No More Diets

What is the best exercise for losing weight and for firming skin?

The best exercise for losing weight is one that you will actually do. You see I could prescribe a whole fat-burning program but if you hate it you will never do it (or at least you won’t do it more than a couple of weeks).

So just do more of the exercise and sports you love and you won’t go far wrong.

Changing your eating habits is by far more effective in losing weight in any case - you have to run more than a marathon to lose a pound of fat just with exercise!

If you are still at the stages of exploring what you like to do however, here are some pointers.

Losing weight by exercising basically boils down to this:-

• burn as many calories as possible with strenuous aerobic training
• keep burning calories after you finish your workout by using metabolism boosting activities such as interval training as part of your workout
• keep as active as possible during the course of the day outside formal exercise sessions - the more you’re on your feet the better
• include strength training in your routine as muscle burns fat even at rest and it will mean that you lose fat rather than muscle when you are dieting

To keep your skin as taut as possible as you lose, ensure you keep the underlying muscles strong - strength training will help here - and lose weight slowly to give your skin a chance to keep up with your body as it shrinks - especially if you have a lot to lose. For more about keeping skin firm see how to avoid loose skin after weight loss.

By the way, you’ll also find there’s no shortage of information out there on the web about exercising to lose weight.

But take care, some of it is plain misleading. See my article about the fat burning myth for more information on that.

How can you count the calories you are burning?

Good luck if you are trying to lose weight by counting calories! Most people get this completely wrong by underestimating what they are eating and overestimating how much they are burning. If you can be reasonably accurate then it’s a great way to lose weight - aim for a 500 calorie a day deficit to lose a steady 1lb a week without too much deprivation or trouble.

Here is a calculation tool for finding out how many calories you are burning with a whole list of different activities. You enter your weight in pounds and the duration of your activity in minutes and then get an estimate of the number of calories you used for the list of activities.

Calorie calculator

Remember that these calories are not EXTRA calories you are burning on top of the calories you would use just by sitting around - they are instead of - so you need to subtract the calories you would use just by existing to get an a picture of how much you have helped your weight loss goals.

Remember too that we all burn up calories at a slightly different rate depending on metabolism and body composition so this is an estimate at best.

I believe you can get monitors which measure more accurately how many calories you are burning but I have no personal experience with these as I don’t usually advise the calorie counting method for weight loss. Could anyone else recommend one?

What kind of exercise can a person do when they have foot problems and are grossly overweight?

Excess weight can often take its toll on your back, knees, feet, ankles and hips - it’s one of the very best reasons for losing weight - getting full mobility and freedom back. But if some exercise is difficult just now yet you want to make fitness part of your weight loss plan, there are a few things you can try. Here are some suggestions:-

• If you feel comfortable going to the pool then swimming is a great exercise as your body weight is supported by the water and prevents strain on your joints
• If you are able to pedal without putting too much pressure on your sore feet you may find that a recumbent stationery bike is suitable if you can find one with a seat which allows you to sit on it in comfort otherwise a portable pedlar type machine may be a good starting point
• Yoga is great exercise too which you can do from any starting point - you don’t get aerobic benefit from it but it does burn calories, strengthen your muscles and give you flexibility too.
• Any exercise which tones your muscles is great as muscle tissue burns calories even while at rest and you can shape your body at the same time as you lose the fat - concentrate on exercises which you can do seated and on arm and chest exercises until your feet are better able to take your weight.

If you want a set of 36 exercises which you can do from the comfort of your chair take a look at personal trainer Jeff Ball’s book Get Fit While You Sit - he also includes an exercise at that link that you can do right now for your stomach while still seated.

Of course, once you lose a bit of weight and are able to get back on your feet you’ll probably want to include some aerobic activity (assuming your foot problems are weight related) - at that point walking is a great gentle exercise that you can do anytime, anyplace, anywhere - even round your own home - and gradually build up your aerobic fitness.

Does a certain type of exercise or sport lose its effectiveness re weight control when your body becomes accustomed to it?

I wasn’t sure of the answer to this one so I asked a friend Tracy Griffen for help. Tracy is a top fitness trainer here in Edinburgh and you can see her website at http://www.TracyGriffen.com Here is her response. Thanks Tracy!

In a word, no. You will not burn less calories from becoming accustomed to exercise. In fact it’s the very ‘getting accustomed’ to an specific exercise (e.g. running a 2km distance) that brings on fitness benefits and weight loss.

Imagine this, the first time you run a 2km run, it takes you 13 minutes. With a bit of practise and training, you whittle that down to 10 minutes. You are not taking any less steps to get there, so you are not burning any less calories. In fact you will probably be burning more, as when you become fitter you also boost your metabolism, thereby burning more calories (even at rest). You will also feel like running even further as you’re now fit enough to be able to enjoy it more. Good news all round!

The only way you could burn less calories from doing a set pattern, is if you ‘cheat’ or lose form in an exercise. For instance, becoming bored of an aerobics routine and cutting corners. Which I don’t recommend!