How can physical activity help me to lose weight?
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The amount of energy we use and the type and amount of food we eat are two of the many factors that affect our weight. For some people, doing physical activity helps them maintain a healthy weight by using the amount of energy they get from food.
A key to weight control is to balance the food you eat and the energy you use in your day. Regular physical activity, along with healthy eating, can help you to control your weight.
Am I at a healthy weight?
Being underweight, overweight or obese can lead to problems with your health. One way to check if you are at a healthy weight is to figure out your Body Mass Index (BMI).
BMI is not a direct measure of body fat, but is used to indicate the level of health risk associated with being underweight or overweight.
Note: BMI is not accurate for people who are very muscular/athletic, for children or youth, pregnant women or older adults.
Another way is to measure your waist circumference. To find out more about how to measure BMI or waist circumference, please read, "Healthy Measures for Adults: Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference"
What do I need to know before trying to lose weight?
There is no specific recipe for the number of calories you should eat and the type of activity you should do in order to lose weight.
Remember that you shouldn't lose more than 1 kg (2.2 lb) per week. Losing weight faster than this may make it hard to keep this weight off and can cause health problems. A registered dietitian and a certified fitness trainer can help you create a physical activity and healthy eating plan that works for you.
Can increasing my physical activity help to reduce weight?
Yes, it can!!
Being active can help you increase your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories), which can help you to lose weight. You burn more calories when you exercise than when you rest. When you've been moderately to vigorously active, your body keeps burning calories for some time after you stop that exercise.
Exercise that builds muscles also makes weight loss easier because muscle burns more calories than fat. Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat. If you're doing activities that build muscles, you may not see a change when you step on the bathroom scale (although your body may be more toned).
How active do I need to be to lose weight and keep it off?
Start slowly, and gradually work up to at least 200 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week. This works out to about 40 to 60 minutes or more on most days of the week. Being active every day is even better!
Just remember:
- When you're exercising with moderate effort, your heart rate will be beating at about 55 to 69% of its maximum rate.
- Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age.
- You don't have to do 40 to 60 minutes of physical activity all at once! You can add up physical activity in stretches of at least 10 minutes each throughout the day to reach that total.
- Find activities that are easy to do, inexpensive and that you enjoy. You're more likely to stick with these kinds of activities.
How much energy do I need to burn to keep the weight off?
The American National Weight Loss Registry tracks people who have lost weight (30 lb) and kept it off for one year or longer. Results show that:
- women ate about 1400 kcal/day and burned an extra 400 kcal/day in addition to the calories they normally burn at rest,
- men ate about 1810 kcal/day and burned 520 kcal/day in addition to the calories they normally burn at rest.
Note: the numbers above are guidelines and not formulas for losing weight. Please see the Resources section below for more information on this topic.
How will healthy eating help me?
You may think it's easier to eat less instead of being more active, but very few people can successfully keep excess weight off by just dieting. Dieting can make you lose muscle and slow down your metabolism, actually making it harder to lose weight.1 If you're physically active, but not eating healthy foods or enough food, you will feel tired.
Instead of trying to find quick ways to lose weight, adopt a healthy lifestyle that you can stick to. Being physically active and eating healthy food will help you achieve a healthy weight and prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Additional Information
- Healthy Measures (Ontario Public Health Association, Nutrition Resource Centre).
- EATracker.ca (Dietitians of Canada)
References
- American College of Sports Medicine (website). Appropriate intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Accessed August 10, 2006.
- Wing RR, Hill JO. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annu Rev Nutr. 2001; 21: 323-341. Accessed August 10, 2006.
