Can Herbs Aid Weight Loss? Live Leaner and Longer
(Page 2 of 9)
January/February 2007
By Linda B. White, M.D.
While you’re cleaning your internal house, get rid of guilt. If you overindulge at a party, remain positive (but not delusional). Resolve to go for a longer hike the next day—then follow through and do it. Life is full of minor setbacks. Focus on long-term, slow, steady evolution. Documenting your progress will help you stay positive.
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Get a Move On
Caloric restriction represents only half of the weight-loss equation. Successful weight loss requires exercise—the importance of this cannot be overstated. Whereas dieting can lower your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories), vigorous exercise increases it—for up to 12 hours afterward. Over time, physical exertion increases muscle tissue, which burns more calories than fat.
If you’re new to exercise, build up gradually. Several short bursts of moderate exercise over the day add up. Pass up that great parking place for a more distant one. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Take up gardening, tap-dancing, any activity you enjoy. The more you like it, the more you’ll want to continue. McConnell recommends at least 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week, noting that a survey by the National Weight Control Registry found that people who exercised 90 minutes a day were most likely to keep lost weight off. But don’t be discouraged by the high number—you don’t have to spend the whole time on a treadmill. Remember, all the forms of exercise you do throughout the day can add up to your 90 minutes.
My daughter, who worked in a bicycle store this summer, told me of a plump customer who exchanged her car for a new bike. She cycled everywhere—to work, to the store and just for fun. A few months later, she had lost 60 pounds!
Best Tips for Long-Term Success
Set reasonable goals. If you vow to shed 5 pounds in one week—just in time to squeeze into that little red dress you bought for Valentine’s Day—you will either miss the mark or quickly regain the weight. Only unhealthful maneuvers (starvation, taking diuretics and purging) yield rapid weight loss. That extra baggage didn’t appear overnight, and it will take time to lose—so give yourself plenty of time.
Don’t deprive yourself. Eating fewer calories doesn’t mean going hungry. Healthy foods are delicious and satisfying, Mars says. “If you’re satisfied, you don’t overeat.”
Furthermore, cold-turkeying your favorite, high-calorie foods may intensify cravings. If dinner isn’t complete without dessert, satisfy that sweet tooth with a bite—a morsel of chocolate (rather than the whole bar) or a spoonful of ice cream (not the whole pint). People often are surprised to find they enjoy the first bite most, anyway.
Steer clear of extreme diets. From a weight-loss standpoint, it doesn’t matter if you eat only bacon or grapefruit—as long as you limit your daily calorie intake. Your body stores extra calories as fat and doesn’t care whether they come from protein, carbohydrates or fat.
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