For those planning to hit the gym to lose weight take note. A new study suggests that diet is far more important than physical activity including walking fidgeting and formal exercise. The reason is because exercising increases appetite especially with prolonged endurance exercise or with weight lifting that can ultimately sabotage the best of intentions the CNN reported. People who lose weight gradually (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 10 per cent of our calories are burned digesting the food we