Step by Step: Weight loss attainable with the right diet and exercise regimen

St. Petersburg Times—June 23, 2009

Although experts have been saying it for years, most Americans do not subscribe to the proven methods of weight loss - that is, taking in fewer calories than the amount you expend each day - preferring crash diets with unrealistic promises and short-term results.

These diets tend to result in eventually gaining the weight back: research shows that 95 percent of people attempting to lose weight by dieting regain all or more of the lost weight within two or three years. One of the keys to keeping weight off once it’s lost is minding the metabolism.

Your metabolism is constantly working, converting the food you eat into the energy you need to live. "Your metabolic rate depends on three things: your resting metabolic rate, how much you move and what and how often you eat," says Polly de Mille, a registered nurse and exercise physiologist at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. "To increase your metabolic rate, you have to move more, eat wisely and space your food appropriately."

That means that crash diet staples like skipping meals and not eating any carbohydrates are a bad choice for those looking to lose some pounds and keep them off. As always, check with a physician first before starting any diet or exercise regimen.

This article originally appeared on tampabay.com.