If a weight loss goal is to be successful year-round, a lifestyle change must include a fat-burning activity that can be performed daily regardless of outdoor weather conditions and seasonal events. Many people fail at their weight loss goals once hot/cold weather, weekend events and Holidays arrive. It’s not hard to understand how these things influence and alter diet, habits and behavior.
To stay the weight loss course year-round basically requires three essential lifestyle change ingredients: 1) Remove as many processed foods as possible from the diet and consume more whole foods – avoid artificial sweeteners and other processed food chemicals known to cause weight gain, illness and disease. 2) Moderate or abstain from drinking and/or marijuana use – these two vices, in particular, overstimulate unhealthy eating and drinking habits and behavior known to cause excess weight gain and related health risk. 3) Participate in a daily fat burning exercise that can be sustained year-round – low impact aerobics activities burn more body fat weight and decreases health risk.
In my opinion, a daily low-impact aerobic activity is the most important habit to continue daily to achieve a set weight loss goal and keep unhealthy body weight at bay. It is also the easiest, most affordable and adaptable aerobics activity known to decrease sedentary habits and body fat weight.
Although the other two ingredients to weight loss are important, it is the daily aerobics effort that keeps the fat burning furnace working and influences positive thinking and will power to stay the weight loss course. When all 3 lifestyle change ingredients are practiced daily, body fat weight decreases faster… and diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, stroke, gout, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, high blood pressure and cancer risk is further reduced.
My recommendation to anyone who’s failed repeatedly at weight loss, or has increased health risk, or wants healthy lifestyle change – consider walking as your daily fat burning and healthy lifestyle change activity. Why? Because walking is easy on weight-bearing joints and can be done anywhere at any time. Most importantly, it is the large muscles in the legs and buttocks that have specific muscle fiber types that demand body fat for fuel to power aerobics activities. Other fat-burning activities include: riding a bike, jogging, aerobics dance, hiking, continuous yard work, etc.
But here lies the weight watchers and healthy lifestyle change crux. Many people don’t or can’t ride a bike, hike or jog, etc., and/or can’t afford a fitness program/gym membership year-round. However, the good news is anyone can dress appropriately to walk during seasonal weather changes. Fortunately walking is something our bodies are designed to do and requires mostly body fat fuel to perform the task.
Also, consider walking as a dual-purpose exercise activity… e.g., pick up a household or healthy food product you need. Get creative with your daily walk destinations and you’ll be more motivated to stay this healthy habit course. Start out walking15 minutes daily. Once conditioned, walk more frequently and increase distances and time (30-45 min/daily). Then walk more briskly to burn more body fat weight.
Good health to you and your family.
