The Science of Weight Loss Part 2 - More Amazing Breakthroughs in Nutrition and Exercise Science

I've always believed that exercise and nutrition go hand in hand. While exercise is important, the key to losing weight and keeping it off lies in what you eat. When you first begin your weight loss journey, I believe that you should forego working out. The only exercise that I would recommend at first is some brisk walking, perhaps before or after a meal. As time passes and the weight starts to come off, you will see that what you put into your system is much more important than anything else when you're trying to lose weight and become healthy.

However, at some point you are going to have to work out to really achieve your fitness goals. To put it simply, while focusing on nutrition is key, after the first month you should begin to exercise for about twenty minutes a day three days a week.

Diet and Exercise Work Better Than Exercise Alone

• A combination order of whole grains and regular exercise adds up to great belly-fat loss. In a study conducted by researchers at Penn State University, 50 obese subjects were split into two groups. One was instructed to eat whole grains as their only grain choices; the other was told to avoid whole grains. Both groups were encouraged to do moderate exercise. After 12 weeks, the exercisers who ate whole grains lost a significantly larger percentage of belly fat than those who ate refined grains. Furthermore, their levels of C-reactive protein, a warning signal of heart disease and diabetes, had dropped by 38 percent, while the people who avoided whole grain foods saw no change in their CRP levels.


• A 3008 study at the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut suggest a similar strategy for triggering the body to burn more fat. In an experiment, two groups of men were instructed to do resistance training while following either a low-carb or low-fat diet. After 12 weeks, the lifters who reduced their intake of carbohydrates lost an average of 17 pounds of fat, twice as much as the lifters who followed the low-fat plan. What's more, each member of the low-carb group gained about 2 pounds of lean muscle. "Restricting carbohydrates forces your body to burn fat instead of sugar, "says study author and assistant professor Jeff Volek, PhD. And doing so will work as effectively for you as it did for the people in this particular study.


• Eating a breakfast of slow-burning carbohydrates like oats can significantly improve calorie burn during exercise, according to a study at the University of Nottingham reported in 2009 in the Journal of Nutrition. When active people were given a breakfast of low-glycemic index foods 3 hours before embarking on a 60-minute run, the amount of fat they burned during exercise was 55 percent higher than when they a high-carb, high glycemic breakfast. Are you seeing my point?

If you would like more information on how to lose weight the right way, including a step by step action plan on how to get your weight loss journey started, complete with meal plans, recipes, and exercise routines, be sure to check out http://www.thecommonsensediet.org. And remember, nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.

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