1/23/2007

Successful Weight Control: It's not just cutting calories

According to ACE, 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. 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 You'veprobably heard about exercise programs that turn your body into a ''fat-burning machine.'' An aerobic programcan help you lose weight more easily because it can stimulate your body and make it burn calories. Low-impact aerobics like walking, step aerobics and dance are your best bets. Some good no-impact aerobic activities you can benefit from include swimming, bicycling and rowing. Begin with as littleas 15 minutes of low-impact aerobics three times aweek. 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 burncalories 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.

Success means good eating and good exercise Follow a moderate low-fat diet and an exerciseprogram that combines aerobic activity and strengthtraining. That's the key to losing weight - and keeping it off. 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.

ACE Fit Facts are reprinted from ACE FitnessMattersmagazine, Permission Granted

Fitness Articles for You