For long-term weight maintenance, women who are middle-aged or older must exercise daily, incorporating at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity into their schedule, according to a new Journal of the American Medical Association study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“Most overweight and obese persons who lose weight do not successfully maintain their weight loss over time, and so from a public health perspective, preventing that initial weight gain is important,” says I-Min Lee, M.D., associate epidemiologist in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH.
Key points about weight maintenance:
• Making slow, progressive changes leads to new and lasting habits.
• Avoid yo-yo dieting and fads.
• Exercise is essential for weight loss.
• Consume fewer calories, but make sure that your diet has a balance of essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.
“There is plenty of research on treating overweight and obesity – that is, looking at strategies for weight loss among overweight or obese persons, but very little research on preventing weight gain in the first place,” says Lee.
Lee and colleagues examined the relation between level of daily physical activity and weight change over time among over 34,000 women. The most active women participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, such as brisk walking, and gained less than 5 pounds every 2-3 years. Those less active gained significantly more weight.
“These findings shouldn’t obscure the fact that for health, any physical activity is good, and more is better. It is important to remember that weight is only one aspect of health. Many studies have shown that being physically active for even 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, significantly reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes,” says Lee.
Acupuncture & Massage College’s Community Clinic offers acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for weight maintenance and weight loss. To schedule an appointment call (305) 595-9500. For information about AMC’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso, Admissions Director.
Oriental medicine is a traditional herbal medicine that has been used to defend against diseases for thousands of years. It also has been used as a means of
prevention of illness and disease.
Each individual herb has different properties such as taste, temperature characteristic and therapeutic action to different organs in the body. When the herbs are combined,
through mutual harmony, the treatment effect is increased and the side effects reduced. A usual prescription or formula can consist of multiple herbs
Fitness and more importantly health are a passion of mine. Learning about this is very interesting. Honestly, at 41 years of age, I am pretty fit and very healthy. However, as I try to drop 10 of the 20 pounds I would like to lose, I can appreciate the difficulty that comes with trying to lose weight. I think a huge factor for many women is the motivation to actually get up and exercise. Maybe that should be the next research that is performed, how to find and keep our motivation to exercise.
Nice topic . I really like that . Congratulations!
All these tips ring true .. and i need to loose some weight too ..
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This is a very good post, and 100% true – I’ve found that if I work to maintain my weight loss, I can keep it off. Regular exercise – whether it be walking 10-15 minutes per day really helps. Lifestyle changes are very important – if you like chips the crunch or flavour, opt for baked products like pita. I make baked pita chips and they satisfy my cravings for crunchy food.
Regards,
Mohamed
The older I get, the more stringent I must be about my diet and exercise needs. No one ever said life was fair.
Best regards,
Denise W
I agree, you definitely need to add some exercise, even if it is just a 20 minute walk a day, to be healthy and to lose weight. Dieting is great, but a whole lifestyle change is what is needed to really achieve a healthy lifestyle and that change does need to include some exercise. Introduce it slowly and before you know it you will really enjoy it and miss it on those days you can’t do it.
It remains one of life’s greatest mysteries why and how that works
Indeed, a change in lifestyle is more stable when slow, its always better to evolve into a thinner person, than try to just drop a heap of weight, ready for quick regain…