You don't need to drive to a gym to lose weight. You can burn fat and help the environment in the process by walking more, driving less, growing your own food and eating a plant-based diet. For even more of a positive effect, help clean up a park or road to go green and lose weight.
Park the Car
Not only will parking your car and walking, bicycling or taking mass transit lower your carbon emissions it can help you shed pounds. A study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University and published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health in 2008 compared transportation habits and obesity rates in Europe, North America and Australia. The study found that automobile use directly correlated to obesity rates. However walking, bicycling and taking mass transit had the reverse effect of lowering obesity rates.
Plant a Garden
The call to "buy local" couldn't be easier when you plant your own garden. You'll spare the environment of at least some of the harmful effects of excess packaging, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as fuel and emissions that would have been used to transport the food to your grocer. Furthermore, gardening burns about 300 calories per hour. As an added bonus, the fruit and vegetables you grow will be low in calories but high in fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Gardening provides the ultimate solution for going green and losing weight.
Go Vegan
A vegan diet might sound limiting initially because vegans don't eat meat, fish or any animal product, including eggs, milk and honey. But what's left is a bounty of plant foods including nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables. These foods provide all of the elements you need for good health, such as fiber, healthful fats, protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants, and relatively little of the stuff you don't need, such as saturated fats and trans fats. The fiber in a plant-based diet is particularly helpful for weight loss because it contains fiber, which keeps you feeling fuller longer. Not only does a vegan diet yield a smaller waistline but it also helps the planet. A study published by the University of Chicago's Gidon Eshel in the December 2005 issue of the journal Earth Interactions found that consuming a vegan diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions when compared to a diet containing animal products.
Clean Up the Outdoors
To burn calories and help the environment, consider adopting a highway, helping clean up a park or planting a tree. These activities burn energy at about 300 calories per hour--higher if you're working vigorously--and are a green alternative to working out at a gym.
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