Get moving!

There is so much advertising on tv right now that focuses on diet, diet aids, and weight loss programs, but very little discussion on the importance of exercise and the role it plays in losing weight. If you go on a low calorie diet, what you lose quickly is water weight, followed by protein from your muscles. The water comes from stored glycogen (sugar) which is used for energy, and each pound of glycogen holds three to four pounds of water - this eventually has to be replaced as your body and your brain require this sugar to function. Your brain ONLY uses carbohydrates to function! The rest of what you lose is muscle protein - and this is what is supposed to make you look and feel better - so the LAST thing you want to lose. The combination of the loss of both of these results in fatique, which then translates into reduced activity. You will quickly slow down on your weight loss, become discouraged and quit - perhaps even gain the weight right back. The only way to burn fat - from the very beginning - is to exercise, because this fat is what your body is now using for energy. The slower, steady burning of body fat is what produces a lean, healthy body and permanent weight loss - it may take a little longer to see the result you want, but keep yourself focused on your continued success - the slower the weight loss means a much higher chance of permanent weight loss. If it's hard for you to get motivated, go get a dog - they like to be walked!