Going the extra mile for fitness

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SERIOUS slimmers must be prepared for a hard slog if weight loss plans are going to work, a new report suggests.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23238878-5006007,00.html

American reseachers have revealed that you need to walk for about 90 minutes - every day - in order to stay slim. It would mean covering a distance of some 45kms a week.

The finding comes from the world's largest study of slimmers which featured more than 5,000 participants.

Each dieter had lost at least 30 pounds (13kg) and kept it off for at least a year before joining the National Weight Control Registry at the University of Colorado-Denver.

Successful long-term dieters were disciplined about eating and did large amounts of exercise.

Walking, combined with weight training or aerobics, was their favourite activity - and they burned 2,800 calories or more a week.

Dr Rena Wing, co-founder of the registry, told the UK's Daily Mirror newspaper: "To burn off that many calories, you would need to walk 28 miles (45kms) a week - more than a marathon. That's about four miles each day. That will take 90 minutes a day.

"There's no way round it. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you really need to change your lifestyle."