Exercise for weight loss? Yes and no..

Exercise alone rarely helps people lose much weight.

This politically incorrect truth makes a lot of people very unhappy, but that doesn't mean it's not so.

Does that mean you shouldn't exercise? Hardly.

Exercise does three things that are absolutely vital to your health.

1) It completely, demonstrably, statistically, provably lowers your risk of dying from all causes including but not limited to heart disease- and as a bonus, may lower your risk for dementia and Alzheimers.

2) It insures that you will keep weight off once you lose it. Maintaining weight loss without exercise is virtually impossible- shown in study after study.

3) It has a profound effect on mood and well-being.

So it's not that exercise isn't important for weight loss- it's just that it's usually not enough by itself. It's also becoming increasingly clear that there are some people for whom a simple (dare I say simplistic) recommendation of diet and exercise alone may not be enough for weight loss, but that's a subject for another day.

Meanwhile, how do you stay "motivated" if you're exercising and not seeing an immediate fall in weight?

My good friend Gina Lombardi has written a terrific article on MSN on five alternative ways to measure progress (besides using the scale). The techniques are smart, easy, and highly motivating.

If you want the executive summary, it's this:

1. Measure your body fat

2. Keep a log (Gina explains how to do this in the article)

3. Use a pedometer (ditto)

4. Check and evaluate your sleep (is it better than it used to be?)

5. Use a heart rate monitor

I'll write more about the relationship between exercise and fitness (and about "smart exercising" in general) in the coming year.