- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Weight loss basics (6)
- Fast weight loss: What's wrong with it?
- Slow metabolism: Is it to blame for weight gain?
- Breakfast: Why is it so important to weight control?
- see all in Weight loss basics
Diet plans (5)
- Dieting? Beware of liquid calories
- Vegetarian diet: Will it help me lose weight?
- Coffee calories: Sabotaging your weight-loss plans?
- see all in Diet plans
Mayo Clinic diet (1)
- Weight loss: Better to cut calories or exercise more?
Diet and exercise (5)
- Weight loss: Better to cut calories or exercise more?
- Belly-dancing: A good exercise for weight loss?
- Weight-loss exercise: How do I fit it into my day?
- see all in Diet and exercise
Diet pills, supplements and surgery (15)
- Phentermine: Can prescription medication help weight loss?
- Hoodia: Does this dietary supplement help weight loss?
- Water retention: Are there any natural diuretics?
- see all in Diet pills, supplements and surgery
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Walking: Is it enough for weight loss?
Can I lose weight if my only exercise is walking?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Consuming fewer calories is often the most effective way to lose weight. Still, an increase in physical activity is an important part of any weight-loss program. And walking is a great way to get started. For motivation, do the math: To lose 1 pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. If you cut 250 calories from your daily diet, you could lose that pound in about two weeks. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn another 150 calories a day. Make that 60 minutes of brisk walking and you could burn about 300 calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker the pace, the more calories you'll burn. Keep it up and you'll walk your way to a healthy weight. Better yet, walking can help you keep the weight off for good.
Next question
