The Exercise Factor – Without exercise you can’t burn those extra calories. Always remember the body likes slow steady change, it was not designed to adjust to crash diets and sudden bursts of exercise.

For example, if you have not exercised in years you cannot just get off the couch and run a mile. To do so could actually cause injury and harm to your body because your fitness level isn’t up to the task. You need to start slow and work your way up. Slow and steady does it. Even if its just walking everyday, walking burns calories.

It is excess calories that help lead to being overweight. Exercise also helps with the plateau syndrome that happens when we take off a few pounds and stay at that weight, while primarily dieting alone. It is however possible to eat within your normal range of calories and increase your activity level to the point that you will loose weight if your weight isn’t at a plateau level.

If you hate the gym, dance for 20 minutes a day in your house or take a light stroll. In many cases one has to be creative to be effective with exercising. Chances are if its something you enjoy doing you are more likely to do it consistently. You have to be consistent to get the results you are striving for. For those with health issues you can consult your doctor and there are low impact exercises like swimming that may work for you.

With an easy location to utilize and reasonable costs, the more willing you will be to do your exercise regularly. You can incorporate more exercise in your daily routine also. Simple things like leaving your car behind and walking to the nearest store is a possibility. Maybe take the stairs instead of the elevator up a level or two. While watching TV use the commercial time to do something like a leg lift or sit ups. Every step and movement helps in the fight for weight loss.

In terms of exercise along with diet one should be working out 3 to 5 times a week. The best type of exercise is a combination of aerobic (it can be low impact) and some kind of weight training. You need aerobic exercise whether low impact or high energy in order to burn calories. Aerobic exercise burns calories while using oxygen, you are elevating your heart rate and your breaths per minute increase. Depending on your level of fitness will determine the type of aerobic activity you choose. This is what is referred to as Cardiovascular exercise because it also works the heart to beat faster. So aerobic definitely is good for the heart and lungs.

Then for muscle tone you do weight training as well. The idea of weights is you have 60% less oxygen while using them and this burns stored fat and this is what tones the muscle. Weights also reduce the chance of loosing muscle mass while loosing weight. This kind of combination of cardio and weights is called cross circuit training. This is the preferred method of fitness by most experts today. Keep in mind based on your level of fitness and health you can find a combination exercise program that is ideal for you. You don’t have to run a marathon to get a healthy workout.

Rapid Weight Loss

Another issue concerning healthy weight loss is rapid weight loss. There is a tendency with diets that have severe cuts in calories and restrict certain foods to result in rapid weight loss but you gain it back just as quickly. You cannot stay on these diets indefinitely and when you resume normal eating the weight comes back on. It is a known fact that restriction of certain foods, missing meals and food deprivation actually slows down the metabolism which burns the calories and fat intake at a much slower rate making the weight loss plan less effective.

It is considered by diet and nutritional experts better to loose weight slowly and steadily then quickly. Loosing weight too rapidly can lead to health complications. Also when you drop weight quickly a lot of it is water weight. The ideal amount of weight to loose per week is 1 to 2 pounds a week for healthy weight loss.

There is also the idea that if one cheats occasionally one’s diet is ruined. This is not true. We are all human and indulging once in a while without binging is actually a good reward for one’s hard work. When we feel deprived and are in restrictive diets that are difficult to stay on then we tend to cheat to compensate for the sense of deprivation. When we feel like we are missing something thats when we fall off the wagon again and again in the diet regimen.

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