The American College of Sports Medicine have issued new guidelines on exercise namely increasing physical activity to lose weight and keep it of from 30 min a day to 50 min a day 5 days a week.
In fact the National Weight Control registry also backs this up. This is a registry of 5000 people who have lost weight, an average of 66lb and kept it off long term. Some of the common characteristics of these folks are
• 90% exercise at least an hour a day
• 75% weigh themselves at least once a week
• 78% eat breakfast every day
• 65% watch less than 10 hours of TV a week
So the take home is to be more active overall, small steps such a parking further away, taking the stairs and getting on the stationary bike when watching your favorite TV shows.
Most importantly prevention is the key try and lead a healthy and active lifestyle all the time, and during all seasons. Keep portions in check, choose lean proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables and make activity part of daily family life.
Weigh yourself regularly and if you see the scales sneaking up on you step it up, because it will take more activity to get the weight gain of.
However don’t be disheartened, if you are starting to try and lose weight, the 5000 in the registry are already successfully doing it.
Find activities you enjoy and mix it up so you don’t get bored. Consider finding a local personal trainer and dietitian to support your efforts. The support will do wonders, when things seem hard and you feel like giving up they will be there to lift you up and get you going again. They can assist you to develop the skills you need to lead an energized life.
Rebecca Subbiah RD, LDN, cPT
www.dietitianforhire.com
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