According to literature review published in the Journal of Family Medicine in the February 2008 issue, “Patients who used pedometers walked more, lost weight without dieting, and improved their systolic blood pressure“.

This is based on a meta-analysis published in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) 2007 which analyzed over 26 studies of pedometer use in adult outpatients that reported a change in the number of steps walked per day. The 2767 participants in these studies were 85% women, with a mean age of 49. At baseline, most participants were overweight, with normal blood pressure (mean 129/79 mm Hg) and relatively well-controlled cholesterol levels (mean total cholesterol 198 mg/dL, HDL 52 mg/dL, LDL 113 mg/dL). The mean baseline activity level was 7473 steps per day (range 2140–12,371). Duration of interventions ranged from 3 to 104 weeks, with a mean of 18 weeks. (more…)

Shopping for right food is also a key element when you are trying to lose weight. These guidelines below will help you select the right food when you are shopping:

• Tip Sheet: Healthy Eating Starts with Healthy Shopping
  This 1-page tip sheet provides suggestions for lower fat and lower calorie foods to fill the kitchen with when one goes shopping. (more…)

You should count calories to effectivelyly lose weight. You need to cut down on calories intake daily. To take off one pound per week, you’ll need to reduce calories by 500 per day. (One pound of body fat equals about 3,500 calories.) Try eating 250 calories less per day and exercising enough to burn 250 calories— like walking about 2.5 miles each day. That means you need to know how many calories were in that piece of lasagna or pizza or juice or beer, etc? (You can choose from thousands of foods!) How many calories did you burn walking this afternoon? And, how many calories do you need to maintain or lose weight? (more…)

We hear about many recommendations for diet from all sources, for example, “Eat 2000 calorie diet”, “Eat more fruits and Vegetables”, etc. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half of all grains eaten (at least 3 one ounce-equivalents) per day should be whole grains because they can reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and may help with weight control. (more…)