Exercise is the key to losing weight and keeping it off . Besides keeping your body flexible and muscles working well, exercise consumes calories. Recall from the Food and Exercise page that your body needs between 13 and 18 calories per day per pound to sustain your ideal body weight. So if you are able to increase your exercise, your can increase your caloric intake (that is you can eat more food you like).

Everyone is different so each person has to find something that they enjoy doing. if it's enjoyable, you're more likely to keep it up and not quit after a while.

Walking is a very popular exercise. Other than good shoes, it doesn't require any special equipment. If you can, get up and go for a walk in the morning. If you can, walk to work. If you can't, take the farthest parking space you can and walk the parking lot or street where you work. Most shopping Malls encourage walkers and some have special programs. It's indoors, its comfortable, and its still exercise! Some people prefer a walking machine or tread mill and that's great too. Whevever you walk, and whether you walk fast or slow each mile walked uses about 100 calories!

For those who prefer indoor exercises, check you local PBS television station for "Body Electric." This is a very good low impact exercise program on public television. The program consists of a warm up, some floor exercises, light weight lifting and a cool down.

Find something that you like to do. Just do it.

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