Genetics will determine some of how your body responds. Lucky folks lose more quickly than the masses. Men, with their increased muscle mass, take off weight much more easily than most women. However, these are factors out of your control so focus on the two you can control - diet and exercise.
I know from personal experience that weight loss is mostly dependent on my diet. This concept has been reinforced over the last three weeks as I've followed a detox cleanse eating plan. I've lost 5+ pounds and actually been working out less! For 21 days I've done yoga, light cardio and haven't even wear my heartrate monitor...and guess what? Those pesky few pounds I've been struggling with are gone because I eliminated crappy carbs and kept my caloric intake steady. All diet.
If you look at the numbers, it makes sense that diet is more important. A typical gym session will only burn 500-600 calories (and that is if the person is really pushing themselves). I know I can wolf down 600 calories in about ten minutes with a plate of brie, french bread, chocolate and a bottle of wine. No matter how hard we try, or how badly we want to, we cannot "burn off" our caloric indulgences.
Now, I'm not saying don't exercise. Quite the opposite. Exercise should be a foundation and should be done routinely as part of a wellness regiment. I do cardio and resistance training most days of the week, but I don't factor the caloric burn into my daily targets -- exercise is assumed and is a non-issue. I workout because it makes me feel good and strong...not because it is burning a measly 300 calories. When exercise becomes more important is during the maintenance phase. Once the weight is off and dietary restrictions ease up slightly, exercise is crucial to keeping it off.
As the pressure to get summer bathing suit ready approaches, remember to focus your effort on what makes the greatest impact -- diet. Don't worry about whether you burned 300 or 500 calories in your spin class...focus on what you will eat AFTER your spin class.
