Sam Wood: is diet or exercise more important for weight loss?

A question that I often get and one that frustrates me to no end is, “Sam, what’s more important? My diet or my workouts?”

If I’m being completely honest, this really annoys me. Why do we need to choose one?

They are both equally as important and the reality is if you are only able to get on top of one these then you will never get the results that you are looking for.

So, here’s a few of my favourite messages that have always stuck with me and might help you understand why you shouldn’t place greater value on one than the other.

“You can’t out-train a bad diet”

The reality is that unless you’re an endurance athlete or you spend a good portion of your week training, it’s likely that you’re not burning nearly as many calories as you think you are. This is especially true for 9-5 desk workers who spend most of their day sitting at a computer. Even if you’re an avid F45er, this still applies to you!

Of course it’s great to finish a high-intensity workout in the morning, but if you spend the rest of the day seated and never say no to the office biscuit tin, you’re probably not going to have a calorie deficit or even break even.

“Abs are made in the kitchen”

You can do 100 sit-ups a day but this doesn’t mean you’re going to have a six-pack for beach season.

Sit-ups are one of many exercises that work our abdominals, but you’ll never be able to see them if they are covered by body fat.

This saying is an oldie but a goodie, as abs really are made in the kitchen.

“Training + Nutrition isn’t 1 + 1 = 2

… it is 1 + 1 = 3”

I always say that it’s much better to be an 8/10 in your training and nutrition than be 10/10 in one and neglect the other. You get far greater results when you focus on both and working out and good nutrition truly go hand in hand when it comes to losing or maintaining weight.

“Food is to be enjoyed, not counted”

There is a reason that my 28ers don’t count calories on my program and it is because I want them all to have a healthy relationship with food. A healthy relationship with food means no counting, eating real food and not experiencing stress, guilt or anxiety over what you’re putting into your mouth.

I encourage everyone to shift their your focus from the numbers in food and instead to think about what the food you’re eating is doing for your body. It’s about the nutritional value of what you’re consuming, not just how many calories are in it.

“Move because you love your body, not because you hate it”

This is one of my favourite sayings. We are often so quick to recognize if we have an unhealthy relationship with food, but this often isn’t the case with exercise. I completely understand that negative thought patterns are hard to kick but we need to stop exercising because we hate how we look or feel. Exercise because it makes you feel good, exercise for your body and your mind, and exercise because you are so lucky that you can.

There’s so many more where these came from, but you get the point. We eat quality food because it does so many good things for us and we move our body because it too does so many good things for us. To take complete care of our bodies and our minds we must prioritise both and know nutrition and exercise combined will have a far greater effect if you’re serious about getting results. ●

● 28bysamwood.com