Healthy Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep it Off Without Dieting

Truthfully, many diets can effectively promote weight loss for a period of time but as soon as the dieter returns to their regular eating habits the weight will return because the changes made were temporary. Successful weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes including good eating habits and regular physical activity. Further, people who consume fat free diet foods have an increased risk of weight gain due to the amount of sugar and artificial ingredients added to take the place of the fat. The more calories burned the bigger the deficit between calories consumed and calories used, causing a loss of body fat. While a lower intensity workout such as walking promotes the use of stored fat as fuel, fewer calories are burned over all as compared to calories burned during higher intensity exercise like jogging. Since weight loss is due to the total calories burned, no matter the source of the calories, it is more effective to exercise at a higher intensity. People who have been sedentary for a long period of time can start by walking on a treadmill or outdoors for at least 30 minutes per day, followed by 15 or 20 minutes of light weight training every other day. Small changes like taking the stairs or parking far from store entrances can help burn up extra calories in daily activities. Carl Foster, Exercise Physiology /ACE’s Essentials of Exercise Science, American Council on Exercise 2010