| Two recent studies by diet and health researchers | | | | After one year the participants lost an average of |
| confirm that dieting alone is not the best or the | | | | between 9 and 10 percent of their total body weight. |
| healthiest way to go about weight loss. | | | | Those who dieted lost muscle mass while those who |
| Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., Washington University School | | | | exercised did not. This is because the exercisers |
| of Medicine, St. Louis, and colleagues studied the | | | | routinely challenged their muscles, which prevented |
| effects of weight loss on bone loss in 48 adults with | | | | muscle tissue from degrading. A subgroup that did 30 |
| an average age of 57. Nineteen were assigned to | | | | minutes per day of extra exercise lost an average of |
| follow a calorie-restricted diet, 19 to eat the same | | | | 18 percent of their total body weight with no loss of |
| number of calories and begin an exercise, and 10 to | | | | muscle tissue. |
| receive information on healthy lifestyles only when | | | | The lesson is clear. If you diet alone to lose weight |
| requested. | | | | you are only creating a lighter bag of skin. For healthy |
| All participants were weighed at the beginning of the | | | | weight loss you must work your muscles and pound |
| study and again after one, three, six, nine and 12 | | | | your bones. |
| months. Bone mineral density was measured every | | | | Here is a simple formula that you can use to lose |
| three months. | | | | two pounds of body fat per week. One pound of fat |
| After one year, those in the calorie restriction group | | | | = 3,500 calories. If you do nothing to change your |
| lost an average of 18.1 pounds, those in the exercise | | | | eating habits, and exercise to burn 7,000 calories per |
| intervention group lost 14.8 pounds and those in the | | | | week, you will lose two pounds of body fat per |
| healthy lifestyle group maintained their weight. | | | | week and keep or build your bone density and |
| Individuals in the calorie-restriction group also lost an | | | | muscle at the same time. A win-win. |
| average of 2.2 percent of their bone density in the | | | | Putting your feet on the ground at about 75 counts |
| lower spine, 2.2 percent at the hip and 2.1 percent at | | | | per minute burns .078 Calories/Minute/Pound of Body |
| the top end of the femur--all high-risk fracture sites. | | | | Weight, or more easily remembered, 7.8 calories per |
| There were no significant changes in bone mineral | | | | minute, or 468 calories per hour, per 100 pounds of |
| density in the exercise or healthy lifestyle groups. | | | | body weight. |
| Muscles pulling on bones during exercise is thought to | | | | A 200 pound person would require about 7 1/2 hours |
| produce strains in the skeleton that stimulate new | | | | per week of exercise that pounded their feet on the |
| bone production. "Our results are consistent with an | | | | ground 75 times per minute. Use this formula to |
| osteoprotective effect of exercise-induced | | | | convert for your situation: |
| mechanical strain on the skeleton and consequent | | | | (Your Body Weight/100) * 468 * (Steps Per Minute |
| increase in bone turnover," the authors continue. | | | | 75) = Calories Per Hour. Divide 7,000 by the Calories |
| In another study, a Washington University team of | | | | Per Hour figure and that is how many hours of |
| scientists studied healthy 50- to 60-year olds whose | | | | exercise per week you must do to lose 2 pounds of |
| body mass index was between 23 and 30, placing | | | | body fat. If you cannot find a way to lose 2 pounds |
| them at the high end of normal weight or | | | | of body fat per week then shoot to eliminate 1 |
| overweight. Of the 34 study participants, 18 dieted | | | | pound of body fat per week. That is still 52 pounds |
| and 16 exercised to lose weight. | | | | of healthy weight loss per year. |