When it comes to living a long, healthy life, there are two necessary ingredients: diet and fitness. While some believe they are one thing all together, nothing could be further from the truth. It is entirely possible to have a perfectly healthy diet with deplorable fitness habits. It is also possible to be in very good physical shape with less than salty eating habits.


There is a clever little line in Jimmy Buffet's song "Fruitcakes" when his "lady" complains:

"I treat my body like a temple

You treat yours like a tent ”

I can't help but think of this line every time I think of all the people around the world who are going on these trash diets in hopes of getting weight loss success from those who approve these products.

To be completely honest, it is possible to lose weight through diet alone. It is difficult but possible. It is also possible to be in good physical shape and have a few extra pounds. To a large extent, we are what we eat. If we consume a diet high in fat and low in substances, our bodies will not have the fuel to burn fat. At the same time, if we don't provide our body with the tools it needs to build muscle, it doesn't matter how much weight we lift.


When it comes to diet and fitness, the best results are achieved when working together rather than separately. Use your fitness routine to burn excess calories, and use your diet to properly provide your body with the nutrients and fuel it needs to build muscle. I have heard many times in my life that a pound of muscle weighs less than a pound of fat. Although this is not at all true, a pound is a pound anyway; a pound of muscle takes up less space on the body than a pound of fat. Pound for pound, I would much prefer mine to be made up of muscle rather than fat. Diet alone doesn't build muscle and it's something you'll do well to remember in your efforts.

You should also understand that as you build muscle you may lose inches without showing much progress on the scale. It is very important that you keep this in mind throughout the weight loss process. Do not measure your progress by scales alone or you will get misleading results. The problem is, far too many people do just that and get frustrated and give up when they make progress. Don't allow yourself to be a victim of the scales. Look in the mirror, try on your pants on tight, and measure your waistline. Measure your success by how you feel after climbing a flight of stairs, not by the number of pounds that have fallen off the scale this week.

By incorporating fitness into your diet, you also allow your body to burn any extra calories that you may have consumed during the day. This means that if you want to have a little “cheat” during your day, you can compensate for it by burning a few more calories than normal in the evening. It's not something that should happen often, but the occasional event is not going to make or break your diet.


You should also think of weight loss and fitness as a ball-and-glove relationship. While you can play ball without the glove, it seems to work so much better if you have both. Diet and fitness, when combined, can create fantastic weight loss results for those who take them both seriously. The thing to remember is that neither works this well on its own and neither will work unless you're ready to do the job. You need to make it a priority in your life in order to get the best possible results.