Surviving Fitness

I found an interesting article today about the effects of exercise versus diet for weight loss. A study was conducted by the University of Pittsburgh. Subjects were separated into three groups – those who exercized only and did not change their diet, those who dieted without exercise and those who combined exercise and diet.

The results were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, and I read a summary about them at WebMD. As expected, all subjects lost weight. However, the amount and quality of the weight loss differed.

Diet

Dieters reduced their caloric intake enough to achieve a 10% weight loss by the end of the four-month study period. Exercisers could either walk, bike, or row three to five times a week for four months. Most of the exercisers chose to walk.

The exercise-only group increased efficiency compared to the diet-only group. The diet-and-exercise group also increased efficiency compared to the diet-only group.

Exercise

As for burning fat, the exercisers again came out ahead. All three groups lost weight; the diet-only and diet-and-exercise groups lost more weight than the exercise-only group. The diet-only group lost more lean muscle and fat. The exercise-only and diet-and-exercise groups drew more on fat stores as an energy source.

And the Winner Is….Exercise (but even better when combined with Diet)!

Those who only exercised actually lost the least amount of weight – however, it was FAT loss (a good thing), and those who did the COMBO also lost fat. All those who exercised became efficient in their calorie burning and oxygen intake. Those who only dieted lost more weight, but it was primarily MUSCLE mass (not good).

This is really nothing new to all of us who have struggled with weight loss, gone on diets, read weight loss books, and watched fitness infomercials in the middle of the night (while eating a bowl of ice cream) etc. – however, it is another reinforcement of the importance to EAT RIGHT and MOVE – and, especially MOVE. I have always struggled with the Combo. It seems that I am either really concentrating on the diet and ignoring the exercise, or really concentrating on the exercise and ignoring what I put in my mouth.

The Original Fruit Snack

These days, I am striving for the combo. I am making small changes that seem to be working.

EXERCISE: Walking to and from the bus stop. Getting off the bus one stop early from my office and walking the rest of the way, parking my car on the far end of the parking lot at the store, taking the stairs…etc.

FOOD: I have stopped buying junk foods, snacks, ice cream, chips, “bad carbs” (like donuts, cake, cookies, etc) at the grocery store and bringing them into my home. If they aren’t in the house, they aren’t there to eat! Simple. Instead, I have stocked up on fruit. There is a fruit bowl on my table for the family to snack on. I’m finding the kids are just as happy to eat an apple or some grapes or mandarins than cookies. In fact, they even thanked me and told me it was a good idea. (bonus!) Other favorite snacks have been yogurt with a little granola mixed in, or Carrot & Celery sticks sliced with a little fat-free ranch dressing to dip in.

Family Health

If we want ice cream (which we all dearly love at our house), we are making it a special treat. We walk to the Arctic Circle down the street for a small cone, or we drive a little farther to the Baskin Robbins for a scoop. This is limited to once per week.

At our house, Monday Night is “family night”. Each family member takes a turn picking the treat we are going to have that night. Some ideas for “Family Night” are to sing, play games, tell scripture stories, go to a museum, a park, or on a bike ride – and then afterwards, we have our little treat. Everyone looks forward to Monday Nights!

Things like this are so simple and do-able. Really, they are! (If I can do them, anyone can) I know that they are only just a start on the road to fitness, but I feel better already. The ‘Bottom’ line -(pun intended) – is that I’m taking charge of my body and my health, and I am also helping my entire family to adopt healthy habits, too!

Still Surviving – HK

Filed under: Health Tagged: | body, diet, exercise, Fitness, Health