Diet or Exercise... What's The Truth?

There has always been so much conflicting advice from the global diet and fitness industry. And it's no wonder really. The industry is reportedly worth £90 billion (circa 2022), and without the majority of the general public confused and vying for ways to be healthier, leaner, more muscular, with a bigger bottom, smaller waist, giant guns, etc, it would be worth nothing. The ways in which you are pressured into trying the 'new celebrity slimming pills/drink/workout routine', eat this, not that, workout in the morning, not evening, bacon/eggs/tomatoes are cancer causing, jeez - there's way too much to contemplate - it becomes utterly convoluted and confusing. It's no wonder nobody knows what the hell to really do about their health, or how to improve their fitness. And it is so detrimental to mental health. So, I am writing this blog post to share exactly what I have tested on myself over 3 years. The results are very simple and frankly, should debunk a tonne of ridiculous beliefs that continue the fitness industry's cycle to earn their big bucks from you. 

So... you want to lose weight (body fat). Diet or exercise?

Diet 80%. Exercise 20%

This is all down to energy in vs energy out. Simples! Now, I know for a fact that your diet has the lions share in what causes weight gain or weight loss. How? Well, back in the days where I was beasting it through two workouts a day like an obsessive recluse, I did the keto diet for 8 months straight. I know what you're thinking - I am not here to promote the keto diet. I promise. It works for me and may not be relevant to you. However, as I reduced my sugar and carb intake, cooked my own meals using only whole foods (nothing processed) my weight dropped significantly. However, when I stopped this form of eating and relaxed on the sugary snacks, processed crap, but was still working out every day, I gained body fat/maintained. I even gained weight when I took up running! I was confused! Wasn't all my weight loss because I'd discovered fitness? Nay nay. It wasn't. It was due to my diet. "You cant out-train a bad diet" - no words have ever been truer. 

What we put into our bodies is super important in fuelling what we do. Yes, I cant deny that exercise contributes to this. We need to burn energy. Building more muscle mass burns more energy at rest - that's a fact. However, to lose body fat and then maintain at a healthy weight we need to eat right. That doesn't mean you cant have the odd treat. But the majority of what you eat needs to be focussed on health. It needs to be a lifestyle choice. If none of this sits well with you and you prefer to eat processed food and junk, then you do you. But I'm sorry to say, you are chasing rainbows with improving your health, reducing/maintaining body fat and improving your wellbeing. 

Also, crash diets and ridiculous celebrity pills are the devil in my opinion. What you lose in crashing out, you'll gain back pretty quickly. And pills... I mean, no thanks. What the hell is in them? What are the side effects? Do the celebs really take them? I'd rather take control, lose fat consistently and learn how to create a lifestyle that makes me feel great. 

So... you want to build muscle/tone up:

Diet 40%. Exercise 60%

That percentage split was tough, as really both diet and exercise are important for building muscle mass. 

Muscles are really cool, but also really weird parts of the body. They support your bones, organs, your brain is a muscle and, yeah, big guns can look awesome when you're showing someone the way to the beach! But you need to push those buggers to the point of ripping for them to repair and come back bigger and stronger. Now, if you lose body fat to a certain point (read above) you can see muscles in a more defined way, without the exercise. Coz, duh, less fat covering them. But to build them up, there's only one way to do this - progressive overload. You need to weight train and keep on increasing the amount of weight that you're training with. It definitely is possible to build muscles with body-weight exercises only (I've done this), but it takes work and being pretty clever in the exercises you do. Training with weights it much more effective. 

So, diet. Now, I know that everyone harps on about protein, but it truly is a superfood for your muscles. The amino acids within the protein helps to repair and maintain your muscle mass, which is exactly what you want when you've caused the slight tears in those babies during your weights workout. Eating whole foods that nourish your body, drinking water and cutting down on sugar (foods and drinks) will super-charge your ability to shape your body. It's that simple. Thank me later. 

And as for abs workouts... yeah, I love them. But by just working your abs (weight training or not), you wont see them! Building abs is down to body fat percentage (under 20% overall body fat for women and 13% for men). This does differ person to person. But doing a billion crunches a day without improving your diet will build great abdominal muscles that are hidden away. In this way you can understand why the World's Strongest Man contest isn't all rippling pecs - because their body fat % isn't low enough to see their awesome abs. 

So... you want to gain weight?

Diet: 90%. Exercise 10%.

The diet and fitness industry is so blinkered in its advertisement of fat loss and reducing your body size. But I happen to know people who have a very different metabolism, that gaining weight is really hard. And what about those who are recovering from an eating disorder? The health and fitness industry is shameful really in this sense. There are a whole host of illnesses and health issues that can come from carrying a lot of body fat and from having a really low body fat percentage (underweight). I am not shaming anyone here. Everyone is beautiful. But factually, not everyone is healthy.

Most of us can imagine that gaining weight is simple and pleasurable - you just sit around eating doughnuts all day, right? Wrong. Yes, it may have an effect. But it's also going to cause a whole host of different issues, health wise. You'll notice that I haven't mentioned calories at all in the above advice. That's mainly because I think it can become obsessive and be a catalyst for a negative eating cycle. You can gain/lose weight without counting calories. However, I am going to suggest here that you are more aware of your calorie intake when trying to gain weight. 

Eating five or six smaller meals during the day, rather than two or three large meals, choosing nutrient-rich foods, carbohydrates in the form of oats, grains, pasta, dairy and root vegetables, nuts and seeds, adding 300-500 calories per day to your normal diet is a healthy sustainable way to gain weight whilst improving your overall health. 

I've added only 10% exercise here, as, although I still believe you should exercise to keep your body and brain happy, lower impact exercise in the form of walking, swimming, yoga are more appropriate for helping to gain weight. 

So... you want to improve your mental health?

Diet: 50%. Exercise 50%

One word peeps: cardio. 

I hear so many people bash cardio as a form of exercise. But seriously, it is the happy making underdog of the fitness industry and shouldn't be overlooked so much. Running, dancing, hiit, tabatas, cycling... they not only improve your fitness level, endurance, heart health, ward off illness and so much more, they also improve your mental health. Any time I encourage my tired self into my workout clothes, lay out my workout mat and push through a cardio sesh, I ALWAYS feel better afterwards. Any time I venture out in the dark, at 4.45am, (in a grump,) to go for a long run with my running buddy, I ALWAYS feel better afterwards. Not just better. Happier. In control. Supercharged. The sky is bluer, the day feels more positive, the things I have to do are more manageable, I'm less stressed, I'm more grateful, I have more energy. 

This is why cardio can become an obsession for a lot of people. A classic story: You start running. It's hard. You feel crap at it. You don't enjoy it. But you consistently keep training. Suddenly, you're better at it. You get an endorphin high and feel like you can 'zone out' and enjoy it. Afterwards, you're a sweaty mess of happiness. You're looking forward to your next run. And so it snowballs. 

Diet - yes, I've added that as 50% importance too. When you get a handle on the food you put into your body (whether gaining weight, losing weight or building muscle) you feel an overall sense of self-control, wellbeing, satisfaction and sense of contentment that you can relax into a lifestyle that supports your health. My previous post "The Secret Power of Saying No" talks about this a lot. Having a sense of control over your diet choices boosts your self-esteem. Couple that with some happy-making cardio and you have yourself a nice combination to support your overall mental health. 

In conclusion, the 'eat less/move more' saying is simple, yet true (for those of you wanting to lose body fat and shape up). But it gets lost in the crazy-making advice, touting some magic formula that's going to change you overnight. It doesn't work that way. Keep it simple and go for the long game with this. Consistency and life-style choices. If you're looking to improve, ignore the varying advice from the magazine articles & click-bait rubbish online. Remember - you are beautiful just the way you are. That's completely and utterly true! 

If you want to see a change in your health and wellbeing, for YOU, I hope that this advice helps. 

Love, Gigi