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.
weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
Of all the possible exercises there are to help you... Read More
I never intended to get fat! I am not exactly... Read More
In 1994, I had a RNY surgery. At 350 lbs... Read More
That's a pretty "in your face" statement, but really it's... Read More
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
Activity means both mental and physical activity.Mental activity is similar... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
Have you ever seen an overweight rock climber or yoga... Read More
Americans have their French fries, the British have their chips,... Read More
There's one thing that most people forget about when it... Read More
Families who dine out with their loved ones who've had... Read More
There is no question that having a massage makes you... Read More
One of the most talked about topics in any political... Read More
Is a weight loss workout routine right for you? Answer... Read More
Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More
There is only one way to lose weightThere really is... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
You are the GREATEST, aren't you? You are focusing on... Read More
Some of my dieting tips are not conventional. You can... Read More
Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More
Good health is an invaluable bliss and you cannot simply... Read More
Weight Loss Red Flag GuideDespite claims to the contrary, there... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
whole house cleaning Park Ridge ..Ever notice how your best friend can lose weight on... Read More
One of the greatest tricks that I use to stick... Read More
One of the hardest aspects of getting yourself into shape,... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More
Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More
The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More
Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity... Read More
In general, fast weight loss is not healthy. The faster... Read More
Have you ever wondered where destiny would lead you? Have... Read More
If you are looking for a way to lose fifteen... Read More
You are not a kid any more and becoming a... Read More
What is a calorie? The definition of a calorie is... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
If you have been dieting, there is a good chance... Read More
According to a new study appearing in the American Journal... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
We are inundated by exhortations to lose weight - from... Read More
If you're a low carb diet enthusiast, you've probably tried... Read More
Trash Your TV! is pleased to announce the easiest weight... Read More
In the early weeks after having weight loss surgery almost... Read More
Have you been surfing the web trying to find a... Read More
There are tons of fad diets and weight loss schemes... Read More
Weight Loss |