Consider this:

• Walking is the most popular exercise of the most successful weight loss “losers.” For members of the National Weight Control Registry, over 5,000 members strong who on average lost over 70 pounds and have kept it off for 6 years, walking is by far the most popular exercise reported.
• Walking helps preserve lean muscle mass. As we age our metabolism slows by 2% per decade due to loss of metabolically active muscle. Since each pound of muscle burns about 50 calories per day, losing a pound of muscle could translate into a 5 1/4 pound weight gain per year.
• Walking helps keep your metabolism up long after you’re finished. Just 45 minutes of walking will keep your metabolism up for 20 hours post-exercise.
• Walking helps insulin work efficiently. By keeping your metabolism up, your muscles respond efficiently to insulin, allowing calories to be stored in muscle as glycogen. However when you combine long periods of inactivity with excess calories your muscles, already filled with glycogen stores, become less sensitive to insulin leading to a prediabetic condition known as insulin resistance. Your body responds by pumping out more insulin which promotes fat storage.

As you can see many of weight loss benefits of walking are not captured in a simple “calories burned” calculation. Of course, no amount of walking is going to overcome the caloric devastation brought on by a Whopper, which is why a combination of diet and exercise is always going to be key. But, I digress. March on!

Like any good weight loss reality TV show, it’s more than just about getting fit and losing weight. Team work is emphasized and if they stick together they share in a 1.2 million dollar pot. If someone quits or is voted off, there is $10,000 penalty for each contestant. That’s some motivation to gut it out together!

Lorrie Henry, one of the trainers on the show who provides encouragement and fitness advice to the contestants, is by her own words a “motivational fitness expert and certified personal trainer.” Formerly 70 lbs heavier 5 years ago, Lorrie has some really inspiring “before and after pics” on her website.

Here are some Fat March contestant Myspace pages:
www.myspace.com/wendyalanewright
www.myspace.com/numberoneshaqfan
www.myspace.com/jamilynfromfatmarch

Here are the Fat March Trainer’s Myspace pages:
www.myspace.com/1spaguy
Lorie Henry