Exercise Questions - Can Low Impact Exercise Help Me Lose Weight?

Exercise Question:
I have arthritis in both of my knees. I am 40 years old and I am limited to low impact exercise. I have increased the intensity of my walking on the treadmill using 2 lb. weights. Can exercise along with diet put a hold on actually loosing pounds? I'm hanging in there but I am doing more now than I did when I first lost most of my weight. I did 99% of it without exercise. Now that I am exercising it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Exercise Answer:
If you're limited to low impact exercise, I would recommend switching from the treadmill to the elliptical trainer. Make sure to choose the elliptical trainer which uses both the leg and arm movements. This way you will maximize the caloric burning and get an overall body exercise. If you find that the elliptical is too high impact for your knees, then stick with the treadmill and try to increase the intensity and/or incline of the machine to burn more calories.

In terms of diet, try eating only lean protein and very low glycemic carbs after 7pm. An example meal could consist of:

• 6 ounce chicken breast (broiled)
  
• 3 cups of broccoli (steamed)
  

I would also highly recommend adding weight training to your routine (if its safe for you). Building quality muscle will stoke your metabolism and make you burn many more calories at rest.

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