Keeping it off
Mother Jones had an interesting
article on weight loss that included vignettes of what happened to
contestants on The Biggest Loser reality
show. One contestant exercised 7 hours each day and ultimately dropped from 430
pounds to 191 pounds. Even those his post-show exercise routine took 2-3 hours
every day, he still gained 100 pounds back. Overall, contestants dropped an
average of 128 pounds during the show but gained an average of 90 points back.
Sustaining weight
loss, according to that article, is a tall order and complicated by something
called persistent metabolic adaptation. That means your body adapts to its
weight by slowing down calorie burning and storing excess calories in fat. So
if your body is used to being 200 pounds and had been requiring 2,500 calories
each day, it will slow down that rate, and store the extra calories as fat
unless you burn them off with activity and exercise.
A quick Internet
search will result in articles and blog pieces about the positive relationship
between Nordic walking and weight loss. That's because using poles
involves your upper body, adding to the calorie burn. Here are some other
thoughts:
- Since it's a full-body activity, it's a very efficient use of your time.
- Since it's a low impact exercise, you can quickly get up to a full exercise load without joint pain or injury.
- Since you can vary the intensity, you can walk with others. The social dimension of exercise can be a motivating factor in sustaining an exercise regimen and also in encouraging each other in healthy habits.
