zimmerman, Samuel. “Exercise: no pain still means gain.” Today’s Science (2012): 1-7. Web May 10, 2015. Read More