| With my fitness clients I am often asked questions relating to weight control. From dropping a few pounds to big New Year's resolutions after the holidays, people want to know how to get slimmer and stay that way. The first step in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is making healthy choices that fit your lifestyle and allow you to do what you already enjoy. Here are a few of the most common weight loss question I get: How do I know I'm at a healthy weight? The best answer is "How do your feel?" If you are happy, energetic and able to move your way through the day with ample energy reserves you are more than likely a decent weight. From here, it's just a matter of fine tuning yourself. That is, a fitness or walkin program or perhaps a small tweak in your diet such as switching to low fat milk products. If you do not feel like this, then the first place to start is a body mass index. Body mass index or BMI is a guideline for helping one to judge their body weight. A BMI over 27 is considered overweight. The higher the BMI is above the normal range, the greater the degree of overweight for an individual. People with a higher percentage of body fat tend to have a higher BMI, except for individuals such as body builders, because muscle weighs more than fat. Carrying excess body fat puts you at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Here is how to calculate BMI. 1. Take weight (in pounds) divide by height (in inches). 2. Divide the results in Step 1 by height (in inches). 3. Multiply the result in Step 2 by 703 = Body Mass Index (BMI). Can I lose weight by counting fat grams or calories? You can, but it will drive your crazy. Long term changes require smarter choices. Change to low fat milk and dairy products or whole grain breads. If you want to count calories understand your calorie intake must be less than calories burned. Portion size is also important to any healthy eating plan. Large servings of even low-fat foods can contribute to weight gain. Is a weight plateau bad? A plateau during a weight loss program is normal. Your body requires fewer calories to function as you lose weight. Everyone's body levels off at a different weight. Gradually increasing physical activity can help you to continue to lose weight during a plateau. The bottom line is any physical activity helps you toward a healthy lifestyle. What is the best way to lose weight? Slow gradual weight loss is the healthy way to lose weight. The secret to successful weight control is not only losing weight it is maintaining the weight loss permanently. A good aerobic fitness program, which means as little as 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week, will keep you in good shape. Weight Control Tips Be realistic - make small changes over time. Be flexible - balance what you eat and what you do. Be sensible - eat foods in moderation. Be active - don't forget to move! |
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