Is Working Out without Eating in a Calorie Deficit Effective for Weight Loss?
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If you ask anyone about the best way to stay healthy, chances are that they will say eat healthy and work out. This is common knowledge because it is understood that this is the way to remain healthy and in the best possible physical state. By putting the right fuel in your body and keeping your muscles active, you can keep yourself in good shape. While it makes sense that not everyone can do this perfectly, each of us should make a conscious effort to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into our lives.
There is plenty of research on the internet that explains what a calorie deficit is. There is also information on how it can have a positive impact on your weight loss and also the overall quality of your life. Many people who practice a calorie deficit in their diet often pair it with exercise to help them lose weight and tone their muscles
However, this begs the question, would you see the same results if you worked out without putting yourself into a calorie deficit? The short answer is that you will see results, but they might not be what you’re looking for. At the core of weight loss, you need to be burning calories. If you want to lose weight, your body needs to burn more calories than it consumes.
Moreover, the type of exercise you do also makes a difference. For instance, cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running, and cycling are good to keep you active. However, resistance training such as lifting weights allows you to gain strength and endurance.
Working out & Weight loss – Explained
If you want to lose weight, working out on its own is not enough. Weight loss is a lengthy process, and in order for it to be a success, you need to keep track of what you are eating. Without doing so, you will be in the dark about your progress and there will be no way for you to know if you are going in the right direction.
Calorie Tracking
The simplest way for you to know how your calories are fairing is by downloading a calorie tracking application. Applications such as Lose It! and MyFitnessPal are feature rich and allow you to track your calorie intake while also making it easier for you to log in your daily activity.
These applications are incredibly powerful and make it possible for you to have all your information in one place. They can present this data in graphs and charts, which allow you to take a look at how you’ve been doing, how much longer you need to go, and what the progress is so far.
If you are tracking calories but aren’t sure if you have the right information, visit a dietitian. They will record your necessary information and tell you all you need to know. This will make the process easier for you.
Lose The Scale
The actual weight of our bodies is not as important as what that weight is made up of. 100 pounds of fat and 100 pounds of muscle can have very different effects on your health. Moreover, our weight is always fluctuating for reasons far beyond what we eat. Medical conditions and activity levels have a drastic impact on the composition of your body.
Instead of reaching a certain weight reading on the scale, one should focus more on the way they feel. When you feel more active and lively, this translates into your body being free of toxins. A clean diet will cleanse your body of different chemicals and toxins that make you feel weak, lazy, and groggy. When you factor in working out, you also have muscles that are constantly active and joints that aren’t aching.
This might seem a little strange at first but ask anyone who has excelled in this journey and they will tell you the same thing. They will talk about how irrelevant it is to have a certain weight as your goal because it is easy to reach that goal; however, staying at that weight is the real challenge.
Final Thoughts
Working out is an amazing way for you to keep your muscles and joints healthy. Regular exercise will allow you to build strength, endurance, and add more value to your life. However, as far as weight loss is concerned, it isn’t enough that you work out in the gym or at home.
Weight loss only occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. When your body needs to make up the remaining calories deficit, it will burn the fat that has been stored in your body, which will lead to you getting the body of your dreams.
