Benefits of Exercise in a Weight Control Program

The benefits of exercise are many, from producing physically fit bodies to providing an outlet for fun and socialization. When added to a weight control program these benefits take on increased significance.

Not only does proper exercise help control weight by burning excess body fat but it also has two other body-trimming advantages

1) exercise builds muscle tissue and muscle uses calories up at a faster rate than body fat

2) exercise helps reduce inches and a firm, lean body looks slimmer even if your weight remains the same.

Remember, fat does not "turn into" muscle, as is often believed. Fat and muscle are two entirely different substances and one cannot become the other. However, muscle does use calories at a faster rate than fat which directly affects your body's metabolic rate or energy requirement.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required to sustain the body's functions at rest and it depends on your age, sex, body size, genes and body composition. People with high levels of muscle tend to have higher BMRs and use more calories in the resting stage.
That's why it is very important to know what your BMR is in order to know how many calories you may consume per day to lose weight. It then becomes quite simple.
1 pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. If your BMR is lets say 2,400 per day with medium activity and you want to lose 2 pounds per week (7,000 calories) then you would have to deduct 1,000 calories from 2,400 leaving you with a diet and exercise combination that gets you down to 1,400 calories per day. Make sense? Click here to calculate your BMR.
But be careful. Never go lower than 1,200 calories per day.

The beauty is that your metabolic rate stays elevated for some time after vigorous exercise, causing you to use even more calories throughout your day. Additional benefits may be seen in how exercise affects appetite. A lean person in good shape may eat more following increased activity, but the regular exercise will burn up the extra calories consumed. On the other hand, vigorous exercise has been reported to suppress appetite. And, physical activity can be used as a positive substitute for between meal snacking.
Hear are some great exercises you can do right at home including some great tips on how to determine what diet is best for your body type.
Stay tuned for a more detailed explanation of how BMR, BMI and the Harris Benedict Principle all work together to get you into shape.