Fat Loss 4 Idiots - The Importance Of Exercise

If you look at the weight loss equation (calories consumed - calories burned = net weight gain or loss) you can see that there are two ways to lose weight: decrease calories consumed, or increase calories burned. spoken only of the first option, reducing calories consumed.

So far, we have There is a good reason why burning calories has a lower priority than consuming calories; because fat is such an efficient method of storing energy, it is far faster and easier to consume calories than to work them off again.

For example, it's pretty easy to eat a McDonalds Big Mac® (540 calories), a small order of fries (250 calories), and a medium Coke (210 calories) in less than half an hour 1. But to burn those 1000 calories off again, you would need to:

• Walk at a moderate pace for six hours or
• Swim laps for two hours straight or
• Spend four hours and fifteen minutes vigorously cleaning the house

That's a lot of work to burn off a single meal's worth of high-calorie eating! Furthermore, most people simply don't have the time - or the stamina - to add that much exercise to their already busy schedules.

That means that burning more calories alone will be a very difficult way to lose weight. However, exercise is still an important part of any weight loss regime. Why? Here are three good reasons:

1. Exercise will help raise your basal caloric rate. The more you work out, the more muscles you build and the more calories you burn, even while you are at rest.

2. Exercise can help to ease stress and boredom and relieve hunger pangs.

3. Exercise is critical to your health. Weight loss isn't just about losing pounds, it's about living a healthier life. Exercise will keep your body strong, fit, and resistant to disease and weight-related illness.

Luckily, just a few minutes of additional exercise a day can have a dramatic impact on your diet. If you start feeling hungry between meals, try riding an exercise bike for fifteen minutes instead of reaching for a snack. You might find that your hunger pains quiet down significantly, especially if you are snacking out of boredom.

1 From Mc Donald's Nutritional Facts, http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html Tension eating is another habit that exercise can help you break. If you frequently snack at work, try a brisk ten-minute walk to clear your head and refocus your energies. You may find that you feel better and can concentrate more clearly without the rush and subsequent sugar crash that comes with sugary or fatty snack.

Start slow, with fifteen minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Surely you can spare that much time to greatly improve your health!

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