Category: Weightloss

Though one of the most popular tools used today to determine whether someone is at a healthy weight or not is the BMI, body fat and lean muscle tissue don’t figure into the equation. This has led many experts to discount BMI as an archaic measurement that isn’t accurate for many people. What is BMI, and why is it a good measure for some, maybe, and completely wrong for others?

BMI, or body mass index, was created in the early 1800s by Adolphe Quetelet. Because of that, it’s sometimes called the Quetelet index. It’s nothing more than a way of comparing a person’s weight to his or her height, and determining if his or her weight falls into a healthy and normal range. The BMI is still used today pretty much as it was when Quetelet invented it.

The formula for figuring BMI (body fat, bone and frame size, muscle and body type aren’t included in that) is this: Take your height in meters squared (your height times itself) and divide your weight in kilograms by that number. For example, if I’m 5 feet tall, that’s about 1.5 meters. To square that number, take 1.5 times 1.5. The result of that is 2.5. So if I weigh 120 pounds, that’s about 54.5 kilograms. Divide 54.5 by 2.5 and I get 21.8 as my BMI. The normal weight range is from 18.5 to 24.9, so 21.8 is classified as a normal weight. Underweight is considered 18.5 and below, while overweight people will calculate a BMI of 25 to 29.9. A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity.

BMI, body fat and general health can all be used as signs of how fit a person is. But where general health is pretty self-explanatory and the percentage of body fat clearly shows whether a person gets enough exercise or not, BMI is a bit trickier.

People with a lot of muscle don’t show accurate BMI readings. Because muscle weighs so much heaver than fat but takes up less space, a relatively small statured person can carry a lot of muscle weight without looking huge. BMI doesn’t take that into account. Football players, professional wrestlers, bodybuilders, and virtually any athlete who has a lot of muscle is going to measure as overweight and even obese according to the BMI. So it’s not accurate for them. Is it accurate for everyone else?

The answer to that is yes, and no. It depends on you. The BMI typically doesn’t show an accurate result for children. And extremely tall or large-framed people will show overweight or obese classifications more easily because of the extra weight from their bones and muscles. So for very short, tall or muscular people, the BMI appears to not be a good tool.

There’s also no distinguishing between men and women in the BMI. Body fat is more natural for women who are supposed to have more than men, so some sort of distinction in the measurement of the sexes would help the BMI’s accuracy

Losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult. By taking the time to exercise and make sensible food choices, you can improve your health, one small change at a time. Use these tips to lose weight around your middle. Banish stubborn belly fat, improve your health, and disease proof your body – all at the same time! Make these small changes today – you’ll be amazed at the difference they make in the way you look and feel.

1. Drink Your Water: 6-8 glasses of water a day helps flush fat, sodium, and other toxins from the body. Drink your water to lose weight more quickly. If water’s not your style, try adding one of the new low calorie drink mixes for taste.
2. Eat Breakfast: A healthy breakfast helps get you started on the right foot. People who eat healthy breakfasts eat less food throughout the day. Eat breakfast each day to jumpstart your weight loss.
3. Veg Out: For meals and snacks, add extra fruits and veggies. These nutritional powerhouses help you feel full, without adding extra fat and calories.
4. Walk This Way: Walk at least 30 minutes each day. Walking is a great low impact exercise, and you can begin exercising without purchasing any equipment. Add a walk to your day, and begin burning those excess calories.
5. Choose Healthy Snacks: That’s right, between meal munching can help you lose weight! Choose a healthy snack every few hours to help keep you from overeating at mealtimes.
6. Avoid Liquid Calories: You may be consuming more calories than you realize by loading up on soda, juice, or alcoholic beverages. Cut them from your diet to trim your tummy fast!
7. Aerobics Help: The best way to lose fat around your middle is by burning it through aerobic exercise. Add in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day (walking counts!) to lose weigh quickly.
8. Pack in Protein: Add protein to your meals and snacks to help you feel full longer. Protein provides energy for the long haul, so add peanut butter, low fat cheese, or lean meat to your meals to keep you feeling satisfied.

If you’re having trouble losing weight, or just getting started, try one of these eight tips on for size. These small changes can make a world of difference in how you look and feel, if practiced regularly. Make one small change at a time – each one is a step towards your weight loss goals!

This article entitled “8 Tummy Trimming Tips” is not medical advice. It should not be used as or substituted as medical advice; from a medical professional. This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Losing weight is something practically everyone wants to do. For most people, beginning a weight loss routine can be really challenging because of how much effort is called for. But losing weight need not start with a total lifestyle plan and constant, intense effort. Here are some tips that can help ease you into a healthier, weight-reducing life.

Don’t drink soda pop when you’re trying to lose weight. Changing to diet soda instead of regular soda does not help either. It is nearly impossible to lose weight if you’re drinking soda. Cut soda out of your diet completely and substitute it with water. This is an effective way to lose weight.

Eat when you are really hungry and not just because you are craving something or think you are hungry. You want to hear your stomach grumble a bit before deciding it is meal time, as this ensures that you are truly hungry and are now eating for nourishment and not indulgence.

For people who have never enjoyed running, but really want to, there is a very interesting program. The program is called Couch to 5k and it helps someone who is completely inactive prepare their body and mind to run for 30 minutes in just 8 weeks. So far it has had very good reviews.

Exercise can be pretty boring. When trying to lose weight, make sure you have some entertainment during those long cardio sessions. Get a book to read or even an audio book to listen to. Create a music playlist that is fast and high-energy and will keep your body moving.

Don’t be fooled that all chicken has less fat than other meat. It’s not the animal that matters, it’s where the meat comes from on that animal. Every animal has areas where it stores more fat – even chicken. Dark chicken meat contains more fat than beef rump roast or top round, and twice the fat of pork tenderloin. The best part of the chicken to eat is the breast meat with the skin removed. Even better, eat turkey breast, as it has fewer calories.

Remember that a little effort always has better effects than no effort at all. Picking just one or two of these weight loss tips may be surprisingly successful. Once you see real results, you will have the motivation you need to learn more and work harder towards serious weight loss goals.

Many people think that there is better sex after weight loss, and for most people, that is true. Even though it is true, it may not be true for the reasons you think. A lot of people think that they will have better sex because their partner will find them more desirable and attractive.

But, in many cases, there is another reason why your sex life might increase. You see sex really is about more than the physical, it’s very much about the emotional and psychological as well. When you lose weight and get in better shape you will often just feel better about yourself and more confidant. It’s that new found confidence that can make all the difference.

You may actually find yourself wanting to have sex more often. You may feel more attractive and desirable. Another reason why you can have better sex after weight loss is that you will be in better physical shape which will, of course, make the actual physical act of having sex easier and less tiring.

Of course, to get to this point you actually have to lose weight and that can present it’s own challenges. The more overweight and out of shape you are when you start, the slower you will have to start, which is ok as long as you do start.

Most people make the mistake of getting too hyped up and thinking they can do it all at once or do it quickly. Few people can live up to that and they don’t make the goals they set for themselves, when they fail they get discouraged and give up altogether. Don’t do that to yourself.

Just start slowly and keep working at it. It’s easy when you don’t plan on making all the changes at once. Just one small change a week or a month can add up, and it is easier to do it that way.

You can also try the same thing when it comes to making changes in your diet. Eating better with such simple changes as eating a few more vegetables or fruit can be a great start.

Look, it’s no big mystery how to lose weight, eat better types of foods in moderation and get more physical activity. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

The biggest thing that you can do to mess yourself up is to expect changes to happen quickly. You will be setting yourself up for disappointment that way. Don’t do it to yourself. Start small and go from there.

If you really want to strengthen the bond with your partner, suggest that the two of you work out together. When you both are physically fit it can actually be kind of hot to be sweating together wearing next to nothing!

You can absolutely have better sex after weight loss, you will be stronger both physically and emotionally. Self confidence can go a long way to helping you feel more desirable and your new body may well help your partner find you more attractive.

The definition of obesity is having an excessive amount of body fat. It is not only a cosmetic issue it is a major health issue leading to health risks such as heart attracts, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Doctor use a formula called “body mass index” or BMI to calculate the levels of body fat. Adults with BMI’s over 30 are considered obese. Extreme obesity, which is sometimes called severe or morbid obesity, is when the BMI levels are 40 or higher. With morbid obesity, people are more likely to have serious health issues.

In America, one in three people are considered obese. The seriousness of this causes many to start a weight loss program to avoid the hazards of the excessive weight.

The symptoms associated with obesity are difficulty sleeping, snoring, sleep apnea, pain in the joints and back, excessive sweating, always feeling hot, rashes or infections in the folds of the skin, feeling out of breath with minor activity, daytime sleepiness or fatigue and depression. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, seek medical attention. Your doctor can counsel you how to decrease you risks related to the obesity. Through dietary changes and increased activity, you will be able to reduce the symptoms and health risks. In some cases, medication is prescribed as well as weight loss surgery can be performed.

The causes of obesity is directly related to the over consumption of calories compared to the amount of calorie burned with physical activity. There are genetic and hormonal influences with some people that are obese. The main causes for obesity are inactivity in the daily life. The inability to burn the excess fat consumed, leads to the body storing the fat instead of ridding the body of it. Watching television is one the leading causes to obesity.

Unhealthy diet and eating habits high in calories from fast foods, skipping breakfast, eating most of the calories at the evening meal or for a late night snack, consuming high calorie drinks, and eating too large of portions. Learning to change the eating habits will help combat obesity.

When a woman is pregnant, they gain weight yet after the birth, they find it difficult to lose the excess pounds. The weight from the pregnancy often leads to obesity when it is not lost in the future.

Getting less than seven hours of sleep at night causes the hormones to change by increasing the appetite leading to the person to crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates. This results in weight gain.

Some medications lead to weight gain when the weight is not compensated with diet and physical activity. The types of medications leading to weight gain include antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medication, steroids, beta-blockers, and antipsychotic medication.

Medical problems can cause obesity such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovary syndrome to name a few. Arthritis can also lead to obesity due to the inactivity levels.

Do you suffer from a gut that just won’t stop? Well, you don’t have to put up with this condition. With some hard work, you can get flat abs in just 30 short days.

The key to flat abs is is a regimen that works all of your abdominal muscles. You should do the following exercises a minimum of four times a week for four weeks if you want to get flat abs in just one month.

You will notice that none of these exercises to get flat abs in 30 days requires any special equipment. You can do the entire workout on your floor needing only a bottle of water.

First, you will do belly rolls. These work your vertical ab muscles. What you do is sit with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor with your arms straight in front of you. Exhale your breath and roll back until your lower back touches the ground. Then inhale and roll back up.

You will want to repeat the belly rolls 15 times and then do this variation: when you exhale, roll your body back until your shoulders touch the ground. Repeat the shoulder belly rolls 15 times as well.

Next up is tummy curls. These work your horizontal ab muscles. What you will do is lie on your back and bend your knees at about an 80 degree angle. Raise your feet slightly higher than your knees. Lift your rear end and roll back to your shoulder blades. Inhale and then roll to your tail bone without letting your butt touch the ground. Repeat the tummy curls 20 times.

The third exercise is the cross crunches which help out your waist. You are going to use a 1 liter bottle of water to do this exercise. Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with the floor and cradle your left hand behind your head. Hold the water bottle in your right hand. Lift your head and shoulders off of the ground and reach across your body, so the bottle is outside your left knee. Repeat 20 times before switching sides and doing it another 20 times.

Tailbone lifts are the next exercise and they work your lower ab muscles. What you are going to do is lie on your back, arms stretched straight over your head and legs fully extended and crossed in the air. Exhale as you lift your tailbone, and then slowly lower your back as you inhale. Resist the urge to just drop on the way down. Do this exercise 30 times before moving on.

The final exercise is inverted crunches. These work your lower back muscles. To perform this exercise, lie on your stomach, arms in front of you as if flying. Exhale and lift just your right arm and left leg as high as you can. Then inhale and lower your leg. Switch off, lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate sides, doing 20 lifts on each side. As a final step, lift both arms and legs 20 times.
If you want to get flat abs in just 30 days, you will follow this exercise regime diligently for a full month. Remember to schedule in the exercises at least four times per week.
While there are no magic cures for getting rid of belly fat, flat abs in 30 days is not an impossibility with the right amount of work.

If someone handed you, absolutely free, a list of foods that speed up metabolism, and all those foods were really good for you in other ways, would you eat them? You’d probably be surprised to find several foods you like, maybe even some favorites, on the list. And some of them might be foods that you avoid because the diet industry has convinced you that these foods are off-limits. Low-fat dieters shouldn’t eat nuts because they’re high in fat, low-carb dieters should avoid grains at all costs. Serious low-carbers have even been convinced to shy away from fruits and vegetables because of the natural sugars in them!

Despite all the low-fat, low-carb, high-carb, eat-all-the-celery-you-want-but-nothing-else diets that abound today and make the diet industry billions of dollars a year, people seem to keep getting fatter. Clearly, the diet gurus don’t know all the answers. Or if they know, they’re not telling, at least not for free. So instead of paying another $29.95, $100 or more on the latest ‘expert’s book, video or ‘plan,’ use common sense to lose weight. You must burn more calories than you eat, bottom line, no matter what kind of a diet you’re on. Keep your weekly calories in a healthy range, and get some exercise. But there are some extra things you can do to make the process easier, more healthy and nutritious, including foods that actually help you burn more calories, faster, just by eating them. Start with this list of foods that speed up metabolism.

Sardines, tuna and salmon are high on the list of foods that speed up metabolism. Not only are they great sources of heart-healthy fat and Omega-3 fatty acids, they help lower your levels of a hormone called leptin. It’s easier to lose weight when your leptin levels stay in the lower ranges. Eat more fish, and if you don’t like fish, take fish oil supplements. Another good source of Omega-3 and monounsaturated fat that boosts metabolism is olive oil.

Hot and spicy peppers like cayenne, habanero and jalapeno make the list of foods that speed up metabolism. The capsaicin in them that makes them hot can boost your metabolism for up to 3 hours after you eat. Opt for lower-fat and good carb spicy dishes to get even more benefit from the fat-burning qualities of these spices.

Whole grains are among some of the best foods that speed up metabolism, because they digest slowly and keep your blood sugar levels even. Cinnamon also has blood sugar-regulating properties, so use of this spice can help keep your metabolism chugging at high speed. Protein-rich foods like nuts, eggs, beans and lean meats give your body the needed protein to keep everything running smoothly.

Finally, drink plenty of water to keep your body operating at top efficiency. Though it’s a beverage, water is actually high on the list of foods that speed up metabolism, that you can enjoy every day.

Strength training can help you lose weight. Muscle training can help you lose weight fast. Not only do you lose weight when you are actually doing the strength training, you continue to lose weight for every pound of muscle you build. That’s right, each pound of muscle you put on will burn 50 calories a day without you doing any additional work!

Here are some strategies to lose weight – muscle style:

· Limit fatty and sugary foods. Processed, sweet, and fat dense foods all pack on fat pounds. Instead, consume whole grains, fruit and vegetables.

· Do things around the house. Much of our house work is assigned out to maids, gardeners, and other service people. But doing the physical activity of keeping the house running can actually help you to lose weight and put on muscle.

· Take at least 10,000 steps a day. While this might seem daunting as the average American only gets 3000 to 4000 steps in a day, there are strategies to help you get more. The foundation is to get a good 45 minute walk every day. Add to that steps taken by walking up stairs rather than riding the elevator and by parking far from the front door, and you will soon reach your 10,000 steps.

· Get aerobic exercise at least 3-4 times a week. This can be running on a treadmill, bicycling, or dancing.

· And at the core of lose weight – muscle style is developing a strength training regime.

Often, we think of strength training as using free weights or elliptical machines. But there are things you can do in your own home without any equipment to lose weight. Muscle strength training can be accomplished with the following exercises:

· Sit ups
· Crunches
· Leg Lifts
· Jack Knife Sit ups (raise knees to torso and allow face and knees to meet)
· V-ups (raise legs and torso simultaneously keeping legs straight)
· Side stretches (raise body off floror supporting yourself with your elbow)
· Lunge chop (using a medicine ball)
· Chair exercise (stand on a chair gripping the arm rests. . Press your back against the rear of the chair, tensing your abdominal muscles in order to raise your legs, lifting your knees towards your chest and keeping your back straight.
· Vertical Leg Crunch
· Long Arm Crunch
· Reverse Crunch
· Vertical Sit Up Crunch
· Bench crunch
· Leg Tuck
· Upright Sit Up
· Scissor cuts

If you want to lose weight, muscle strength training is where you should start. Not only will you expend calories exercising, you will also be building fat-burning muscle that will keep you losing weight all of the time, even when you are not exercising.

Losing weight is something you work on over the long haul. However, there are ways to jump start your weight loss. Using the weight loss – muscle strengthening plan I’ve outlined in this article, you should start to see results in as little as one month.

In an article I wrote recently I talked about eating slowly to help you lose 50 pounds over a year. Studies have shown that by taking your time, when you are eating, it will help you lose weight. To put it simply by eating slowly your stomach will have time to send the signal to your brain that your’re full. In most cases it takes about 20 minutes for the average person’s tummy to signal the brain. And then in turn you brain tells your body your full and you don’t need to eat any more. However, if you speed eat, you will just keep stuffing yourself with food, before your brain finally gets the signal. An example of that would be if you wolfed down your first serving in say 5 to 8 minutes, you will feel like your still hungry. In which case you will go back for 2nds or even thirds. Think monster calories being pumped into your body. Think Fat!

Thinking fat/calories is a start. But think what will happen when you slow down your eating and then cut an extra 100 calories out of each meal you eat. By cutting those extra calories you will really kick your weight loss off with a bang. The following is a list of 29 ways and healthy foods you can use to blast those 100 calories out the door.

* Substitute 1 tablespoon of all fruit jam on your toast in lieu of 1 ½ tablespoons of butter.
* Replace 1 cup of whole milk with ½ a cup of skim milk.
* Substitute 2 poached eggs for 2 fried eggs.
* Eat 2 cups of Cheerios instead of ½ cup of granola
* Use nonfat milk and egg whites to make French Toast instead of whole milk and eggs.
* Eat both an orange and a banana instead of a Snicker’s bar.
* Have 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry roasted peanuts.
* Replace 1 cup of sweetened apple sauce with 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
Use an artificial sweetener like Splenda if you notice a difference in taste.
* If you make Lamb and Vegetable kabobs, replace 2 of the chunks of meat with
vegetables.
* Use 1 tablespoon of low fat mayonnaise rather than 1 ½ tablespoons of regular
mayonnaise.
* Don’t drink that glass of white wine. Opt for cherry flavored sparkling water instead.
* Skip the cheese on your burger or sandwich.
* Have a half cup of dried fruit instead of 9 caramel candies.
* Instead of 3 slices of bacon, have 3 slices of Lite and Lean Canadian bacon.
* Order one size down at Starbucks.
* Choose a Lender’s egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
* Use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread for
your sandwiches.
* Serve 2 dinner rolls with your beef stew instead of 2 biscuits.
* Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese
sauce.
* Make your burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese
instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
* Make your sandwich open face.
* Chose a high-fiber English muffin instead of a full fat apple muffin.
* Cut your cake a little slimmer. Reducing a slice of cake by 1/3 will save you 100
calories.
* You can switch from 1 cup of whole milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of 1% milk without
losing any taste when you add a dash of almond extract.
* Throw away 8 McDonald’s French Fries.
* Ditch the single cup of caramel coated popcorn and have 2 ½ cups of air popped
popcorn instead.

Don’t wait around to lose 50 pounds of weight. Cut 100 calories a meal out of your diet, by using all or some of the above ways to get a head start.