Metabolism Retraining Hint--Doing This Curbs The Appetite   

For people who are obese and who have been sedentary, any amount of physical activity is beneficial, including walking, swimming, and water aerobics. But start out slowly and gradually increase the pace and duration of such activities. Low-intensity activities -- such as taking a short walk or raking leaves -- won't raise your resting energy expenditure as much as high-intensity activities will, but they have other advantages. For one thing, they help reduce body fat and build muscles -- and muscle burns more calories than fat does. Regular weightlifting also builds muscle and has a similar effect.

Another benefit of regular physical activity of any sort is that it temporarily curbs your appetite. Of course, many people joke that after a workout they feel extremely hungry -- and promptly indulge in a snack. But because exercise raises resting energy expenditure, people continue to burn calories at a relatively high rate. Therefore, a moderate post-exercise snack does not erase the benefits of exercise in helping people control their weight.