About Exercise

In my last post, I mentioned how important it is to not cram more calories into your mouth than you could ever hope to burn off.  I attempted to illustrate how easy it is to eat a tremendous amount of calories in a short amount of time.  In no way was that caution meant to imply that exercise is not vital to weight loss and maintenance.  In fact, unless you are completely paralyzed from the eyebrows down, you must exercise, preferably every day.

Check out this article by James Hill, PhD, one of the founders of the National Weight Control Registry.  He states: 

We could identify few commonly shared features of how these people [those on the Registry who maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds over a year] lost weight. The only common characteristic was that 89% of registry participants used both diet and physical activity to lose weight: only 10% used diet alone, and 1% used exercise alone.

If you really want to be a successful weight-loser, you must diet and you must exercise, unless you are like the elite one percent of people on the National Weight Control Registry who were able to lose over thirty pounds (and keep it off!) through exercise alone.  Likewise, diet alone might work, but not nearly as well as diet coupled with exercise.

The article describes "four types of behavior common to the National Weight Control Registry participants: 1) eating a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet; 2) eating breakfast almost every day; 3) frequent self-monitoring of weight; and 4) participation in a high level of physical activity."  In fact, " (o)nly 9% of registry participants reported keeping their weight off without engaging in physical activity."

I can tell you this.  I haven't focused on losing weight only to regain it all back next year.  So, I'm studying the characteristics of those who have done what I want to do--that is, reach my normal weight and then maintain it.

And my research tells me that daily strenuous exercise is in my future.  It's in my present, too, to speed me along to my future.

Which is why, last night, at 8:40 p.m., when my husband returned home, I drove to the YMCA so I could do my regularly scheduled work-out with the weight machines.  Then I jogged my half-mile on the track and did my push-ups and sit-ups.  I returned home an hour later.

I am committed to exercise.  I hope you are committed to exercise, too.  Find something that you are willing to do every day.  You don't even have to love it--you just have to do it. 

You'll love how you feel afterwards and you'll love being able to zip up smaller pants.

*  *  *

I also want to note that yesterday, my husband and I took our four children, plus two others (age 2 and 4, almost), to the Western Washington Fair.  I intended to seek out Mexican food, thinking that would be my best nutritional bet, but as it turned out, I didn't have time to eat, so the only thing I consumed at the fair was a Diet Coke.  No scones.  No funnel cake (750 calories each!).  No giant cookies. 

And I had fun anyway!  Who knew?

Comments

[meowmix]

Coming out of lurkdom here....that's awesome you made it through a fair with just a diet coke! You are a total inspiration to me. I've only been reading for about a week now, but it's amazing how much motivation I've already gotten from you. I have a 3yr old and a 7 month old, and I'm trying to lose the 10 "baby pounds" I have left and then also about 45 extra I could do without. Really, I need to lose more like 75 to be at the "right" weight (170 at 5'10"), but I'd be happy at 200. So, yes, I weigh 255 right now. I was down to 225 2 summers ago and it felt great. I can only imagine how great 200 will feel. But I'm going to get there and you're going to help me! Just keep writing and doing what you do, ok!?

[Jax]

Mel - I appreciate the effort you put into finding and sharing resources. For me, I know exercise is important, but looking at those numbers really made it hit home with me.

After 8 weeks, I'm in a good groove foodwise, so now I need to be working to get into that exercise groove.

[Melissa]

I came across this link to an article on the Weight Watchers boards about a man that lost 100 lbs through diet and exercise and is now training for the Ironman Triathalon: www.sacbee.com/107/story/22811.html
Even though I have no desire whatsoever to participate in a triathalon (just thinking of a 5K makes me breakout into a cold sweat...), I still found the article to be very inspirational. Just thought I'd share!