If you want to get in shape and lose that weight, you need to combine both exercise and a healthy diet. It isn’t enough to do just one or the other. Let’s say you start working out and things are going well. You are running two miles every other day and feel like you are burning off tons of calories. To reward yourself for your effort, you having a couple more desserts or an extra portion at dinner. Sound familiar?

It is a situation that is quite common and very hard to avoid. I find myself wanting to eat most of the calories I burn through working out and unless you create a calorie deficit, you won’t lose any weight.

It is true for simply dieting also. While dieting without exercise may work in the short run, you’ll find out that your body’s metabolism actually slows down to accommodate for the fact that you are eating less calories each day. Quite annoying huh?

And that it why combining diet and exercise is so important. By exercising daily, you increase the total calories you burn and also help to increase / sustain your metabolism. By combining that exercise with a healthy diet, you will create a 1-2 punch that will knock off those pounds and get you to your desired weight.