Weight Loss/Maintenance = Diet and Exercise
I am catching up on my magazines/reading and read an article from the July/August 2007 edition of Health Magazine reiterating the point that in order to lose weight you MUST exercise! The article pulled data from a variety of studies.
Highlights of the article include the following statistics/information on the importance of exercise to maintain weight loss…
- The National Weight Control Registry reports that 90% of successful dieters use workouts to maintain weight loss.
- The Center for Disease Control reports that 69% of women trying to lose weight DO NOT exercise. Those who do not exercise risk a weight gain rebound.
- A study conducted at Wake Forest University reports that in order to lose the kind of fat associated with heart disease and diabetes, you what? MUST EXERCISE. This research showed that obese women who dieted for 5 months with no exercise saw no change in the size of their fat cells compared to those who did exercise (in those who exercised fat cells shrunk by about 17%). A dieter who incorporates exercise has smaller fat cells and a lower risk of heart disease.
- According to a study published by the Journal of Applied Physiology, people who cut 230 calories our of their DAILY diet for 1 year and DID NOT exercise lost muscle mass, strength and aerobic activity (My first reaction was not one of surprise with this conclusion!). Keeping lean muscle (which happens with exercise) helps increases metabolism allowing you to burn more calories.
- The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a study suggesting that exercise (even without diet) is more effective for managing weight. The study divided people into 3 groups (diet only, exercise only, diet and exercise). Results: 1st year all lost weight. By year 2 diet only group gained 2 lbs over their starting weight. Those who exercised weighed approx 5 1/2 lbs below starting weight.
I tried to find abstracts for these studies and didn’t have luck with all of them. The article didn’t give study dates and these journals have thousands of posted articles and studies.
I believe that in order to lose (short term goal) and maintain (long term goal) weight an individual must do both - Diet and Exercise. (It’s worked for me for over 10 years) It’s the lean muscle mass created through exercise that keeps metabolism active. The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn. Doesn’t that sound good?
What do you think? Diet alone? Exercise alone? Combination? Are you willing to do the work to see the results?
I know that it is exercise and eating well and in the right proportions that is the key to weight loss and long term weight maintenance. What I’m struggling with is that for almost the last 3 months I have normalized my eating and have been exercising so much more that I was before. Yet, the scale is only showing maybe a 4 pound weight loss. I know I am getting stronger and building muscle, but it is very discouraging to not see any actual weight being lost (when I have 30 pounds to lose) and my clothes not fitting any better.
I keep plugging away at it, and hope that soon I’ll see results on the scale.
Congratulations on your diet and exercise endeavors. I’m happy to hear you are continuing to keep at it and not get discouraged. It can certainly be a long process.
The encouraging part is that you are feeling stronger which means changes are happening.
A few questions popped into my mind that I think are worthy of a new post which I will publish later today.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.