Weight loss and physical activity

Dieting: a vicious circle 
People who go on a diet without increasing their physical activity will have their basal metabolic rate (amount of energy expended to ensure the vital functions) decrease. Thus, these people eat less, they spend less energy. Hence notien vicious circle. This gave rise to a greater difficulty in obtaining a negative energy balance.The goals of a physical activity program are to promote body weight loss (especially of fat if possible) and stabilize thereafter over the long term, to limit the reduction of basal metabolism and losses in lean body mass, to allow a physical reconditioning, strengthen self-esteem and socialization.

Obesity and physical activity

The effects of exercise on obesity are considerable. Physical activity without caloric restriction causes including a reduction in body weight, abdominal fat and visceral fat as well as total body fat. Exercise, in addition to promoting energy expenditure limit losses in lean body mass that appear in any caloric restriction. In addition, the physical activity helps maintain the resting metabolism which usually decreases during weight loss. Lean body mass is the major determinant of resting energy expenditure, reduced it leads to a reduction in basal metabolism. This may promote weight regain later. Therefore, when diets for weight loss, it is not only important to practice predominantly aerobic activities to burn fat, but also resistance exercise (weight training) to maintain muscle mass. The combination of these two components helps to promote weight loss (particularly of fat) while limiting the loss of lean body mass and decrease in resting metabolism. In addition, hunger decreases immediately after intense workout.

Recommendations based on the weight

Thus, the recommendations to avoid gaining weight regain or promote prescription aerobic physical activity are more stringent than those associated with health benefits in general and cardiovascular (30 minutes most days of the week). They call every day to accomplish the equivalent of walking at a moderate pace for 60 to 90 minutes of intense activity such as jogging for 35 minutes to stabilize weight loss. As regards the prevention of the transition from category "healthy weight" to "overweight" and "overweight" to "obese", it is recommended to perform moderate activity for 45 to 60 minutes. Ideally, it is to spend 300 to 500 kcal / session by physical activity, which represents an expenditure of 1500-2500 kcal / week, this in combination with an appropriate diet.

Finally, it seems that a combination of aerobic activity in a muscle building program is more advantageous than the single practice of aerobic activity at the level of body composition.Note, however, that exercise alone can not lead to a significant weight loss and significant. Indeed, the energy cost of muscular effort is small compared to the energy cost of a day. Therefore, it is necessary to prescribe several hours per day of intensive training to obtain a considerable weight loss, which would be hardly possible and tolerable for most patients. However, physical training alters the distribution of body fat by promoting lean body mass and decreasing fat mass. Moreover, it also decreases visceral fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Finally, regular physical activity at a moderate intensity improves other parameters in obese or overweight individuals: blood levels of insulin and leptin.In the table below, the effects of physical activity and low-calorie diet on body composition :Hypocaloric diet and physical activity
It is however important to note that there is substantial interindividual variation in response to physical training. Thus, the alleged benefits of a physical activity program to improve body composition may differ from one individual to another, despite regular exposure to a stimulus adequate training and the same.
Some examples of energy expenditure (kcal) for a period of 30 minutes in the table below:Gardening (planting and sowing)The examples above are a person of 74 kg.
Sources: "Move to a better life," Dr. JJ Servier and Grimm. Cardiac rehabilitation clinic Noirmont.Minutes per day of moderate activityRecommendations for the general populationActivité nécessaire pour une perte de poids ou le maintien corporel après amaigrissement
by Jamal samaa