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It's not
just cutting calories
Eating less,
or cutting back on fat in your diet,
won't keep the weight off. What you
really need to do is strike a good
balance between the number of
calories you consume and the number
you burn. And the only way to do
that is to exercise.
Don't groan!
By exercising, you can lose weight
while you eat more calories than if
you simply went on a diet. Regular
physical activity is much more
effective at keeping the weight off
in the long run than any diet.
One choice
is aerobic exercise
With aerobic
exercise, you can lose weight
without drastically reducing the
calories you consume or sacrificing
important nutritional needs. One
reason for this is because aerobic
exercise not only elevates your
metabolism while you're exercising,
it can also keep it elevated even
after you're done, depending of
course on how long and how strong
you exercise.
You've
probably heard about exercise
programs that actually turn your
body into a ''fat-burning machine.''
Aerobics can do that. An aerobic
program you stick with can help you
lose weight easier because it can
stimulate your body and make it burn
calories.
If weight
control is your goal, some types of
aerobic activity will work better
than others. Low-impact aerobics,
like walking, step aerobics and
low-impact aerobic dance are your
best bets. Some good no-impact
aerobic activities you can benefit
from include swimming, bicycling and
rowing.
If you're just
getting started, begin with as
little as 15 minutes of low-impact
aerobics three times a week.
Gradually increase to 30 minutes of
moderate aerobic activity four times
a week.
Strength
training = weight management
Your muscles
burn calories during physical
activity. What you may not know is
your muscles also burn calories when
your body is at rest. Increase your
muscle mass, and you'll be
increasing your body's capacity to
burn calories both during activity
and at rest.
Add to that
the research that shows diets that
restrict calories substantially can
cause the loss of lean muscle mass,
along with the loss of fat. By
incorporating strength training into
your activity program, as well as
following a moderate diet, you'll be
able to maintain lean muscle mass
while you lose fat.
Start any
strength-training program with one
set of exercises and a weight that
allows you to complete eight to 12
repetitions. Your program should
exercise your legs, arms, chest and
upper back. If you want to
strengthen your stomach and lower
back, increase the number of
repetitions with weights that offer
less resistance.
Success
means good eating and good exercise
Follow a
moderate low-fat diet and an
exercise program that combines
aerobic activity and strength
training. That's the key to losing
weight - and keeping it off.
Begin slowly
with exercises you find comfortable
and build as your body becomes
accustomed to the activity level.
Don't start out too hard or too
fast. Chances are you may injure
yourself or quit before you've done
yourself much good.
And remember,
you can't lose weight overnight. Set
a realistic weight-loss goal for
yourself - like one to two pounds a
week - eat healthy, get going on a
program of regular physical
activity, and you'll be delighted by
what you accomplish.
Maintaining a
lower, healthier body weight is
something you can accomplish. So
start now and keep on going! |
