Researchers have shown that the combination of diet and exercise if effective in losing weight and keeping weight off over the long term. While both diet and exercise alone can result in weight loss the combination increases both total weight loss and time the weight is kept off.
This is particularly important news for anyone who has ever find themselves on the diet roller coaster. Most people out there who have ever dieted are familiar with the pattern of beginning a diet and after initial weight loss success those pounds came back on. In some instances people gain more weight than they initially lost, leaving them heavier then when they began dieting.
Understandably this scenario is extremely frustrating for dieters. It can be very challenging to begin a diet and achieve even moderate success. To have that success taken away can be demoralizing and impact your future motivation.
One reason that this can happen is that as you alter your diet plan your body adopts to your new level of food intake. Your body is accustomed to a certain amount of food each day and regulates your metabolism accordingly. If you begin a diet that allows for less food then you are used to your body may adopt by slowing your metabolism. This can leave you feeling sluggish throughout the day while also reducing the amount of calories you burn. The result is that the diet plan that originally helped you lose weight no longer contributes to weight loss.
Daily exercise has been shown to increase metabolism. If done regularly this effect can promote a general increase in metabolic rate, even on days with no exercise. In this manner exercise may counteract the body's reaction to slow metabolism in response to a diet plan. This can prevent any roller coaster dieting effect and result in more permanent weight loss and can be maintained as long as you are on a diet and exercise plan.