In order to lose weight, you must expend more calories than you consume. Our bodies have this "energy balance" which is the relationship between "energy in"(food calories consumed) and "energy out" (calories used by the body for energy). To lose weight, you must achieve a negative energy balance, which is using and burning MORE calories than consuming.
Various forms of exercise allow you to burn calories, some more than others. Whether it's strength and resistance training, weight training, or cardio, exercise will definitely help individuals accomplish a negative energy balance. Increasing the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of exercises will typically force individuals to burn more calories and use that stored energy. For example, increasing the weight when lifting (while still maintaining safe and proper form) or going from a 30-minute jog to an hour on a treadmill will cause a higher caloric usage, which then leads to a negative energy balance and thus beginning weight loss!
While exercising alone has shown benefits in improving physical figure and physique, applied nutrition also makes a huge push. In a research study conducted in 2011, diet and exercise together yielded a body weight loss of up to 10% (Villareal et al, 2011).
Get up and get moving! What're you waiting for?!
