OCR Text |
Show Fitness Tips It is estimated that 60 to 70 million American adults and at least 10 million American teenagers are overfat. Because" millions of these people have adopted unsupervised weight loss programs, the American College of Sports Medicine has formulated some needed guidelines for safe and effective ef-fective weight loss programs - all based on extensive coverage of the research literature. The position statement defines desirable weight loss programs as those that are nutritionally sound and result in maximal losses in fat 1 weight and minimal losses of fat-free fat-free tissue. The ACSM Position A desirable weight loss program is one that: 1) Provides not less than 1200 calories for normal adults in order to get a proper blend of foods to meet nutritional requirements (this requirement may change for children, older individuals, athletes, etc.). 2) Includes foods acceptable to -the dieter from viewpoints of socio-cultural socio-cultural background, usual habits, taste, cost, and ease in acquisition and preparation. 3) Provides a negative calorie balance (not to exceed 500-1,000 calories per day lower than recommended), resulting in gradual weight loss without metabolic derangements. Maximal weight loss should be 1 kg per week (2.2 lbs.), I prefer about a pound per week for best long-term results. 4) Includes an endurance exercise program of at least three days per week, 20-30 minutes in duration, at a maximum intensity of 60 percent of maximum heartrate (roughly between 140-160 beatsminute). Note that these are minimums. ' 5) Includes the use of behavior modification techniques to identify and eliminate dieting habits that contribute to improper nutrition. 6) Provides that the new eating and physical activity habits can be continued for life in order to maintain the achieved lower body weight. In summary, it emphasizes a lifestyle of aerobic exercise and nutritional control. Lose weight slowly with acceptable foods for you. Extreme reduction of calories is unacceptable for proper nourishment and good health maintenance. This lends credence to what we have been saying all along. |