Diet Methods:

Exercise and diet are the two most popular prescriptions used by dietitians and medical doctors to patients suffering from overweight. The disastrous consequences of overweight on the long run, such as diabetes, some cancers, heart problems, blood pressure have compelled many people to seek both exercise and diet at the same time, particularly in societies which are known for their careless food habits such as the US society and even our Lebanese society. We see thousands who exercise regularly and also follow some sort of diet, but the very truth is that very few people ever know that exercise and diet are not a successful combination unless they are matched in specific ways. In straight words, this means exercising and cutting the food intake randomly can simply lead to more problems instead of proposing solutions. Herein we provide some essential information about Diet Methods.

Exercise and Diet Methods

Through exercise alone, most people are able to manage a considerable weight loss, even if they do not change their eating habits. Not only this, unlike a dietary regimen alone, exercise has the ability to maintain weight losses as long as the individual exercises. Starving oneself in the name of diet leads to one result: loss of mass muscle from the body. The reason is that when dieting, metabolism immediately slows down by 20% or more, leading to less consumption of calories from fat. On the other hand, exercising leads to loss of calories from fat and not from muscles. Hence, a person who loses ten kilograms of fat as a result of exercising is in much better shape and health than someone who loses ten kilograms of weight from muscles as a result of dieting.

When the body exercises, the rate of metabolism increases by about 30% after meals, a process known as dietary-induced thermogenesis, and consequently higher maximum oxygen consumption rates would also increase, by as much as 110%. This means that people who exercise do not have to go on a diet to achieve a healthy body posture, unless of course, they eat extravagantly.

The best solution to face overweight is not to follow a strict diet, but rather to exercise and follow an organized healthy diet. The first step in this process might require joining a group such as club, especially if the person suffers from a lot of extra weight. It is advised that people following such plans use a diary to record their activities and eating habits throughout the plan. This enables them to achieve three things. First, they will be able to measure their performance in terms of exercising and weight-loss. Second it will enable them to continue in an organized way and avoid boredom. And finally, it will enable them to understand their body requirements of exercise and food. It is worth mentioning that exercise can give the best results only if it is moderate. Too little exercise will not be enough for progress and too much of it can lead to health problems such as muscular injuries.

The question now is what kind of diet to follow with exercise. Basically, there is a misconception which says that when people exercise more, they require more proteins. This is not true. More exercise needs a different fuel for the muscles, namely, complex carbohydrates which help to keep the level of sugar in the body stable, and will increase the amount of stored glycogen in the liver for future use. People who exercise need complex carbohydrates in order to prevent sudden drops in blood glucose, weakness and light-headedness. However, this does not mean that one should feel free to indulge in sweet snacks to secure enough energy for exercise, but this is also a misconception. The reason is that once the level of sugar in the blood rises, insulin is secreted to clear it from the blood stream to return the sugar to its natural level.

What people who excecise should do in order to keep themselves nourished is to consume more fruit, juice, cereal, skim milk, muffins and whole wheat bread. Moreover, they should avoid fat-rich nutrients. What they need most, however, is to drink more water, because much of the lost weight in exercise is usually in the form of sweat. If water consumption is not increased, at least by half a pound daily, dehydration might result. This would tire the muscles and heart might fail to meet the demand of the muscles for more blood flow and oxygen. Cool water in moderate amounts before, during and after the exercise is advisable because it is absorbed quickly by the body, and because it lowers the body temperature. There should be no fear of gaining weight from water, nor there should be any need for increasing the amount of salt consumption because the body will make up for the lost salt from normal food intake. Furthermore, people who exercise should never rely on their feeling of thirst to compensate for their body loss of water. Their drinking levels should be organized as part of the plan.

Exercise Problems:

A major problem which exercise might lead to is dehydration. Even with an increase in water consumption, there is no guarantee that exercising individuals will really compensate the amount of water they lose. Here are some tips to prevent dehydration. First of all, the best and safest way to compensate for lost liquids is to use plain water and not sweet fluids. Exercising individuals should drink small amounts of cool water at 15-minute intervals during vigorous exercise, and continue to drink water afterwards. Finally, they are advised to improve performance in hot weather by drinking 2 to 4 cups of cold water about ten minutes before exercise and 1 to 2 cups during exercise.

Wrap Up about Diet Methods:

In conclusion, there is no more argument that in most cases, exercise is much better a solution to lose weight instead of following strict diets which may lead to frustration and depression. Nevertheless, exercising also requires a safe balanced diet which can protect the health of the individual, and at the same time, maintain the final goals of exercise, that is, losing weight and achieving a healthier body. But, the only way for such a magic plan to work is to have strong will to start it in the first place. Moreover, more people have the will the start, but many of them never continue to the end.

Bibliography

D. Brooke. (1978). Carbohydrate Nutrition and Physical Performance. Parizkova, J., ed. Nutrition, Physical Fitness & Health. Baltimore: University Park Press.

S. Miller. (1978). Food Intake and Energy Utilization. Parizkova, J. ed. Nutrition, Physical Fitness & Health. Baltimore: University Park Press.

Jokl, Ernst. (1964). Nutrition, Exercise And Body Composition. Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher.

Perth, James. (1987). Weight Control: Fighting Against Fat. New York: McGraw Hill Inc.