Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the indicator of a weight problem ? the actual percentage of body fat is the true indicator. You need to know what percent of you is actually FAT. How are you going to monitor your weight loss if you do not know what percent of your body is fat, before you begin your program?
Let me give you an example on measuring body fat, this is important in understanding weight loss, or should I say FAT LOSS. This is actually what we are trying to lose, right? FAT!
Lets say someone weighs 200 pounds and when we measure their body fat we find out there body fat is 40%
This means that 40% of the members body is made of fat (80 lbs). The other 120 lbs is muscle, bones, organs, water, etc. (everything but fat).
Now any true weight loss program should include some form of strength training customized to their personal abilities (Another reason you need someone who truly understands the whole body and how it works). Because if you can gain some of that muscle mass that we lose with age, our bodies will burn more calories and therefore burn more FAT!
Now it's a few weeks into the program and this person steps on the scale and they now weigh 198 lbs. They are a little disappointed because they thought they were doing better. Their clothes fit better, they have more energy, and they are feeling better.
But they are still depressed because they only lost a lousy 2 pounds! Right? Are we sure???
We now check their body fat and it is now 36% not 40%. Let's do a little math.
200 lbs at 40% body fat means that 40% of them is fat, which equals 80 lbs of FAT, and 120 lbs are muscles and everything else (called the lean body mass).
198 lbs at 36% body fat means that 36% of them is fat which equals 71 lbs of FAT, and 125 lbs of lean body mass.
This person actually lost 9 pounds of FAT (the stuff we are trying to lose) and gained 5 pounds of lean body mass (mostly muscle mass, which is a good thing because this will allow their body to burn more calories!)
You need to measure and focus on PERCENT OF BODY FAT, AND NOT WEIGHT!
But don't worry, when your body fat goes down, as your body fat decreases so will the numbers on the scale!
About The Author
Dr. Jeffrey Banas is a Chiropractic Sports Physician, practicing in Mesa; AZ. Dr. Banas personally lost 60 pounds in 2003 and now uses his experience to help others struggling with their weight problems. Dr. Banas can be reached at his office at 480-633-6837, or by visiting his web site at www.personal-weight-loss-help.com.
tidy up service Glenview ..Dieting and Exercising ? Results all the time!To be successful... Read More
Gastric bypass patients face a great task in the following... Read More
"Life is like a box of chocolates," drawled Forrest Gump.Metaphors... Read More
Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated... Read More
I really like Dr. Phil, so I wanted to like... Read More
Staying Toned After Weight Loss ---------------------------------------- Following significant weight loss,... Read More
Saboteurs are people and thoughts that are going to sabotage... Read More
When you begin the decision making process to have Weight... Read More
Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can... Read More
If you're like me, you probably wish that there was... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
I am a Registered Dietitian who has spent over 10,000... Read More
One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
Weight Loss Axiom Number ThreeInsulin and GlucagonThese are the two... Read More
Did you ever think about the fact that losing 2... Read More
You will be surprised to find out how many people... Read More
After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get... Read More
One of the difficulties with dieting is the well known... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Diet drop out, a significant problem for all types of... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
As an employee of famous fitness star Kathy Smith, personal... Read More
The scourge of obesity has reached such gigantic proportions across... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..In the last 12 months or so, low carbohydrate diets... Read More
Teenagers with body mass indices between 25 and 30 require... Read More
Lose Weight - Get A Break ---------------------------------------- The American Obesity... Read More
Losing fat in my opinion is not all that difficult.... Read More
*Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back... Read More
I'm sure you have heard it before, but one of... Read More
The main reasons most people have difficulty maintaining their ideal... Read More
Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a... Read More
Weight loss surgery is fast becoming a very popular way... Read More
Have you ever received those tempting ads that seem to... Read More
A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy... Read More
Dr. Hagglund's Healthy Eating Tips(All wheat products, bananas*, breads, rice,... Read More
Carnitine is simply the safest and healthiest supplement you can... Read More
Which diet pill are you currently taking for your weight... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
Did you say there's a way I can eat what... Read More
The Sour Truth -------------------------- Question: I had a baby 6... Read More
For sometime now, you've been hearing about the Milk Diet... Read More
The most common and popular diet fad over the past... Read More
Going away for your holidays will also bring with it... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
What is the best form of physical activity?The best form... Read More
Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small... Read More
Good health is all too easily taken for granted until... Read More
Finally - you are alone. No one else is around.... Read More
Weight Loss |