Posted on 08/01/2008 10:24:56 AM PDT by Schnucki
Women who want to lose weight - and keep it off - need to be exercising for almost an hour, five days a week, according to US experts.
The University of Pittsburgh study found the 55-minute regime was the minimum needed to maintain a 10% drop in weight.
Only a quarter of the 200 women in the study managed to lose this amount.
A UK expert said it was clear that regular moderate exercise was the way to lose weight, and keep it off.
Approximately two-thirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese, with some estimates suggesting this could rise to nine in ten by 2050.
Research points to a combination of exercise and calorie control as having the best chance of success in weight loss - although the majority of people who attempt these diets fail to keep the weight off.
The latest research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine journal, confirms that plenty of exercise is a key ingredient of success.
The Pittsburgh researchers looked at a group of overweight and obese women over a four year period.
They were all told to eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day, and split into four different exercise programmes, varying the intensity and amount of exercise carried out.
After six months, women in all four groups had lost up to 10% of their body weight - but most could not keep this going.
The women who did maintain the 10% loss were those who reported doing more exercise, on average 275 minutes per week.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight.
If you eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will lose weight.
This applies whether you exercise or not.
bump
Ding. Ding. Ding. I dropped the 15 pounds I wanted to get rid of on eating habits only. I have kept it off with much less excercise that what they recommend. I have been building up in excercise and actually gained a few pounds of muscle.
Going on my 3rd week now of 4 times a week hour long brisk walk. I don’t do scales though, my mirror tells me everything I need to know in correcting my body. So far, so good, clothes already fitting better.
Now, I need to get off of Fat Tire beer, I checked their website and can’t believe the calories in just one bottle. Sheesh, 3 beers and that is close to your daily allowance of calories!
That the reason they want folks to exercise. Regardless of the fact that it's good for your joints, your circulatory system, and the old ticker, it helps to build muscle, and tone you, as you lose weight.
An hour at a time for at least five days a week sounds like a lot, but you don't have to do that hour all at one time. You could two two 1/2 hr. sessions a day, instead. One thing I've found that helps me, when I can't get out and do a long walk, is to walk in place, while I'm watching TV, instead of just sit there. I start with just some slow marching, then as my muscles get warm, I speed up a bit, adding knee lifts, stepping from side to side, then lifting my arms up to the side, and over my head. After my arms are warmed up, I pick up a couple of 1lb. weight balls, and lift using those. After 30 minutes, I do a five minute cool down, just slowing down the steps. Then I do my stretches, and I'm done. Good exercise, without even realizing I've done it! At first, you may gain a couple of pounds, but likely that's muscle, especially if you see your clothes fitting better, in spite of the weight gain. Eventually, the weight will start coming off again.
Must work, because I've lost 40 pounds since Christmas, and for almost half that time, I wasn't able to get outside and walk because of the weather, so I did the inside sessions.
When we finally clear a path to it, in the basement, I'm going to start using our Bowflex for strength training. ;o)
Good advice.Exercise and less calories.I found the key(hard part)is keeping the weight off.Solution-keep exercising and monitor daily caloric intake.Eat too much one day(Sat evening is pizza!)-restrict intake the next day or two.Tried to give this advice to two co-workers who initially lost lots of weight.Now they’re bigger than ever.Oh well.
“Research points to a combination of exercise and calorie control as having the best chance of success in weight loss - although the majority of people who attempt these diets fail to keep the weight off. “
Well......... DUH!
NICE JOB!!!! Congratulations and best of luck to you.
It’s not easy.
prehaps I should post that “Master Of The Obvious” pic you see from time to time...
Well yeah, there IS that! ;o)
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