Читать книгу The alli Diet Plan: Your Essential Guide to Success with alli - Литагент HarperCollins USD, F. M. L. Thompson - Страница 33

Food and drink provide us with energy, which is measured in kilocalories, normally shortened to calories, or sometimes in joules and kilojoules. Our bodies use energy in a host of different ways: keeping our bodies ticking over – even digesting food needs calories; for maintenance and growth and the repair of our tissues and organs. We gain weight when we consume more energy (calories) than we use up, so in order to lose weight we need to consume fewer calories or use up more.

The healthiest way to lose weight is to use up more calories as well as consuming fewer. This is because:

• becoming more active is great for your health now and in the long term

• if you only cut down on food you run the risk of cutting out vital vitamins and minerals

• being active releases feel-good hormones, which help sustain your efforts and make you feel better

• you will improve your muscle tone

• studies have found that people who increase their activity as part of a diet maintain their weight-loss success for longer than those who only cut back on calories

• you are likely to lose weight faster.

Chapter 7 provides information on how to incorporate more activity into your daily life.