29 Feb 2012

What is Body Mass Index (BMI) and why is it so important to track?


Did you know you had a BMI? Body mass index is a calculation that uses your height and weight to estimate how much body fat you have. Too much body fat is a problem because it can lead to illnesses and other health problems.
BMI, although not a perfect method for judging someone's weight, is often a good way to check on how a kid is growing.


The best way to determine your BMI is to have your doctor do it for you. That way, you'll know the number is accurate and your doctor can discuss the result with you and your mom or dad.


Four Categories
Once you know your BMI, you'll learn that you are in one of four categories:


-Underweight: less than the 5th percentile
-Healthy weight: greater than or equal to 5th but less than 85th percentiles (in other words: 5th to 84th percentile)
-Overweight: greater than or equal to 85th but less than 95th percentiles (85th to 94th percentile)
-Obese: greater than or equal to the 95th percentile


A kid whose BMI is at the 50th percentile is close to average compared with the kids of the same age and gender who were measured to make the chart. A kid at the 85th to 94th percentiles is considered overweight. And a kid who measures at or above the 95th percentile is considered obese, a term doctors use that means very overweight.


How BMI Can Change?
It's important to remember that BMI is interpreted differently for adults. There are separate charts for men and women, but they don't use percentiles at all — just number ranges that are considered underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese (which means very overweight). That's because adults have stopped growing and their age is no longer a major consideration when it comes to weight.
Kids, on the other hand, are growing. And it's common for kids to gain weight during certain times in childhood, such as puberty. The charts take growth into account.


Where BMI Can Fall Short?
BMI is not the whole story when it comes to someone's weight. A more muscular kid might have a higher weight and BMI but not have too much body fat. A smaller kid could have an ideal BMI, but might have less muscle and too much body fat.
Also, it's very common for kids to gain weight quickly — and see the BMI go up — during puberty. Because of these and other considerations, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor if you have questions about whether you are at your ideal weight.


If your doctor tells you your BMI is high, don't let it get you down. Instead, talk to your doctor about what you should do to lower your BMI. Unlike adults, kids don't usually need to diet. But by eating healthier and getting more exercise, a kid can improve his or her BMI.


You can check your BMI today on the right side of this blog. 



28 Feb 2012

Want To Stop Losing Motivation With Diet And Exercise? Here Is The Greatest Motivational Rule EVER!

The number one setback with diet and exercise is losing motivation. A loss of motivation can come from a number of things. It can be due to not seeing results, a hectic lifestyle is getting in the way, things you are doing are not making you excited or keeping you interested, and more. Well, if you are experiencing a loss of motivation with dieting and exercising, then I have some good news for you today! In this article you're going to find out the one simple motivation rule you always need to take into consideration... and from there... you will stop losing motivation no matter what!
Listen, I'm going to get straight to the point... because if you are reading this article right now, this tells me that you are frustrated and you want to just get back on track with losing weight and improving your overall health. Am I right? Good! Because that's a good way to feel! So, without further ado...
The greatest motivational rule ever to stop losing motivation with keeping yourself getting results with weight loss and fat loss is to never put yourself in a position to make excuses!
That's right... that's all it comes down to!
Think about it. You go on a diet or you start exercising without taking into consideration all the possible roadblocks that could cause you to get frustrated or lazy. Because of this, you will be well on your way to making excuses with sticking to your plan... and this ultimately will cause your motivational levels to drop very quickly.
For example, why join a gym that is so far away from you? This will cause you to eventually start making excuses about commuting. Another example is going on a diet program that is super restrictive and wants you to eat nothing but one type of food. Doing that will cause you to start feeling deprived... and you'll ultimately start making excuses about sticking to a diet such as this.
The best thing to do is to make sure you do things that you know will not come into interference with your daily life and cause you problems. The reason why is because dieting and exercising can be hard enough as it is to stay consistent with... and when you make things more complicated... well... you'll certainly find yourself making a ton of excuses to back out of your goals.
Bottom line, getting in shape and improving your health does not have to be miserable. There are exercise programs that will keep you motivated and there are diet programs that are fun, interesting, and will certainly keep you motivated as well. So, make sure that you are doing things that you know YOU will find fun and effective... but at the same time... it will not cause you to start making excuses later on.

Sometimes Exercise Alone Just Isn't Enough To Burn The Fat

When it comes to exercise, many of us are very committed and stay right on track with a routine to burn the fat. Likely some of you may find that your just not losing the weight you had hoped and will start to become a bit frustrated or may abort the good efforts all together.
By establishing good nutrition for exercise results and overall health in general, your fat burning efforts will really get the weight loss you've worked so hard to see.
Try to realize exercise and nutrition work together. It's a fact that you can't lose weight effectively without healthy nutrition for optimizing exercise routines. Working out intensively is a great start but doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want since those calories just wont get used up. People tend to overestimate calories burned during a workout session and underestimate calories consumed during a meal. In order to burn the fat effectively, it will take a daily deficit of 3,500 calories just to lose one pound. Try your hardest to burn more calories than you eat daily so you can experience greater weight loss.
Choose food wisely because what you eat will determine how your body operates. Fueling your exercise routine with healthy carbohydrates prior and lean quality proteins afterward will really kick start the fat burning process and help you. On a daily basis, choose whole grain foods that are minimally processed and protein-rich foods such as fish, turkey, nuts, beans and low-fat dairy and always remember, you can never have too many fruits and vegetables.
Healthy nutrition for weight loss by consuming whole, unprocessed foods is a lifetime commitment but your body will thank you for the efforts by being healthiest it's ever been.
Make your exercise count. Combine both cardio and strength training during workouts to get the best results. While cardio is essential for increasing heart rate to burn the fat, you will also need to build and maintain muscles so your body can do it better.
Greater muscle mass will boost your metabolism and burn the fat consistently throughout the day, even while at rest. You can research multiple different methods to build up muscle mass, so finding one you like and enjoy should be pretty easy. You could try: free weights, strength machines, resistance tools, or simply use the weight of your own body-squats, lunges, push-ups, planks and pull-ups.
Your weight loss success will depend closely on the choices you make each day. Remember, by adjusting your nutrition for exercise results, you will be well on your way to burn the fat you want and get those results you desire.

A Few of the Very Best Workouts to Reduce Stomach Fat

Among the best workouts to reduce stomach fat tend to be weight training exercise workouts. Weight lifting develops muscle mass and taking advantage of a lot more muscle mass utilizes a lot more calories from fat. Uncomplicated. Plus ought to these correctly they are going to increase your position as well as your stability.
These 2 workouts are not brand new and you will perform these acquainted with absolutely no special products necessary. You will get very good results ought to these together with several strength training 3 times per week.
Zero
It is a excellent workout regarding functioning several main groups of muscles within the legs. And it operates the particular butt as well, that will set the sofa. There are numerous various kinds of zero which includes entry, divided and also crack profession. Whatever you select all of them operate the particular upper thighs and also burn off fat.
Stay along with your foot stylish size aside along with your hands and wrists from your edges. Minus any kind of hand weights it is possible to keep container with drinking water or perhaps whole milk planisphère. Reduce your self just like you had been seated maintaining the back directly as well as your pull up. Gradually lower till your current upper thighs tend to be similar with all the soil breathing in when you proceed. Keep for a few secs and then come back gradually for the begin when you let out your breath.
Dumbbell fly
It is really an in history traditional workout and also tones up numerous categories of muscle tissue simultaneously. The particular shoulder blades, upper body and also hands are typical been effective simultaneously. It is advisable to get it done on the table so you actually stretching your current upper body along the way lower and then proceed along the way way up. Minus the table it is possible to still simply lie on the ground is to do this.
Lie on the back again contain the bodyweight (or weight loads. Once again that can be done this by using drinking water bottles) over your current upper body along with your hands extended although not secured. Reduce the load for your upper body when you breathe in. Make sure never to mid-foot your current back, nor jump the load out of your upper body. Test their limits way up and also breathing out there.
You might be considering well just how can these types of become the most effective workouts to reduce stomach fat whenever they utilize the hands and also the legs. In fact, people burn off fat through throughout your system simultaneously all these workouts.
It is a crucial thing to keep in mind if you are bodyweight. You can expect to suffer the loss through throughout your system simultaneously. Simply create of the brain any kind of believed that you could place slow up the body fat.

Learn the Basics of a Healthy Diet Plan


Many of you must be wondering why of late, so many people are suffering from cancer. About 50 years ago, the incidence of cancer was less than 25% of the figures in 2011. To an extent because our environment is cleaner, our activity levels have decreased and we rarely if at all, follow a healthy diet plan, humans have lost some of the ability to fight common diseases and our bodies have become weaker and more susceptible to diseases. However, this still does not explain why the incidences of cancer have quadrupled over the past five decades. The only logical explanation one can think of is the chemicals that directly or indirectly seep into our bodies.

Our food is awash with chemicals
These days all eateries and pre-packaged food manufacturers use a wide variety of chemicals primarily to enhance the shelf life of the product and secondarily to make the product tastier. Whatever little research is done is extremely short term and more often than not, the research is just to fulfill legal obligations. There is hardly any independent or government verification of the results.
The chemicals used in foods accumulate in our bodies and slowly corrupt it from the inside. Cancer is not something that happens overnight - it takes many years before it is detected. Those of us who are fortunate enough to afford a yearly full service checkup might have the cancer detected at its infancy. For the majority of people however, by the time cancer is detected it is already too late.
For obvious reasons, no government agency wants to come out and say modern day food is the source of the increase in cancer instead, this year USDA has recommended a shift to healthy eating meal plan that relies less on meats and more on vegetables. Unfortunately, businesses that deal in ready to eat and pre-packaged food were quick to increase the content of the vegetables in their preparations but also, at the same time adding a dose of the chemicals that ensure the veggies retain their color and also make it crispier. Haven't you often wondered how is it that carrots you cook at home are pale pink and soft whereas the ones served in restaurants are bright pink and crispy? The same applies to other veggies too.
Switch over to your own healthy diet plan
It is therefore high time we open our eyes and realize we have been victims of business greed and lack of adequate supervision. Businesses have always claimed they can run themselves ethically and do not need government supervision. Well, the recent recession has proved how ethical they are. Businesses care only for money and profit; your health and ethics is not part of the equation. The time has come to make you own healthy eating habits plan - one that is lean on meats and high on fresh, preferably organically grown vegetables.
How many calories are in All Foods
Ever wonder how many calories are in pasta? Or calories in a banana? Or how many calories or fat grams in a cupcake? The number of calories for each food, plus the nutrition facts, is taken from the USDA's food database with over 6000 entries. Calorie counting can be a great way to help you with your natural weight loss diet!
A Daily diet meal plan should contain food from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, pulses, healthy vegetarian recipes and milk or milk products such as yogurt. Once you are on to a healthy diet plan, cut down on visits to the local diner for French fries and burgers. If required, make it at home. Stick to your healthy diet plan. The wonderful news is that body has tremendous capacity to rectify itself. Short of cancer, most other diseases can be controlled through a healthy diet plan alone.

4 Tasty Fat Burning Foods for Nutrition and Overall Weight Loss



Finding the right fat burning food is one of the most important keys of proper nutrition and overall weight loss. In spite of what many of those fad diets would have you believe, eating healthy whole foods are the best way to not only lose those inches around the abs, but keep them off for good without getting depressed or missing foods. Learning to eat healthy whole foods is not a diet or new fad but rather a get back to basics way of living without all those nasty preservatives. Once you start understanding healthy foods vs unhealthy foods it will suddenly becomes a lot easier to maintain proper nutrition and eating habits without feeling deprived! Here are just four fast fat burning foods you may never have thought of before.


Apples


An apple a day keeps the doctor away-and the fat too as it turns out! Apples are great fat busters for a few reasons. First, they elevate blood sugar naturally and keep it higher for a longer period of time, making you feel more energetic and satisfied. Second, they contain plenty of soluble fiber which also keeps you feeling fuller longer. There are a dozen or more varieties of apples available year round and can be eaten on the go.


Hot Peppers


And hot mustard too! Both of these spicy foods can help to literally burn fat away, according to studies done by Dr. Jay Henry in Oxford. They work through a thermic effect, which is mostly just a fancy way of saying that they raise the metabolism of the body through heat. But this wouldn't be enough; hot pepper also have minerals and vitamins in them which makes them a healthy food to add to your diet.


Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds


Delicious and great sources of healthy fats. Try to get raw nuts if possible as the roasting process can oxidize some of the polyunsaturated fats in some types of nuts making those damaged fats slightly more inflammatory. Overall, nuts are still healthy even if they are roasted, but raw nuts are optimal.


Melons


You may not have ever thought of it, but melons are also a good fat buster. They are chock full of water, vitamins and fiber and contain very few calories. All melons can keep you hydrated and fuller longer with almost no fat and few calories for it. They are amazing diet buddies and with a naturally sweet flavor, you won't be craving the junk food anymore!


You can't possibly lose weight if the foods you use to prepare your meals are unhealthy and loaded with calories. You can't go wrong if you avoid processed foods and stick with whole foods and fresh ingredients. Anything boxed, frozen, jugged or canned is considered processed and has no place in a healthy diet. There's no need to starve yourself or eat bland diet food once you know about the huge range of fat burning foods out there. Their are plenty of whole foods which not only taste good but also promote proper nutrition and healthy eating habits.



Balancing a Healthy Diet


1. Poultry, meat, fish and other variations
We all need a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals in our daily diets, and poultry, meat, fish, eggs, beans and nuts are all a great source for these.
You should be eating at least two portions of poultry, meat, and fish each week as this will provide you with all the protein you need for a balanced diet.
Salmon, mackerel and fresh tuna (Which are oily fish) are very good for you as they are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and a great source of vitamins A and D. White fish such as haddock, cod, and plaice are also very low in fat.
You must take things into consideration when buying meat,
  • Keep away from meats such as salami, sausages, and burgers as they contain a lot of salt and fat.
  • Some meats are higher in fat than others and can lead to an increase in cholesterol and the chance of heart problems, so when possible it is better to stay away from these meats.
  • Try and pick healthier meats to eat, such as turkey, chicken and pork, and take off the skin to make them even healthier.
  • Always try to cut off as much excess fat from meats as possible.
Tip
A good tip is to steam, grill, bake or even poach your meats for a healthier way of eating and limit the amount of frying of meats as much as possible.
2. Milk and dairy
Cheese, milk and yogurt are all a great source of protein and vitamin A, D and B12.
They are all rich in calcium which helps to keep healthy bone structure, and are particularly important for growing children to maintain healthy teeth and bones.
Care still has to be taken with milk and dairy as high levels of saturated fats can be found in a lot of dairy products. High consumption can be linked to heart disease because of the amount of saturated fats and these types of products should be eaten in moderate amounts, or lower saturated options should be taken when possible
When trying to reduce the saturated fat intake try switching over to skimmed milk and low fat yogurt as these still contain the essential vitamins and minerals, such as protein, potassium, vitamin B and zinc but has less fat and in turn is better for your waistline without making any sacrifices.
Dairy and milk shouldn't be avoided as they are a vital part of a balanced diet.

5 Key Elements You Need To Burn Fat Effectively


Lately I've noticed the same exact question floating around, "What do I need to burn fat and be rid of my excess weight?"
Well, I want to answer that question and provide you with 5 essential things you absolutely need to succeed with burning fat rapidly. These are things that are absolutely necessary, and you can trust I wouldn't give out anything that wouldn't benefit you.
I only give out tips that I think are extremely effective in helping you reach your Fitness goals, which is exactly what these 5 tips are. Now these are 5 things you can easily obtain, and once you have all of them, your Fat Loss Program will feel like a breeze.
Also, these are from personal experience, and when something works for me, I like sharing it with you guys as most things that work for one person will work for everyone else. That's just the way the world works.
With these 5 essential elements, you won't fail with your Fitness Program like many people do, but your life will be much easier and you'll get results much faster.
#1 Good Nutrition
I've stated millions of times that you really won't get anywhere without a good, healthy diet plan. It's just that simple. Why?
Because results start within your body and if your body is receiving horrible food, then your body will obtain horrible results. So, instead of going into detail of exactly what your diet plan should look like, I want to make a list of guidelines your diet plan should follow.
By following these guidelines, you'll know that you're promoting maximum results with the absolute best nutrition plan. If any of your foods don't meet these requirements or your diet doesn't consist of most of these foods, you may need to make a change if you really want to blast fat and build muscle naturally.
Here Are Those Nutrition Guidelines:
-Eat more vegetables, especially Kale and sulfur rich vegetables like Cabbage
-Cut wheat out from your diet as most excess weight is linked to gluten or wheat
-Eat grass-fed meat for good protein like beef and lamb
-Eat wild alaskan salmon for protein because they're cold-water fish
-Eat pure egg whites as this is the best source of pure protein we know of
-If you're going for protein powder, go for whey protein concentrate, not isolate
-Don't completely cut out fats, but increase good sources of fat like
-Good sources of fat include: Avocado and Egg Yolk
-Best source of healthy fat is Cold-Water Fish because they possess more insulation, which includes much more Omega 3's (extremely healthy)
-Don't completely cut out carbs, but eat healthy sources that improve your health
-Good carbs include: Quinoa, Cous Cous, Yams, and Brown Rice
-Drink 3 cups of Tea per day if you can, more specifically Oolong or Green Tea
-Drink lots of water throughout the day to decrease your appetite for calories
-Cut out soda and other high sources of sugar and empty calories
#2 Absolutely Strong Goals
Simply put, your goals make you work harder and give you a sense of achievement whenever you get any closer to your goals.
When you don't set goals however, you have no idea what you're targeting and you're kind of just floating around hoping to be satisfied with your results at one point.
When you set set powerful goals, you know what's expected of you, you know how hard you have to work, and you feel confidence in the fact that you know what you're aiming for.
You need to develop goals, but more importantly you have to develop goals that push you to work harder. I also use the "Baby Step" concept when setting my goals, which I think is the best approach.
Basically, you set smaller goals that you achieve every week or so, that eventually lead you up to your one main goal. Instead of going for one major goal that will take you 6 months to achieve, set smaller goals that lead up to that main goal.
The "Baby Step" Process is great for a number of reasons:
1) You feel a sense of achievement when you reach your smaller goals
2) Many people who aim for a large goal, often get discouraged when they don't get it
3) However, when you set smaller goals, you feel success that you're getting closer to your main goal
4) These smaller goals give you an idea of how much harder you have to work to reach your Ultimate goal much faster
5) It's like a check-list that you can mark off each goal when you reach it, which gives you a sense of success and organization
My recommendation to you is for your goals, to be permanent, unwavering, and powerful.
Basically, if you want to get amazing results you have to develop goals that push you to your absolute limits and keep you from quitting with your Fitness Program.
#3 A Good Set Of Weights
In order to burn fat, you need to build muscle, and in order to build muscle you need to place stress onto your muscles through the use of weights. This is the basic concept of burning fat and building muscle.
This is especially important for your abdominals area, because your stomach won't tone out without the building of permanent muscle.
Many ab exercises don't include the use of weights, but in order to develop mass abdominal muscle, I highly recommend you use weights incorporated into your exercises.
The reason that you burn more fat through muscle development is because of the fact that one pound of muscle burns 50 calories. This is a huge truth for muscle building and developing six pack abs, and if you didn't already know about it, now you do.
Basically, those who have more muscle burn much more calories, so our goal here is to use weights to get your muscle percentage way up there.
Our main goal here is to utilize weighted abdominal exercises to burn belly fat by building mass muscle and getting our abdominal muscles exposed.
The one thing about weights is that it builds more muscle and will therefore overrun excess body fat in order to get your overall body fat percentage down.
This is key to burning fat fast and developing six pack abs. Another effective way to use weights is to add them in during your cardio in order to work yourself ten times harder and obtain results a million times faster.
This also allows you to cut down your cardio time in half because you're putting so much stress on your body through your workouts. My one tip for you is to find a good set of weights, but nothing fancy.
Your Weight Set Should Include:
-A barbell with alternate weights
-Two dumbbells with alternate weights you can change
-A weight vest with changeable weights
-A simple pull up bar to give you a toned back
As you can see, you really don't need an entire home gym to yourself, because a simple set of weights can definitely get the job done for you.
Keep it simple, save money, and get awesome results with your Fitness Plan.
#4 One Solid Muscle Building & Fat Burning Program
The next thing I recommend is a powerful Muscle Building and Fat Burning Program which you can follow.
The reason you NEED a program is because of this: I've learned that no matter how awesome I think my own personal program is, that I can't stay consistent with it as I really don't have a program to "follow" each and everyday.
I'm all over the place with my workout plan because I've never really sat down to write down a specific program that I can follow day by day for a certain period of time.
It just takes so much time, and I only want to get awesome results, not waste time making a program.
I've learned it's ten times easier to stay consistent with a program that actually walks you through day-by-day on exactly what you're doing for that day and keeps you staying consistent throughout the time frame of that Program.
Most Programs can range from 3-4 months, but the good programs are the ones that change up the workouts every few weeks or so and are really designed to give your entire body awesome muscle growth and fat loss for a long period of time.
It's hard to find Programs nowadays that include mass muscle building incorporated with powerful fat loss, because most programs only focus on one or the other.
However, there are good programs out there, and you just have to find them.
When you do find a program that works for you, here's a couple tips to follow.
Follow These Guidelines:
-Your cardio should be high intensity intervals, meaning you exercise at your absolute maximum heart rate for a quick burst, then rest for even longer, and repeat it again
-You consistently increase the weights for your exercises to promote muscle growth
-You constantly change up the exercises every week so they don't become boring
-Your program should be an exact day-to-day schedule you can follow
#5 Strong Will And Determination
Without the right mind set, you might as well just not even try your luck with any Fitness Program.
I really want to stress the importance of your mind set when you go into any Fitness Program, because your results will directly relate to your mind set prior to whatever you do.
Basically, your mind set determines the kind of results you get and whether you succeed or not. Why?
Research has shown those with the mind set to succeed, end up succeeding much more than those who are unsure of what they do.
It's a confidence issue here and we need to solve it by realizing that anything is possible with the right mind set.
How many successful people do you see that go through life expecting to fail at what they do? No one!
You gain results because you know you're going to get results with your workouts and you know your going to achieve what you want.
It may sound dumb, but if you want to burn lots of fat and be completely rid of that excess weight, then you have to go into your program with the mind set that you can easily do that. Think about it.
There really is no limit to the results you can receive, so why limit yourself and make it harder on you?
Develop confidence and determination and realize that you truly can achieve your goals, and I promise you it will make a dynamic difference for you.
The second kind of mind set you need besides determination ad confidence, is a strong will.
You need a strong will to stay committed to your diet plan and your workouts. Think of those days you don't feel like working out so you just skip that day, or think of that time you make an exception for your diet and sneak in that one doughnut.
These little things add up and can combine to give you a drastic decrease in your results.
However, if you can keep yourself from giving into these temptations, you'll see far more success with your results I promise you that. Determination and a strong will is what's going to get you through every exercise and keep you from quitting.
It's so vital to have the right mind set when you go into your Fitness Program, so develop that strong confidence, determination, and strong will, and I guarantee you'll get the results you want with your weight loss.
Final Words For Burning Fat
Now these are just things that I've discovered is absolutely vital to a successful fat loss plan. These are things I personally need, so I though I'd share them with you to give you an idea of how I receive optimal results from my Fitness Program.
Think of how you'll receive far more increased results when you utilize all of these key elements and combine them into the Ultimate Fitness Program.
You'll definitely have no problem burning fat and developing that toned body if you utilize every one of these things.
My final words to you is this:
No one said getting insane results was going to be easy, because you have to live like no one else, in order to later live like no one else. So use these 5 elements to develop the Ultimate Six Pack Program, work harder than everyone else by utilizing these key tips now, and you'll be on your way to living like no one else later on down the road when you have the perfect body and everyone else is reaping what they've sown.


Top 10 Reasons to Manage Your Weight

Why are so many people taking up jogging, water sports, and hiking right now? Why are weight management centers so popular? You may not be at the point in your life where you think health and fitness is something to invest in, but there will come a time when you have at least one compelling reason to put your health above all else. If you are curious as to what convinces so many others to work toward weight management, consider the top ten reasons people focus on managing their weight:
1. Unhealthy foods are everywhere and most people do not eat a healthy diet. This puts most people at increased risk of becoming obese.
2. Obesity enhances the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other life threatening diseases. Many diabetics are able to reduce medication or go off of it altogether after taking up a healthy diet and exercise plan.
3. When your body is storing excess fat, you have difficulty moving around and may not feel comfortable leading an active lifestyle. This leads to discomfort in daily life and stops many people from living a healthy life.
4. Overweight and obese people are more likely to suffer from self esteem and confidence problems. They don't feel as good about themselves as they should, and that affects all areas of their life. Losing weight and improving their appearances goes a long way to boosting self esteem and confidence.
5. Many people find that their love lives are held back by their weight. Thin, healthy people are simply more attractive to most people looking for true love.
6. Overweight and obese people may struggle more to get pregnant and start a family. It is common for pregnancy to occur only after a woman has lost a bit of weight. It is to the advantage of anyone interested in starting a family in the future to get healthy as soon as possible.
7. No one likes feeling like the "fat friend" or the weak link in the crowd. Losing weight improves appearances and confidence so you feel more comfortable when out with attractive friends.
8. Special occasions require you to look great in clothing that is not always flattering. For example, a clingy bridesmaid dress or bathing suit for vacation on the beach will require a woman to get in shape in advance of a special occasion.
9. Relationships can start to struggle when one person puts on a lot of weight. In order to keep a relationship alive and healthy, most people will invest some time and money in weight management.
10. Most people do not feel like themselves when they gain weight. For example, mothers often gain weight when not taking care of themselves after having children. Weight loss can bring back their individual selves.
Weight management is something that everyone eventually has a reason to think about. You may not be there at this point in your life, but why not get a jump on it? You can prevent many health problems and keep your life healthy and happy if you think about managing your weight before you become obese or start to experience health problems.
Having weight problems? Engage London Weight Management for their services in weight management today.
Feel free to comment on this blog, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.
The content is my own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of London Weight Management.

Adopting a Healthy Diet For Healthy Weight Loss


Healthy weight loss means taking care of the needs of one's body, while losing excess weight. Most popular diets that advise cutting out essential food groups from one's diet actually end up causing more harm than good. All food groups, be it fats or carbohydrates, are equally important for the body. Deficiency of even one can have serious consequences. In fact, any kind of restrictive calorie diet for weight loss and fitness can end up making the person sick in the long run.
A person's diet and exercise play an equally important role in ensuring healthy weight loss. One without the other will not give the desired results. In terms of damage, though, a wrong diet can do more harm than a sedentary life would. For example, if you don't exercise for weight loss, you bring down your calorific requirement by 200-300 calories per day, but by eating wrong you can add up to 1,000 calories in a single meal. It is, therefore, important to focus on your diet first when you begin a healthy weight loss program. The right food also gives you the energy to exercise, and, therefore, is the cornerstone of any fitness program.
It is important to remember that no food group is good or bad. The much maligned fats and carbohydrates are essential to our existence and cannot be shunned from our lives. What needs to be shunned is the wrong kind of carbohydrates or fats. How then does one know what is the right or wrong kinds of carbohydrates or fats? Simple. For every food that you consume, do a quick calculation of the nutrients to calories ratio. A banana or baked potato may be high in calories, but also have enough nutrients to fill you up; hence, are good foods. On the other hand, slices of white bread or other processed items, like ready made noodles, have very little nutrients per calorie consumed and are, hence, best avoided. All prepackaged foods come with a mandatory listing of ingredients and calorie listing; so check before buying. The Internet is also a good source for calorie listings of almost all foods.
Other good foods to include in your diet include fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals like oats and bran, whole wheat bread, and/or pasta and rice. These foods have lots of fiber that fill you up without adding too many calories. Foods to avoid include almost anything that comes ready made out of a package. This is because packaged foods have a high proportion of transfats, salt, preservatives, and ingredients that add calories but score very low on the nutrient value. Even desserts, like a chocolate cake or cookies are calorie dense and can seriously affect your calorie count. So, if it is not possible to avoid them, try and cut down on serving size as much as possible.
Apart from eating the above for healthy weight loss, it is important to stay hydrated, since thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Timing your meals correctly ensures that you are never too hungry to goof up on food choices. How and when to eat are as important as what to eat for a healthy weight loss program.

Best Cardio Workouts For Your Home For Healthy Weight-Loss


Many of us don't have the luxury of a neighborhood gym to help us in our healthy weight loss programs. Many others don't have the time to go out, due to various reasons that could include the care of newborn, household responsibilities. etc. But, that is no reason that you can't exercise for weight loss in the comfort of your home, at your own convenience and will. This article talks about the five easy ways to burn those calories, all in the comfort of your four walls. So, get started with your healthy weight loss program from home.
1. Skipping Rope: All you need is a skipping rope and some good shoes. You can start with as little as you can manage, and then slowly take the number of jumps up. The second step would be to start jumping faster, i.e. more jumps within the same time frame. Make sure you skip in an area that doesn't give your downstairs neighbors reason for complaint.
2. Running in Spot/Treadmill: You can invest in a treadmill or just jog vigorously in one spot. While this is an easy cardio workout for healthy weight loss, it's always better to do it in the open. Jogging in one spot alone can be extremely boring and tire you out much faster than if you were outside in a park.
3. Stationary Bike: This will cost money, but is a great investment, similar to the treadmill, if you are alright with spending thirty minutes in one spot. Try turning on the television, or put on headphones to help you increase your workout time. Alternatively, if you have stairs in your home, try climbing them for healthy weight loss that doesn't cost you anything.
4. Ashtanga Yoga: Yoga, again, requires nothing except a floor mat and some peace and quiet. Depending on how intensive the moves are, it can be one of the most intensive cardio workouts you can get at home. It is also supposed to be extremely relaxing and de-stressing. Yoga gives the body greater flexibility and grace over a period of time. Morning is a good time to do yoga, though you can choose any time of the day when you are not going to be disturbed. Invite over a friend or ask your child to do yoga with you to make it fun and interesting.
5. Free Hand Exercises: There are hundreds of different moves that exercise different parts of your body for weight loss and fitness. To get started you can invest in a home workout DVD that you can play while you follow the moves. You can do these exercises before and after your more intensive workouts, since they also serve to warm you up or cool you down, as required. There are specific exercises that target specific problem areas, like your thighs or upper arms that you can spend more time on, depending on your requirements. The best part is that, once you learn these moves, you no longer are dependent upon any gym or instructor to help with your healthy weight loss goals.

Achieving Healthy Weight Loss with Home Fitness Centres



Want to lose weight but don't have time to go to a gym? Can you achieve healthy weight loss from the comfort of your own home? Well, a home fitness centre may be the ideal answer to your problems. A daily workout at home may be the solution you need, but then how do you decide what fitness equipment to buy? Is a home fitness centre really what you need? How much will it cost you? These are some of the questions you need to answer before you decide to invest in a home fitness centre.
Basic Equipment Required For a Home Gym
Setting up your home gym can be a formidable task. Some of the basic equipment you need in your home gym to achieve healthy weight loss is listed below.
o The Step Aerobic Step: The step is a must-have in any home gym due to its multi-functionality. It can be used in cardio activities such as step aerobics and can also function as a weight bench. 

o Adjustable Weight Bench: If step aerobics is not your cup of tea, maybe you could try a weight bench instead of a step. A weight bench can be used for chest and back exercises or even for a quick abs workout. An adjustable bench is preferred over a flat bench since you can do incline and decline exercises with it.
o Dumbbell Set: A dumbbell set that has two each of 5-, 8- and 12-lb weights and comes with its own compact rack is a valuable addition to your home gym. The dumbbells are rubber hex dumbbells which will not roll away when put down.
o Barbell Set: Get a barbell set with a bar and weights. This along with your dumbbell set can give your body a more strenuous workout with heavier weights. Various workout options targeting different muscle groups can be planned for a healthy weight loss.
o Weight Lifting Gloves: Lifting weights could probably make your hands a bit rough. Weight lifting gloves that protect your hands will be helpful.
o Resistance Bands and Tubes: You have your dumbbells; you have your barbells - now what? Well, resistance bands, of course. These are small enough to fit in your suitcase and can give you a full-body workout wherever you are.
o Stability Ball: Stability balls are the latest trend in home fitness equipment. They improve balance and are also good for strength training. Use your exercise ball for lower-back exercises, push-ups or for an abdominal workout.
o Adjustable Ankle Weights: A good pair of ankle weights is helpful in improving the stability muscles of the lower body. Ankle weights can be added to moves such as leg extensions or standard leg lifts and are helpful to work towards healthy weight loss.
o Exercise Mat: An exercise mat is one last thing that you will need for your fitness routine at home. You can use your exercise mat for yoga, toning exercises, Pilates, ab workouts and many other routines.
Now that you are all set with your home gym, work towards your goal of healthy weight loss at your convenience.