I'll say it plainly: you have to do something. Of everything in this program, regular movement is the one piece that's truly mandatory. Not because exercise burns off dessert (it mostly doesn't), but because of what happens to your body when you don't move.
Why it's not optional
Even at a healthy weight, a body that doesn't move isn't a healthy body. Here's what's at stake:
- Your muscle. Adults gradually lose muscle with every passing decade unless they use it, and weight loss speeds that up, because some of the weight you lost was muscle. Less muscle means a slower metabolism, which makes regain far more likely.
- Your metabolism. Muscle is active tissue that burns energy around the clock. Keeping it is one of the best things you can do to keep your maintenance calories from sliding.
- Your blood sugar. Working muscles pull sugar out of your blood, which helps protect you from insulin resistance.
- Your track record. People who keep weight off for years are almost all physically active. In the National Weight Control Registry, regular activity is one of the most consistent habits among successful maintainers.
A thin body with very little muscle and a sluggish metabolism isn't the goal. A strong, active body is.
It doesn't have to be a boring machine
When people hear "exercise," they picture grinding away on a treadmill, counting the minutes until it's over. If that's what you picture, no wonder it never sticks. The secret is finding movement that's fun, and ideally social, because the activities you enjoy are the ones you keep doing for years.
- Pickleball or tennis. My personal favorite on the days I'm not running. Two hours fly by, and you barely notice you're exercising.
- A walking or running group. Friendly, free, and somebody notices when you don't show up.
- A team sport. Adult volleyball, softball, kickball, or soccer leagues are everywhere.
- Dance classes, hiking, swimming, cycling, gardening. Anything that gets you moving counts.
The hobby guide, the next lesson, has dozens more ideas and helps you figure out which kind of activity fits you best.
How much is enough?
Health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week (that's 30 minutes, five days a week, of something like a brisk walk) plus muscle-strengthening activity at least two days a week. Many successful maintainers do more, often around an hour a day, but don't let that number scare you off. Start where you are and build up.
Don't skip the strength part. Lifting weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups are what actually protect your muscle. Twenty minutes twice a week makes a real difference.
The one rule
Do something, every week, that you'd miss if you skipped it. Try a few things, drop the ones you hate without guilt, and keep the one that makes you look forward to the next time. That's the activity that will still be in your life five years from now.
If you have a health condition or haven't been active in a while, check in with your doctor before starting something new, and build up gradually.