Diet and Exercise for Weight
Loss
 You
can find all kinds of
information on how to eat in
order to lose weight, but few
diets emphasize the importance
of exercise. Losing weight,
keeping it off and just enjoying
better overall health all
require exercise.
Diet and Exercising for Weight
Loss
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Obesity is now being called an
epidemic in the health
community. In fact, it will soon
be the leading cause of
preventable death in the United
States, even ahead of cigarette
smoking. Obesity leads to type
two diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease or
stroke and even an increased
risk of cancer. With all of
these health risks, as well as
the general improvement in the
quality of life that can occur,
losing weight is one of the best
things that you can do for
yourself.
No matter what we would like to
believe, there simply isn't a
magic solution to losing weight.
The body will shed excess fat
when it needs more calories to
function through the demands you
place on it in a given day than
the amount of calories that you
feed it. It's that simple. So,
in order to lose weight, you
need to decrease the number of
calories that you eat as well as
increase the amount that you
burn.
There is a wide range of options
to choose from when looking for
a weight loss program. All of
them often spend a lot of time
explaining what to eat, in what
amounts and even at what times
or in what combinations. But few
of them emphasize the importance
of exercise not just for losing
weight, but for your general
health and wellbeing. Exercise
is vital when trying to lose
weight for several reasons:
* First, as you start to eat
less, your metabolism will slow
down somewhat. Exercising helps
to elevate your metabolism back
to an efficient level.
* Second, as mentioned, exercise
burns more calories so that you
can lose weight faster and stay
motivated in your efforts.
* Third, exercise actually
releases endorphins, chemicals
that keep your mood elevated.
Exercise doesn't have to mean
spending hours at the gym or
straining through exhausting
workouts. In fact, in order for
you to stick with it on the long
run, exercising should be
something that you enjoy. Start
by increasing your activity
level in an overall way. Take
the stairs when you can. Park
further from the mall door when
you go shopping. Go for a walk
in the park or through a
neighborhood you love and bring
a dog or a friend along for
company. Take dance or martial
arts lessons.
Once you become more active in
general, you'll find it easier
and more natural to move into
regular exercise. Which you'll
need to do eventually in order
to get regular, noticeable
health benefits. You need to
raise your heart rate to a fat
burning level and keep it there
for at least 20 minutes, 3 times
or more a week. However, if you
don’t want to go to a gym, there
are other options. Videos and
DVDs are now available in all
kinds of exercise types. That
way you can change your routine
whenever you want so that you
don't get bored with what you're
doing. Try a range of aerobics,
kickboxing, yoga, or pretty much
any activity you want right in
the comfort of your own home.
If you have physical limitations
that would keep you off from
exercising, you can still find a
way to increase your activity
level. Water aerobics is a
wonderful option for those who
have joint problems or limited
mobility because it relieves the
pressure on your body that your
weight provides. But you still
get the resistance to challenge
your muscles from the water.
There are even classes and
videos available that let you
exercise in a seated position.
Whatever kind of exercise you
choose, it's important to stay
motivated and keep it fun. Try
gathering a group together to
make it a social event. Or get a
pedometer, a device that tracks
how far you walk, and see how
many miles you can walk a week.
Make a competition amongst your
friends or family members and
treat the winner with something
special (not food related!).
Make the experience of
exercising something that you
look forward to, and it will
soon become a regular part of
your healthier lifestyle.
Jane Flinders reviews some of
the most popular diets and diet
aids at http://www.DietsIndex.com
where you can find different
diet plans, sample menus, food
lists, diets classifications,
tips and tricks on how to stay
on the diet you choose.
By Jane Flinders
Published: 12/3/2005
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