Is regular physical exercise an effective weight-loss strategy?

Regular physical activity is a great start to weight loss but it is only one component to weight loss.  Three things you must consider for your weight loss goal.  One is your resistance training, second is your cardiovascular training and third is your meal planning. All three work together to help you lose the weight you want.  However the biggest thing of all is making sure you burn more calories than you take in.  If this does not happen it doesn't matter how much you are working out you will not lose weight. 

Regular physical activity is definitely beneficial for weightloss, but studies show physical activity in itself cannot produce weightloss results.  In order to achieve weightloss, exercise must be incorporated with a proper nutrition program. To lose weight, an individual must burn more calories than they consume, this is known as the Law of Thermodynamics.  Exercise will increase the number of calories burned, but weightloss will depend on a caloric deficit.  Lets consider a typical person performing moderate cardio, walking, for 30 minutes.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says a 154lb person will burn approximately 140 calories while walking for 30 minutes.  Lets also consider what food items contain 140 calories.

240 calories in Peanut Butter Powerbar
160 calories in Mc Donalds hashbrown
378 calories in Mc Donalds chicken salad
133 calories in one serving of Atkins Advantage Protien Shake
144 calories in 20 raw almonds
172 calories in 3 large eggs
(Information from Calorieking.com)

The list of foods could go on and on.  The point being, it does not take much food to offset the work performed during exercise. Although the physical and psychological benefits of exercise are endless, strictly considering weightloss there has to be a larger perspective. Burn more calories than are being consumed and the weight will come off.  For more information on nutrition consult a licensed professional, or contact an HFPN Coach for information on becoming a DotFIT member and enjoying the guidance of an online coach.

Yes, regular physical exercise will definitely help you reach your weight loss goals, but for most people it is also important to incorporate a proper nutrition program in addition to the physical activity. To lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in. This can be done through activity, diet, or a combination of both. The majority of people simply do not burn enough calories through exercise alone to create the weight loss they desire. Instead of working out for multiple hours per day, simply cut back on the calories in your diet as well. This will make more of an impact and help you reach your goals in an easier and more realistic way.

Regular physical exercise is an important part of an effective weight loss strategy. The more we move the more calories we burn. However, if the same exercise is always performed your body will soon catch on and you may plateau so be sure to change things up every few weeks. Also, keep in mind when weight loss is the goal, nutrition is very important. I recommend using the program on www.sharecare.com that allows you to make sure your calories and exercise work together to meet your goals.

Regular exercise is an important component of an effective weight loss strategy. A healthy, balanced diet with the appropriate amount of calories, staying well hydrated, and exercising at a good intensity all combined will create an effective weight loss strategy.

Physical exercise can help you not only lose weight, but gain good weight (muscle) and maintain weight. So, whatever you fitness goal is, activity/exercise helps. But exercise alone can't do the job. You should eat a balance, nutritious diet as well, of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Also, limit salt, sugar, unhealthy fats such as trans and saturated. Make sure to stay hydrated before, during and after exercise. Drink even more during warm weather. Combining at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week with a healthy diet is a great way to lose weight. Consult your health care professional or a registered dietician for information on what exercise and diet are best for you, especially if you have health issues. Sharecare professionals are also here to help. Reach out to us. Good luck!    

Regular physical exercise is the number one important thing you must do for weight loss. However, you are highly unlikely to reach and maintain your goals without proper nutrition. It's important to have a plan where you are able to have proper nutrition and exercise at least 90% of the time for weight loss. Your physical exercise should include strength training as well as cardiovascular exercise and it's helpful to add in activities that you actually enjoy such as a nice, outdoor bike ride or bowling.

Your nutrition should include proper amounts of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to feed your heart and other organs and also help move your fiber through you. Fiber is very important and if you don't know how much you're getting in a day you are at risk of not getting enough. 20-30 grams is best and always check with your M.D. before starting a new fitness and nutrition program.  

Regular exercise should be part of an effective weight-loss strategy, but it needs to be combined with good nutrition as well.  You can't exercise your way out of a bad diet.  Exercise will complement your efforts in the kitchen, and can help you bust through plateaus, as long as your eating is also spot-on.

REALLY? I think we all know that answer to that! It is common sense that including regular physical exercise into your everyday life will not only help you lose weight, but also live a longer, happier, healthier life. Be creative and figure out ways to
be active – do a set of pushups in the shower, lunge to get the laundry, squat while
you wait for the microwave, take the stairs often (maybe go up and down and
extra time). Be sure to buy a pedometer and take 10,000 steps per day and make 20 minutes of these steps higher intensity by doing things I listed above or walking faster. All of your movement adds up so you don’t have to find a set time to fit it in, you just need to fit it in. Post on my wall the creative movement you have come up with!

Although, exercise alone might not help you lose weight, it's difficult to lose weight and keep it off without regular exercise. Weight loss is mostly related to calories consumed versus burned. Regular physical exercise is beneficial to your health in many ways, and can be an important part of helping you lose weight. Regular physical exercise does burn calories, but it also helps to boost your spirits and give you mental as well as physical energy (after the initial adjustment period). Making the commitment to yourself to exercise for the many health benefits you gain, not just weight loss, is so important for maintaining a successful, ongoing exercise routine.

Regular exercise is an effective strategy to aid you in maintaining health AND increasing calorie burning. Keep in mind that every calorie burned cancels a calorie eaten. So, with that in mind exercise can help to create an energy deficit.

To maximize exercises calorie usage be sure to utilize the type of training known as Integrated Training which combines strength work with cardio work and utilizes many muscles at once. This method has been shown to burn more calories and help increase metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories).

Research shows exercise alone is of limited value as a weight-loss strategy. In one of the latest studies in women, even substantial increases in exercise alone were not enough to produce weight loss. To lose weight, the exercise had to be coupled with a reduced intake of calories. In contrast, men were able to lose weight through increased exercise alone. This difference might be because the men were able to burn more calories in exercise than women, or it might reflect some metabolic difference in how men and women respond to exercise. We at the Hunger Free Forever program think we know the real answer to this riddle. It has to do with muscle mass. The ability to lose weight with exercise is a direct reflection of a person&aposs muscle mass. Since men have a larger muscle mass than women, the effect of exercise alone as a weight-loss strategy is more apparent in men.

The more muscle mass that you have, the more fat you burn. Muscle mass is the primary fat-burning furnace in the body A muscle cell burns as much as fifteen times more calories per day than a fat cell. The importance of building muscle mass for effective weight loss cannot be overstated. Likewise, muscle mass is the primary factor that will determine how quickly you can lose weight even if you are carefully following a sensible weight-loss plan. Low muscle mass is a primary reason why many people hit a plateau at some point during a weight-loss program.

For these reasons, radical diets that result in significant loss of muscle need to be avoided at all costs. They may work in the short run, but they set you up for failure later on. Instead, it is vital that you follow a plan that avoids loss of muscle while you lose weight. The Hunger Free Forever program has been shown to preserve muscle mass while you lose weight. Most of the patients increase their lean muscle mass and end up with no decrease (in fact, often an increase) in their resting metabolic rate at the end of the program. The fact is that increasing your muscle mass is one of the best ways to ensure that you can keep your weight off over the long haul without having to endure hunger or feel deprived of the joy of eating.