In order to lose weight, calories burned must exceed calories eaten. The dilemma is deciding which is the preferable method: to eat less, exercise more, or perhaps consider a combination of the two.
Creating a Calorie Deficit
To create a dietary calorie deficit, dietitians recommend eating 500 fewer calories per day to lose 1 lb. per week.
According to the University of California, Santa Barbara recreation department, walking burns 80 to 100 calories per mile, and humans walk an average of three to 3.5 miles per hour. This equates to over an hour walking each day to burn 500 calories.
Health Benefits
The main health benefit to a reduced calorie intake is weight loss.
Walking offers a number of additional health benefits: The physical activity guidelines for 2008 established by the US Department of Health and Human Services encourage walking to reduce the chance of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Lifestyle Considerations
People who have difficulty restricting their caloric intake (frequent travel, business dining) may opt for walking: Conversely, those who do not have 30 to 60 minutes to walk or do not have an accessible walking arena opt for the dietary caloric restriction.
Combining Methods
The National Weight Control Registry reports that more than 92 percent of successful dieters lost weight with both diet and exercise. Combining exercise with a dietary calorie deficit can reduce the extent of each, or accelerate the rate of weight loss.
Weight Loss Maintenance
Once a healthy weight is achieved, continued caloric restriction is not necessary for maintenance.
Walking is included as a recommendation in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines as a measure to maintain weight loss.
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