Saturday, August 16, 2008

Maintaining Weight Loss


I hope that you have been enjoying your summer by eating well and staying active! Family reunions and vacations often interrupt our diet and exercise routines--and then along comes the dreaded rut. Staying motivated can be a challenge. Taking breaks from your normal workout routines is okay as long as 2 weeks doesn't lapse into 2 months. You'll start to lose muscle (which will slow your metabolism)and ultimately pack on the pounds. Here's some motivation--a newly published study from the University of Pittsburgh reports the following:

"Women who want to lose weight and keep it off need to exercise for almost an hour, five days a week, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh.

Researchers found that a 55-minute regime was the minimum needed to maintain a 10 percent drop in weight." READ MORE.

The article published at http://www.mercola.com goes on to explain the efficiency of interval training which is "a type of exercise that combines short bursts of high-intensity activity with periods of rest". Marathon runners increase their cardiovascular output using a run-walk technique while training.

But, if you're not training for a marathon, then just get up and go for a walk--after all, it is the BEST form of exercise!