When it comes to getting the number on the scale down, everyone is searching for the one perfect solution. Is diet the answer or is it exercise? Spoiler alert: What and how much you eat has a far greater impact on weight loss than how much you exercise, although working out is undeniably beneficial. Heres how it breaks down:

The Case for Diet

The Case (Sort of) Against Exercise

But exercise is still very important

While exercise wont by itself help you lose weight, its vital to your health. Regular exercise lowers blood pressure, improves cardiovascular health, strengthens bone and helps prevent injury as you age, says Steigerwald. Plus, if you are trying to lose weight, pumping up your workouts, particularly weight training, which builds muscle and may jump-start metabolism, can nudge you past plateaus. Studies also show that people whove lost weight keep it off if they exercise most days of the week.

Bottom line: While you cant out-exercise a bad diet, you need exercise to fine-tune a body made healthier by a good diet.

Read more:
Diet vs. Exercise - Mindful by Sodexo