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------------ Walk, or Run, to Achieve Weight Loss

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----- Walk, or Run, to Achieve Weight Loss

Walk, or Run, to Achieve Weight Loss

---------------------------------------- Walk or run, going extra mile -- literally -- in hopes of greater weight loss may be something of an exercise in futility. A new study suggests that typical American dieter can lose as much weight with moderate workouts as with more intense bouts.

This research shows that along with dieting, when overweight women started a new exercise routine after years of being inactive, it didn't really matter whether they came out of gate running or walking briskly. After a year, there was only a total weight-loss difference of 1 1/2 pounds between them.

"It appears that intensity is not main factor impacting long-term weight loss," says researcher John M. Jakicic, PhD, director of Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at University of Pittsburgh.

Exercise As Little as 10 Minutes

--------------------------------------------------- It's consistency -- doing some exercise on a regular basis, "even accumulated in bouts of as little as 10 minutes at a time," he tells WebMD.

Jakicic reports that women who started to exercise 200 minutes a week at vigorous levels -- such as running or another activity to leave them panting and sweaty -- shed an average of 19 1/2 pounds after a year, compared with 18 pounds lost by those spending same time in more moderate workouts such as walking. Women who exercised 150 minutes a week lost about 15 1/2 pounds with vigorous workouts and 14 pounds at a moderate pace.

Men weren't studied, but Jakicic says there's no reason to believe results would differ in them.

The take-home message: Whatever pace you exercise, do it regularly. "It's best if individuals develop a pattern of exercise that's performed on a daily basis," he tells WebMD.

The Right Exercise

Whether it's Atkins, South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during initial stages of diet. But remember, key to successful dieting is in being able to lose weight permanently. Put another way, what does scale show a year after going off diet?

Let's see if we can debunk some of mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly.
Most of studies to date have two things in common: None of studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.