Lesson 4 - Decisions, Decisions: Diet and Exercise Regimens

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Studies show that excess body fat is a primary factor in the increase of blood pressure — even a minor decrease in your weight (10 pounds, for instance) can have a positive effect on your hypertension and overall health.

You gotta burn more than you eat!
With all of those fad diets, pills, myths and misinformation out there, it's hard to find a weight loss program that you can believe in. Well, here's the rule of thumb that sticks no matter what your body type is, what your metabolism does or doesn't do, or anything else — to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume — period. The healthiest, safest, and most permanent weight loss happens when you do it slowly — about 1/2 to a full pound per week. By cutting back about 500 calories a day and increasing your physical activity (we'll get to that later in the lesson!), you can lose about one pound a week. Just think, if you always have a piece of cake after dinner, or a heavy breakfast instead of a healthy one, you can cut out 500 calories a day just by avoiding those habits!

When it's time to change...
Losing weight and keeping it off is a hard thing to do. To do it successfully, you need to make many changes in your routines, eating habits and self control. For many, it is an entirely new way of life. Make sure you don't underestimate the challenge of permanent weight loss, but more importantly, don't underestimate the rewards. You'll feel better, you'll look better, and your heart will thank you.

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