Progress is made on the margin. Cutting calories in your diet only goes so far. Exercise will triple that margin.
Exercise burns the most calories AFTER the workout when the body is recuperating. In addition, exercise also suppresses appetite. It also makes the next workout session easier due to higher energy levels.
Biology is fighting all of us. As we get older, our metabolism slows down and that margin has to be maintained. Only exercise can keep that margin a healthy one.
If you look at the fitness competitors, while many are too lean, you see a pattern of working out 5-7 days a week and eating mostly lean foods.
This guy has the best overall program, but if you talk to any trainer, you will get the same advice. The results speak for themselves. You do not need to spend a lot of time, but that time has to be used right.
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