I’d agree diet has the bigger impact on weight, by a long way, I think weight loss is eighty percent diet twenty percent exercise.
Howver that’s a simple stat and fails to take some things into account
Firstly if you exercise one day and know you’ll do it again the next you tend not to want to “undo” the good work.
Secondly, fitness improves very very quickly. It’s surprising how fast, within a couple of weeks you will start to see a difference.
Thirdly, once you get into it, you start doing more, as your fitness improves. Becayse you can. And you’re pleased aith your progress.
Fourth, it improves your mood and mental well being. You can be sitting bored and lethargic on the sofa and just feel crap, like you can’t be arsed, but once you force yourself off your arse you actually feel a lot better for it. Then that cycles back to point one, you don’t want to eat shit and undo the work you’ve done.
Fifth, when you need to do anything strenuous, it feels good not to be puffing and panting and not feeling uncomfortable.
And lastly, this is also an important one. As you loose weight if you exercise, your bodies tones up. It gains definition.
An unexercised size ten or twelve body (or whatever ) looks very different to one that’s regularly exercised. The first can still be flabby, loose, flat arse etc, the latter with a toned defined physique ..lean limb muscles, flat stomach, and firm glutes etc.
Two very different looks, but if you’re remotely vain, then looking toned and fit is a huge boost.