HEALTHY LIVING � If you want to lose weight and keep it off a well-respected fitness author says you better step on it. He says most diets fail because people don't know how to maintain their weight loss and many Americans are going about it all wrong.
Walking comes so naturally we hardly notice how many steps we take in a day. Counting calories does not come naturally, yet many folks keep track.
The author of the new book "The Step Diet," James Hill, says Americans need to count steps, not calories.
People who shed pounds slow their metabolism. To maintain weight loss you have to eat even less or increase the amount of steps you take.
The book offers a formula for figuring how many steps would be the most effective for you. And tips on how to get more steps on your counter.
First, use the pedometer to figure out how many steps you take in an average day, then raise the number by 2,000--it's as easy as pacing while talking on the phone, or parking at the far end of the lot. Second, eat one-quarter less of your food
It's a sure fire strategy, eat a little less and walk a lot more.
The author of The Step Diet says for every pound you lose, the average person needs to do 160 to 200 more steps per day to keep it off.
A lot of malls offer walking programs to help stay cool in the summer months.