Quick Fix or Fitness Forever?
Quick Fix or Fitness Forever?
Sometimes the motivation to lose weight is simply cosmetic because your calendar shows a special occasion coming up for which you want to look trim. Sure, you can go on a crash diet, dump some weight (so that you look less dumpy), shine for the special event, and probably feel hungry and horrible. If you do something radical, try using it as a springboard for real fitness.
Such quick weight loss has nothing to do with fitness. In fact, virtually all experts agree that people who diet without exercising will quickly regain the lost weight plus some extra. The slow, steady road to fitness and eating sensibly, on the other hand, will result in long-term weight loss and good health. In our fat-obsessed,instantgratification culture, many people would rather take a pill or undergo surgical procedures—risks and all—than set a course to fitness and stick to it.
The key to keeping weight off and staying healthy is activity. Scheduled exercise should be part of the program, but incorporating activity into your life every single day is the
not-so-secret route to long-term success. The Centers for Disease Control, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Surgeon General’s office recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day to have a positive impact on health. A “positive impact on health” is not the same as “lean and fit,” but it is a start or a supplement to a regular workout program.
The power of positive thinking also impacts shape-up success. A University of Maryland study followed 54 women who embarked on a nine-month diet and exercise program. Before they started, 28 percent believed they would lose weight and 26 percent did not. At the end of the study period, those who believed lost 30 percent more weight than the doubters. Hallelujah!
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness issued five principles to think about when you begin an exercise program and to keep in mind as you embark on it:
1. Success requires commitment.
2. Patience is essential.
3. Don’t try to do too much, too soon. 4. Don’t quit before you’ve given yourself the opportunity to experience the benefits of
exercise. 5. Stay convinced of the benefits of fitness and the health risks of unfitness.