Exercise can be a powerful balm for many of the things that ail us, including depression, bone loss, fatigue, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis; but the reason many of us pound the pavement is because we want to lose weight, and that, experts say, is a goal for which exercise alone may not be especially helpful. Monitoring your diet – specifically portion control – is more effective than exercise for weight loss.
The reason boils down to simple math. It is far easier to eat 100 calories – the amount in a piece of bread – than it is to burn them off, which, for most of us, would require walking one mile. And while exercise helps us burn more calories, it also increases appetite, making it excruciatingly easy to undo all that hard work.
In the position paper “Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendations for Adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association” which was published in 2007, a blue ribbon panel of experts reviewed all available scientific evidence on the connections between exercise and health and conceded that while exercise is critical for many aspects of health, it doesn’t seem to help with weight loss.
“Despite the intuitive appeal of the idea that physical activity helps in losing weight,” the panel wrote, “it appears to produce only modest increments of weight loss beyond those achieved by dietary measures and its effects no doubt vary among people.”
Amy Luke, PhD, a nutritional epidemiologist at Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine, in Chicago, has seen this phenomenon for herself.
Luke compared two populations of black women: One group was from rural Nigeria, while the other was from downtown Chicago. All body size measurements were lower in the Nigerian women, and Luke and her team set out to understand why.
I have lost 20 lbs. in about 2/12 month's.
Just follow your point system and keep track on paper how many points you take in a day. I think putting it on paper helps a lot.I think if you stick to what you are supposed to do you will lose weight. Good luck and don't give up!!
Marie
Up to that pointed I had worked full time. Since then, I have had to quit work and am on SSD. I loved excercising and being active. I now weigh 225 pounds and just had my fist injection in my back for pain. I do try to eat healthy. My biggest problem is lack of appitite and lack of metabolism.
I wish all of you good luck and may God bless you and keep you in his care.
The Drs. thought I would be a veg. in 1968 I'm no, they told my then boyfriend, now husband, I'd probably not live past 35, I'll be 60 in Nov. God is not done with me yet.
I just need to find a way around Arthur as my mother calls Arthritis, and get back to exercising and eating healthy.
I don't eat out a lot and hardly ever (unless traveling) eat at fast food places. I eat healthy, fruits, veg, cereal, soy milk (light), a lot of salads (green) and small portions of fish or chicken.
This is my conclusion after years of struggling. If I keep up a reasonable routine of exercise, and for me that is swimming because of problems with arthritis, spinal stenosis, heart problems, and knee replacement, I can lose by keeping my calorie intake of 1000 or less daily.
Lets face the truth, we don't need more than that to survive and God did not design us for more than that. We just need to be honest with ourselves and get ourselves under control, and I am talking about myself also, if we really want to feel better and live with less pain.
Good luck to all who suffer with this problem and may God bless and help you.
In 2005 I was involved in an accident and injured both knees and in 2008 I was forced onto SSD. Since the injuries occurred, I have been very limited to the amount of exercise I can perform and my leg muscles have shrunk noticeably,and my reduced activity has forced me to reduce my caloric intake to 1300 a day.
After knee surgery in 2005 my doctor said I would probably be in a wheelchair in several years, but I have avoided this by reducing my weight as my leg muscles continue to shrink. I am currently 45 lbs. lighter than I was in 2005 and I am working on taking off 10 more lbs.
The O/A that set in after the injury is still minimal and I contribute much of this to a healthy diet. I followed the doctors advice and completely revised how, what, and how much I eat, and now have my own diet plan which includes 6 to 8 meals a day of veggies, fruits, whole grains,pasta, rice, fish, and some white and red meat. The small portions give me something to do during the day and curb my appetite. My freezer is filled with frozen veggies and a pan full from several bags is only 50 to 100 calories.
Eventually both knee joints will have to be replaced, but with the never ending changing and improving technology, I do not want to jump the gun and then wish I had waited.
Eat and be Healthy to everyone.
Other recent information published (Time magazine, for example) may unfortunately give people all the excuse they need to avoid increasing their physical activity as a means to obtain and maintain a healthy weight.
Judy Belue
Regional Health Director for Get A Life!
An initiative of the Community Foundation of NW MS to prevent childhood obesity.
Looking at both sides of the equation, nutrition and exercise, is essential if we are to get our populace active. Since weight loss is a great motivator this study does show and confirms that eating properly will re-inforce both proper body composition and provide the nutrients necessary to get the full benefits of physical activity.
As a Joints in Motion Coach and Manager who has trained many marathoners and triathletes who live with Arthritis the athletes who consistently managed their nutrition along with their exercise were the ones who also kept a healthy weight and body composition.
Using what we've learned in this study will help people be active, happier, and more importantly establish a habits and lifestyle that will keep the debilitating effects of Arthritis at a minimum or at bay.
Victor Acosta
Joints in Motion Manager
MA Chapter, Arthritis Foundation
USAT Certified Coach
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