Yesterday, I talked about the hardcore dieticians, nutritionists, diet gurus, and marketers who want you to believe that you can successfully lose weight and be healthy solely by eating properly and ignoring exercise.
And to be fair, although it is extremely rare, weight loss based on proper nutrition and no exercise can technically happen. However, there are three problems with this scenario.
1) Losing the weight would have been accomplished much more quickly by adding exercise to the overall program. So, in a sense, the person that chooses to refuse to exercise and maintain a strict diet all the time can achieve her goal, but she would have achieved it much more quickly with exercise.
2) Losing weight without exercise is a guaranteed trip to a slower metabolism and a physically weaker body. Even under perfect conditions, the body almost never loses bodyfat without also losing some muscle. And remember this rule: when you lose muscle, you have created a slower metabolism.
Let me rephrase that a different way, because this is important. With rare exceptions, your body will lose a little muscle when you lose a substantial amount of bodyfat. About the only way to prevent this from happening is to be a “beginner” to the weight room and not reduce calories too drastically.
But if you’ll notice, the exception depends on exercise! Exercise is the ONLY option that gives you a fighting chance to keep your muscle while you drop bodyfat. In other words, you WILL lose muscle if you restrict calories too much and refuse to stimulate the muscles enough to make them stick around and stay for a while.
Weight loss by dieting without exercise equals muscle loss, which equals a slower metabolism and weaker body. Period.
3) The third problem with weight loss without exercise has to do with Scripture. Read this verse:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
~ 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
The Bible is clear that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and that we are to honor God with our bodies. The reality is that there is no greater way of honoring God with our bodies than to take care of them to the best of our abilities. This includes both healthy nutrition and exercise, since both have been proven to provide countless benefits to our health and longevity.
And longevity is important. Why? Because the longer we are around in a healthy body, the greater amount of service we can provide to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, while it is certainly possible to lose weight without exercise, it isn’t the most efficient option. More importantly, it isn’t the healthy option that honors God with our very best!
Decide today to honor God with your body and get truly Fit For Jesus! Make sure your health and Fitness is Focused on Eternity!
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