The majority of people who lose weight with diet gain the weight back within 3 to 5 years. People often gain body fat back due to yo-yo dieting. Drastically reducing calories can slow your metabolism and hinder the weight loss process. An article on dieting in the Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains that any change in metabolism can cause weight gain (Yo-yo diets, 7). Therefore, it is best not to go on crash diets that may upset metabolism.
Regular physical activity is an essential part of effective weight loss and weight management. Research has shown that regular physical activity, combined with healthy eating habits, is the most effective and healthful way to manage your weight. R. Jeffery explains in the Nutrition Research Newsletter that exercise promotes long-term weight loss when compared with interventions that rely solely on nutritional changes. Physical activity is the best predictors of long-term success in weight reduction (Jeffery, 7). Regular physical activity helps to control your weight by burning excess calories that would otherwise end up being stored as fat.
Human body weight is regulated by the total number of calories consume and used each day. David Leaf explains in American Family Physician that 3,500 calories are required to produce 1 lb. Therefore, a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories will result in a 1 lb loss of fat each week. Leaf states that a weight loss program should emphasize an increased intake of dietary carbohydrates and a reduced intake of dietary fat. Leaf notes that medical interventions for weight reduction rely mainly on restriction of caloric intake (Leaf, 653). The good news is that even though everything consumed contains calories - every activity, even sleeping, burns calories. Any physical activity performed in addition to normal activities will burn additional calories. Therefore, the key to successful weight management is exercise or physical activity.
...