If you have excess weight only in specific parts of your body, you still must look at yourself as a whole. It's not possible to spot reduce; in other words, you can't dictate that you only want weight to come off one place or another. In most cases your so called "trouble spots" is where the fat will come off last, so be prepared to lose weight in your fingers (rings fall off) and your face (friends may ask if you're feeling all right) first. There is hope for losing that belly fat though.
If you work toward building muscle and reducing body fat you will eventually tackle those trouble spots though, and develop a better physique in the process. Muscle tissue is active meaning it requires calories to be maintained. If you were stranded without a food supply, eventually your body would turn to its own muscle tissue as a source of nutrition first (muscles are protein) while saving the fat stores for last. Simply put, fat is nature's way of ensuring survival during times of famine. That's why the prevalence of heart failure kills someone who is severely malnourished. By building more muscle you become a more efficient energy burning machine which translates to mean you can eat more food! That to me is a good thing.
That explains why some people can eat so much more than others yet not gain weight; your efficient energy burning friend simply has a greater proportion of muscle to fat than you. Muscle is more dense than fat. It's often said that a pound of muscle is heavier than a pound of fat, but the truth is a pound is a pound. What they mean is a one pound volume of muscle is a smaller package than a one pound volume of fat, or put another way, fat is billowy and fluffy while muscle is sleek and compact. Lady No. 1 weighs 120 pounds with 30% body fat so she has 84 pounds of lean tissue and 36 pounds of fat, while Lady No. 2 also weighing 120 pounds but at 18% body fat is carrying roughly 98 pounds of muscle and 22 pounds of fat. Would you rather be Lady No. 1 or Lady No. 2? Which do you think takes up more space, 22 or 36 pounds of fat? I'd say 36 pounds of fat would be a lot bigger package than 22 pounds.
That is why body weight as a number by itself is meaningless, but your ratio of fat to muscle is very important and worth working to change. Strive to decrease your body fat and increase your muscle mass and you'll look better, you'll feel stronger and more energetic and you'll simply be healthier.
You can generally have your body fat tested at fitness centers and most gyms so ask about having it done. It's better to know you have 30% body fat and work to reduce it to 29, than not to know and only think in terms of body weight. Most people who think only of how much they weigh tend to do everything to reduce that weight, and it's usually at the expense of losing more valuable muscle.
The best way to increase muscle and decrease fat is through a consistent exercise program. Start at whatever is your beginning, but do start.
Begin with an overall body conditioning type exercise program, doing whatever you enjoy, whether it be a sport, gardening, weight lifting, biking, hiking, or any other activity. Any physical movement you do regularly counts as exercise even if it is doing laundry or taking out the trash. Get as much as you can out of every chore you do, and stop thinking of it as a chore but instead as an opportunity to move your body.
In the early 1900s a washing machine was a new invention. People used to wash their clothes by hand, and hang them outside to dry. Being a housewife was actually a pretty strenuous job. It's no wonder women were thankful for modern conveniences like automatic washers and dryers, but now we've come to where our daily activities are not taking our bodies at all, so unless we want to get fatter and fatter we must do something about it.
It doesn't make sense to drive around and around in the parking lot looking for the closest space when you're on your way to run or walk on the treadmill. Why take the elevator five flights every day at work and then pay a monthly fee to do the StairMaster after work? What if we all started to notice that our world is full of exercise equipment.
We could become so much more fit if we'd just start to notice all the opportunities for physical movement we miss in the name of convenience. Look around and see if you can spot some exercise opportunities, and then get busy and get fit.
~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of onemorebite-weightloss.com
Get onemorebite-weightloss.com: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.
no-contract cleaning service Mundelein ..Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
It can happen with one bite. The moment those refined... Read More
I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More
Not everyone can handle hot food. But who said cayenne... Read More
What a great world we live in. You want something,... Read More
I have been seriously working on losing weight for about... Read More
1. Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot... Read More
One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
Losing weight is a struggle that many of us face... Read More
How did a thin person like me become overweight? My... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
Lousy Reasons to Lose Weight"I want to be a size... Read More
You are ready to shed those energy draining, body crippling,... Read More
If you're taking a fiber supplement or eating a high... Read More
Did you say there's a way I can eat what... Read More
Have you ever decided to take a trip somewhere relatively... Read More
The Quest to Reach Your Ideal WeightIt was late in... Read More
There's a two hundred year history of people prescribing both... Read More
Many critics in have attacked low carb diets for only... Read More
If you are committed to the low carb way of... Read More
Why has Phentermine stopped helping me lose weight?Many people are... Read More
We all know it's hard to begin losing weight, no... Read More
If you pick the right personal trainer?you'll most definitely see... Read More
Your health is affected not only by how much body... Read More
maid service near Glenview ..I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
If you are committed to the low carb way of... Read More
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and... Read More
When Instant Results Take TimeYesterday I decided to "get back... Read More
Cellulite - Reduce The Appearance --------------------------------- Sallie Elizabeth has always... Read More
Have you ever decided to take a trip somewhere relatively... Read More
The story broke in the international press on October 4th,... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
Don't diet, just eat and lose weight!First, the following "diet"... Read More
Are you someone who has, in the past, been on... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report melon to be one of... Read More
You may not like what I have to say, even... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
Cellulite is probably one of the most embarrassing of all... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
Why We Start Diets on MondayThe biggest problem with any... Read More
What is ephedra? Ephedra, which is also known as Ma... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
Weight loss can be a difficult goal to achieve. Some... Read More
The world today has more obese and overweight people than... Read More
Americans have their French fries, the British have their chips,... Read More
20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT1. Take it one step at... Read More
Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More
False campaignsMore than 50 percent of Americans and Canadians are... Read More
Many Americans include health improvement in their New Year's Resolutions.... Read More
Weight Loss |