Losing Weight - The Facts

We all want to lose a few pounds and look great, especially through those summer months but the average person does not succeed in keeping those pounds off, if they lose the weight at all. The reason for this is that many people follow the latest "celebrity" diets which are good for quick weight loss but are not good for your health or for keeping the weight off.

It is scientifically proven that if you follow a diet where you lose to much weight to quickly then you are starving your body of certain nutrients it needs, when you start moving towards eating a normal diet your body will automatically store these nutrients within the body in case this should happen again.

If you want to lose weight there are some golden rules you need to follow

* Eat 3 meals a day
* Eat less
* Eat healthy
* Eat from all the food groups (Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat)
* Exercise

What we want to achieve is to still eat 3 meals a day, just in smaller quantites and with healthier food. Within the 3 meals we still need all the different food groups for our body to function correctly so we still need our protein, carbohydrates and our fats. Another important factor for losing weight is exercise, I don't mean running a marathon, but if you can spare 20 or 30 minutes a day for a walk or a light jog you will certainly feel the benefits.

If you want to lose the weight quickly then it will only last short term, if you set your goals and take your time losing the weight correctly then you will see the benefits for a long time to come. Losig weight is not just about physical looks, it's about mental well being and your future health.

Weight Loss Is Just Simple Math

Think of your body as a giant scale. That scale is a perfect analogy for gaining and losing weight. Think of putting "calories you burn" on one side and "calories you eat" on the other side. 

To maintain your current weight, the scale needs to be balanced. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you tip the scale. These extra calories are stored as fat -- on your hips, butt, stomach, chest, face, etc., etc. etc. (feel free to add your personal trouble spot here).

To loose weight, you want to tip the scale in the other direction, so that there is a calorie deficit, not a calorie surplus. To lose one pound of body fat, you have to burn (or not eat) 3500 calories. 

There are three ways to lose weight: 

1) Increase your metabolism. One way to do this is to gain lean muscle (through strength training). For every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 50 more calories a day. This means that with more muscle you can eat the same amount and still lose some weight.

2) Eat less. To lose one pound of fat a week, you need to cut 500 calories a day from your diet. With 1000 fewer calories a day you will lose two pounds a week. This may sound like a lot of calories. It's important to know that it is.

3) Workout more. If you just exercise, you would have to walk on a treadmill at 4 MPH for 1.5 hours a day, seven days a week, to lose two pounds of fat a week. 

The perfect way to lose weight is to do all three.

If you increase your metabolism, eat less, and workout more, you will lose weight. It will be easier and less painful than drastically cutting back on your calories or becoming a slave to the treadmill.

Diabetic Diets

After being diagnosed with diabetes, one has to come to terms with it and make a few changes to their lifestyle. At the most, they will be put on a new diet plan.   One does not have to skip meals or avoid eating food that one has always loved completely in order to follow a diet plan. In fact, skipping meals only increases the sugar levels in one’s body. 

For instance, fried, pureed or oily items can increase one’s blood sugar levels. Choose foods items that can act as a healthy substitute to these such as low fat dairy, meat substitutes, green vegetables and fruits.

A diabetic diet is a balanced diet featuring fresh fruits, vegetables, fats, proteins and most dairy products. Although diabetes cannot always be completely cured, it can be brought under control. It is essential to moderate one’s food intake and do regular exercise in order to maintain a healthy diet.

Eating fibrous food items can also reduce one’s weight considerably. These also help reduce the sugar levels in turn. Some instances of fibrous foods are oat bran, beans, rice bran, and cereals and so on. Garlic helps keep diabetes at bay. It is rich in potassium, zinc and sulphur and helps reduce blood-sugar levels.

Avoid salty foods, as they can increase sugar levels. Since one might already get enough salt from vegetables or other natural foods, they should reduce its intake.

Last but not least one should be constantly in touch with a physician who can help them to not only prepare an effective diet, to also take steps to keep their diabetes under control.

How To Calculate Body Fat Percentage

Would you like to know how to calculate your body fat percentage? When most of us think about about losing weight, the amount of fat you are carrying around is actually much more important than weight. 

If you should be measuring anything, it should be body fat percentage, not weight. Your weight does not accurately reflect the level of your fitness. 

Body fat is measured with what is known as Body Mass Index, or BMI. 

A women that is in shape should have a body fat percentage range from 21% to 31%. 

If you are in fantastic shape, your body fat percentage could be as low as 10%. 

For men, if you are fit and in shape, your body fat percentage should be between 14% and 25%. If you are in excellent shape, your body fat percentage could be as low as 2%. 

To calculate your body fat percentage, write down how much you weigh but you have to be honest. Remember, no one will see this but you. Multiply your weight by 703. 

Next, write down your height, in inches. Multiply by that same number. Then you will divide your weight number by your height number. That is your BMI. 

For example, if your weight were 150 pounds x 703, your weight answer would be 105,450. If your height is 5’4”, that would be 64 inches x 64 for a total of 4,096. Taking the 105,450 divided by 4,096, you come out with a BMI of 25.7. 

There are other ways to measure your body fat percentage but this will give you a quick idea of where you are at. 

If you are thinking about about losing weight, remember the amount of fat you are carry around is actually much more important than weight. 

If you use the method above to figure out your current body fat percentage, you'll be on your way to a much healthier fitness level.

Overweight? Watch out!

A new study shows that being overweight in mid-life substantially increased the risk of dying of heart disease later when they get older. This finding is based on a research by Northwestern University as result of tracking 17,643 patients for 3 decades. Even people with healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels when the study began are not safer.

Overweight people are more likely to have heart disease, as they are more likely to have a higher blood pressure and cholesterol. Both hike the risk of heart disease. Statistics shows obesity can cause heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

So if your weight is above normal level, you need to shed a few pounds for the sake of your health.

How do you know for sure if you are overweight or not? You can tell that by your Body Mass Index, BMI for short. Generally speaking, a person whose BMI index is above 25 is considered overweight. 

BMI Weight Status

Below 18.5 Underweight 

18.5 ¨C 24.9 Normal 

25.0 ¨C 29.9 Overweight 

30.0 and Above Obese

You can calculate your BMI by the following formula: 

English Formula

BMI= weight in pounds/(height in inches x height in inches) x 703

Metric Formula

BMI= weight in kilograms/(height in meters x height in meters)

Even if you don،¯t quite mind being overweight, it،¯s better to keep your weight at normal level for your health.

9 Ways To Feed Your Soul By Simply Walking

We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people, it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape, see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you've never, ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you're moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth. 
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles. 
6) Feel yourself moving in space. 
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air. 
8) Have a beauty feast while you're out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you've never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you'd never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

Basics of Losing Weight

Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?

Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.

Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.

Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.