Physical activity and nutrition are equally important when it comes to weight management. Research, however, shows that, for weight loss, diet should be emphasized. The reason for emphasizing dietary changes when a person is trying to lose weight is that it is much easier to consume calories than it is to burn them. For example, if a person consumes a regular 12-ounce soda and a large order of fries, he or she consumes about 700 calories. That person would have to walk 2 ½ to 3 hours at a moderate pace to burn those calories! Most people won't have the time - or the fitness level - to do that kind of exercise. Physical activity is still extremely important during weight loss, especially to help minimize the loss of lean body mass and also to aid in calorie-burning. However, physical activity alone without dietary changes has not shown to be as effective in weight loss.
Research has shown that, when it comes to maintaining the weight loss, physical activity is essential. In addition, research suggests that weight regain goes hand-in-hand with lack of - or inability to maintain - physical activity.
Just exercise and eat healthy! It sounds so simple, yet it can be so complex. The world in which we live is very extreme and the messages all around us can be overwhelming. On one hand, everywhere we turn we see dieting messages and weight loss gimmicks aimed at dropping a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. At the same time, we are bombarded with oversized portions, 24-hour restaurants, late-night delivery, and all-you-can-eat buffets. With the mixed messages surrounding us, it can be difficult to know how to achieve weight loss and better health in a realistic way.
When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and including physical activity and proper nutrition, the key is to set goals to assist you in changing your health behaviors. First of all, when it comes to goal-setting, it's important to make sure the goals you set for yourself are something that you really want, not just something that sounds good or something you think you should do. In addition, goals that are stated positively are much more motivating than goals stated negatively. For example, instead of saying, 'I am not going to stay inside all day on Saturday,' say 'I'm going to call a friend and go for a walk or wheel around the neighborhood for 30 minutes on Saturday instead of staying inside.' Stating your goal positively will help you view it as a good thing to do, and not as a result of what you had to avoid. Remember to write your goals down. Having goals in writing will help remind you what you are working to achieve.
There is a mnemonic that was first used in project management but is now also used in the health field for setting goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
How do you know if your goal is SMART? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Specific - Is your goal clearly defined and straightforward? Can you define what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you will get there? Specific goals address what, where, why, when, and how.
Measurable - Does your goal define a specific target end-point? Will you know when change has occurred? For example, take the goal, 'I want to eat healthier.' How will that be defined? A measurable goal would be, 'I am going to switch from using 2 percent milk to using skim milk.'
Attainable - Is the end-result something that will challenge you but is still within your reach? Or is this goal so far out of reach that it will be difficult to stay motivated to achieve it? Attainable is not another word for 'easy.' However, if a goal is too far-fetched, it is probably not possible that you will be motivated to work towards achieving it.
Realistic - Is the goal doable? Realistic and attainable are often mistaken for being one and the same. However, there is a difference. Attainable goals are possible. Realistic goals are likely.
Timely - Does the goal have a specific timeframe? Are you giving yourself enough time to achieve it? Or are you giving yourself too much time to achieve it? When people don't give themselves enough time to reach a goal, they can set themselves up for disappointment. When people give themselves too much time in which to achieve a certain goal, however, it can lead to procrastination.
Whether you aim to lose weight, maintain your weight, or simply achieve better health, the key is to figure out how to make physical activity and healthy eating part of your lifestyle. Setting even one or two initial goals can set you up for success, which will in turn motivate you to continue to achieve what you wish to achieve.
