Obesity and Weight Management |
Weight problem05/17/2007 |
How can a person espcially one who has not been doing any physical activity or diet, having weight problem lose weight without using a pedometer?
If you don't want to use a pedometer I would just use the clock. Set aside 60-90 minutes to be physically active. It doesn't have to be all at once.
- Take an extra 5 minutes to walk into the office in the morning and another 5 going out to the car at night.
- Take the lo-o-o-ng way around when you go to the rest room during the day and add another 10 minutes.
- Walk at lunch for 30 minutes.
- Become inefficient at doing the laundry, cleaning the house, making meals so that you add another 10-15 minutes of walking about your house as you go about your daily activities.
- When you talk on the phone - pace.
- When you watch TV, make a conscious effort to be active during commercials.
This extra physical activity still has to be done in conjunction with calorie control. So monitor what you eat now so you know how many calories you are eating and when you are eating them.
Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and put in your current age, gender, activity level and (optional) weight and height. Reducing your calories 300-500 calories per day from what is recommended for weight maintenance for your age, gender, and activity level will provide a slow weight loss. Don't reduce calories too drastically or you slow your basal metabolism because your body will shift into starvation mode. Your weight will be controlled better by making small changes in food intake and physical activity.
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Sharron Coplin, MS, RD, LD Former Lecturer Food & Nutrition College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University |