There is one question that consistently gets asked when it comes to losing weight: “Should I focus more on my nutrition or exercise?”

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, diet and activity levels are usually the first two things I inquire about. How many steps are you logging a day? How many days a week do you work out? How many calories are you consuming daily? Are you eating enough vegetables?

There are a ton more things we can dive into, but when it comes down to it, nutrition is more important than exercise for fat loss.

Before I make some people upset (BUT WEIGHTLIFTING?!), I want to explain why nutrition needs to be prioritized a bit more than exercise.

Calorie Intake

For fat loss to occur, there needs to be a calorie deficit, meaning fewer calories need to be consumed than expended. I don’t care what fad diet you’re on; it all comes down to total calories.

There will be some people who argue that people lose fat when they eat more. Sure, there are situations like this, and it typically happens to people who are looking to add more muscle and get stronger. To add lean muscle tissue to your frame, a small increase in calorie consumption is usually necessary, and as lean muscle mass increases, fat loss can occur.

But, to be clear, it doesn’t always happen this way. An increase in muscle mass usually leads to some weight gain, and some of that weight can come from fat.

For someone who is solely focused on losing fat and weight, you do need to cut down on your calories. This doesn’t need to be drastic—about 10% fewer calories than what you are currently consuming—but this will probably require you to track your calories and make adjustments from there.

Protein

Another part of the nutrition equation is protein. A lot of people will just cut down on calories and not take into account how important protein is. Not only is it extremely satiating, but this will help you maintain the muscle you already have.

Losing weight and fat is great and all, but it’s important to ensure that a healthy amount of lean muscle mass is maintained as well.

If you’re not sure if you are getting protein in your diet, aim for at least 20% of total calories to come from protein. Honestly, I would try to consume more than that, but 20% is a great place to start.

Exercise Is Still Important

I’ll admit that nutrition is a large part of losing fat, but so is exercise. However, not all exercise is created equal.

Practicing yoga daily is exercise, but it’s not what I would recommend if you want to lose weight.

Instead, weight training is the clear choice if you want to lose and maintain fat loss. Remember how we talked about the importance of lean muscle mass? Well, the only way to improve the percentage of lean muscle mass in the body is by lifting weights. Essentially, you need a stimulus that utilizes fast-twitch muscle fibers to get the best muscle building response.

Some can argue certain methods of cardio can do this, like sprinting and plyometrics, but these are modes of exercise that shouldn’t be done as often as lifting weights. The average person may not be properly trained to sprint and complete plyometric exercises with good form, and to repeatedly complete workouts in this manner can lead to severe soreness and possible injuries.

However, even though rest days are absolutely necessary for weight training, weight training is more forgiving on the joints (and can actually improve bone and joint health).

Overall, making the right nutritional choices will carry over into long-term fat loss. If you can dial in on the nutrition and make consistent, healthy choices, it will not only be easier for you to lose fat, but keep it off as well. Add in resistance training to your routine, and you’ll be in a good place to lose fat.