Is Putting Too Much Emphasis On Exercise Ruining Your Weight Loss?

You know by now that staying active is an essential part of being fit and healthy. But if you are trying to lose weight and have hit a plateau even though you are logging heavy hours at the gym, there may be something else going on. Another part of the equation. That’s right, you can’t forget diet!

Writer Andrew Carroll said this week in the New York TImes that shows like The Biggest Loser are misleading as they put most of the emphasis on exercise. He says, “When it comes to reaching a healthy weight, what you don’t eat is much, much more important.” He points to studies that have shown that Americans have become more active over the last decade but they have also become more obese. Activity did not prevent obesity.

Elle Online talked to New York based nutritionist, Dana James, to see what she had to say. She agreed with Carroll. “I always tell my clients that it’s 80 percent diet, 20 percent exercise,” she says. “It’s definitely most important to get the diet right, especially since we tend to underestimate what we eat and overestimate what we burn.”

And remember, it isn’t about how little you eat, it is about what you eat. You don’t have to give up your snacks or post workout meal, just make sure they are healthy.

It is clear that exercise is important in life. Outside the weight loss scenario, being active helps you fight disease and even live longer. It will help you build muscle, which will sustain your metabolism. This is something we should all be aiming for.

So, keep up your activity level but make sure you are paying attention to what you put in your body, especially if trimming down is your goal.

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