There are so many experts on television, online and in magazines telling you how to lose weight, all the information can become confusing. There is no magic pill; weight loss all boils down to eating fewer calories than you burn. Weight loss is best taken as a two-step approach: lose the weight, then maintain it. Diet may be more effective at helping you lose weight, but exercise should be used for maintenance.
Diet or Exercise
A combination of diet and exercise is the fastest, most effective way to lose weight. Exercising alone may not burn enough calories to result in substantial weight loss. According to David Nieman, author of the book, "Exercise Testing and Prescription," there are misconceptions concerning exercise for weight loss. Physical activity can be used as an excuse to overeat, contradicting any positive effects the activity might have had. Sticking to a diet can counteract overeating. Although aerobic exercise does burn calories, most exercisers don't work hard enough for the activity to create a substantial increase in metabolic rate. A regular exercise program combining aerobic and resistance training can help burn calories and favorably change your body composition.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise is best used as an adjunct to diet or for weight maintenance. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, regular exercise can help prevent cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and certain types of cancer. Adding exercise to a diet can help increase weight loss over time. Physical activity has also been shown to help with weight maintenance after a significant amount of weight has been lost.
Types of Diets
The calorie-restricting diet is the most common form of diet. These types of diets fall into one of three categories: moderate deficit diet, low calorie diet or very low calorie diet. The moderate deficit diet is recommended by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and keeps calories between 1,000 to 1,200 a day for women and 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day for men. A low calorie diet, cuts your calories to 800 to 1,000 per day for women and 800 to 1,200 calories per day for men. A very low calorie diet is usually only recommended under the supervision of a doctor. This diet restricts calories to less than 800 calories per day.
Weight loss should be considered a lifestyle change involving a fresh outlook on diet and exercise. Turning your attention to nutritious, low energy dense foods and monitoring your daily caloric intake will help you lose weight steadily and effectively.
Choosing a Safe Diet
According to Nieman,certain aspects of a diet can help you determine if it will be a safe and effective way to lose weight. A good diet should encourage a reasonable weight loss of between one to two pounds per week, without cutting out too many calories. Diets that cut calories lower than 1,200 per day for a woman or 1,600 calories per day for a man can be dangerous and provide inadequate nutrition. Niemam warns against using any program that makes you reliant on a certain product. This may not be safe or effective for long-term weight loss. Your diet should be centered around a lifestyle change and include maintenance; only this will result in successful long-term weight loss.
References
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Mithcell H. Whaley, PhD, Peter H. Brubaker, Phd, Robert Otto, Phd (Eds.); 2006.
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Healthy Eating Plan
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