"I do aerobics 3 times a week and I just don't seem to lose weight" Does this sound familiar?

Losing weight is based on a very simple principle....... energy balance.

If you burn up more energy than you take in you will be in a negative energy balance and your body will burn fat to make up the deficit. The result being........you will lose weight.

It all sounds too easy doesn't it but there are other factors at play.

It's common for people who decide they need to lose weight to think that more exercise is the answer ..... walking, running or other cardio type exercises.

This does work in a few cases but research has shown that this type of exercise alone is not enough to lose weight.

A study completed at Appalachian State University shows that aerobic exercise has little effect on body composition over a 12-week period.

The research team assigned a group of 91 over weight women to one of four groups. Group 1 followed a restricted calorie diet (1,200 - 1,300 calories per day) Group 2 performed aerobic exercise for 45 minutes five days per week Group 3 combined exercise and diet Group 4 acted as controls.

The exercise-only group (Group 2) lost just three pounds. This is despite the fact they were exercising for almost four hours each week. Not surprisingly, the women combining diet and exercise (Group 3) got the best results, losing 16 pounds (7 kilos) of fat. However, this was only one pound more than the group on the calorie restricted diet (Group 1). These disappointing results led the researchers to conclude that aerobic exercise has only a "minor, nonsignificant effect" on fat loss. So why is that?

Lets look at the facts on aerobic exercise.

It is true that you will burn some calories with this type of exercise, but only a small amount. For example if you jog for 30 minutes you will only burn up around 200-300 calories which is the equivalent of one large apple and a banana. A hamburger would be around 500-600 calories and that's without the fries so you would need to exercise for a lot longer..

It's not that aerobic exercise is no good for you, on the contrary, there are many scientific studies that have shown that aerobic exercise helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, the onset of diabetes and helps prevent many other health problems....but aerobics alone is not very effective for weight loss. Reason being the relatively small amount of calories you burn up for the time you spend exercising. There is also a potential for loss of muscle mass with heavy aerobic exercise especially when coupled with a calorie reducing diet.

If you are participating in a heavy aerobic program your body will need to burn more carbohydrates than fat and unless you are consuming extra carbohydrates your body will manufacture them from protein. It obtains this protein from your muscles, this process is called catabolism and results in the loss of muscle mass. Add to this the fact that you are also reducing your intake of carbohydrates and protein and you have a recipe for failure.

How does this affect long term weight loss?

It will seem that you are losing weight judging from your bathroom scales but this actually is sabotaging your long term permanent weight loss. When you lose muscle, you lose the ability to burn calories. With less muscle we burn less calories resulting in a lower metabolism.. Metabolism is the process of turning stored calories into energy. The higher the percentage of muscle to fat in your body, the faster your metabolism.

If you are a so called ‘yoyo' dieter your fat to muscle ratio is high. Therefore you have a low metabolism and gain weight very easily. You need to maintain or increase your lean muscle tissue which helps in increasing your metabolism.

So what's the answer to Permanent Weight Loss?

The answer to a permanent weight loss solution is a combination or all three elements.

1. Light aerobic exercise for health and some calorie burning.

2. Eat a balanced diet with some reduction in calories and increase in your protein intake.

3. Weight training, resistance or strength training.

Resistance or Weight Training

The most important of these three is weight training. You need to increase your lean muscle mass to help speed up your metabolism and if you are already reducing your calorie intake you will burn fat even quicker and get better and more permanent results. I do suggest using some form of Nutritional Supplementation to ensure that you are getting everything your body needs to remain healthy whilst losing weight.

(c) Copyright Sue Montague

By: Sue Montague
Sue Montague has worked with clients in the weight loss industry for almost 20 years. It's through her own struggle to lose weight through exercise and dieting that she found a safe and effective way to lose weight and keep it off. Sue is now the director of her own health and weight loss company and has helped thousands of people worldwide to lose weight and improve their health. http://www.diet4u.com.au.

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A pool is great to have in the summer time or even year around indoors if you have access to one. Normally we equate a pool to just swimming and perhaps even doing laps but there is another use that pools now have, it's called water aerobics. Doing aerobics in the water is great for people who have back problems, arthritis and other conditions. When standing in a pool chest deep in water, the water displaces around 85% of your weight. That means that your joints will be supporting very little of your weight since the water does all the work.

The water is also creating resistance. When you move your body, legs or arms the water is pushing back forcing you to work harder than you would on dry ground. Doing this a few times may not seem difficult but over the span of an entire workout, it is much more tiresome. A workout lasts around 45 minutes and can include music and an instructor. The workouts include many rhythmic body movements and dance steps. Normally the workout consists of a warm up period, stretching out and cooling down as well.

The great thing about these classes is that anyone can participate. Elderly people and those who are obese find it easier to workout in the water since it displaces their weight. A normal workout of around 45 minutes will burn somewhere between 350 and 600 calories.

Working out in the water is much cooler than working out on land. The water is constantly cooling the body where on land only air can do that. If it is particularly hot outside you can notice a big difference.

There are some disadvantages to water aerobics including the need to have access to a pool. You may not have one in your backyard but most communities have a pool you can access or perhaps even asking a friend to use their pool. A YMCA is a great place to sign up for this type of program or even look for other places in your community. There is also a cost if you go this route. It may be included in the membership fees or there may be a separate fee. Check with the establishment since prices will vary.

The other disadvantage is how many calories you burn. You would burn many more if you were on dry ground but since the water displaces your weight, it makes it easier for you and thus you will burn fewer calories. You can also stand in shallower water. If the water comes to your waist, the water is only displacing 50% of you weight. This will make it more difficult and put more strain on your joints but it will burn more calories. Make sure you do this slowly and if you feel pain then go back to deeper water. Burning more calories at the expense of having excessive pain is never worth it and may cause you to stop for a few days or sometimes weeks to recover.

Water aerobics is great for everyone and if you have tried working out on land and have not enjoyed it, jump in the water. It could be just what you were looking for.

By: Michael Russell
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Aerobics.

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