Month: May 2013

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Weight Loss Exercise

Why Your Waist Size Is So Important for Your Health


While a lot of people place emphasis on losing weight, you don’t see much as much press about waist size. However, the fact of the matter is that having a suitable waist size is even more important than being the right weight. This is because a big waist circumference is linked to a variety of health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-linked disease. What’s more, a study found that people with bigger waist sizes had twice the risk of dying compared to people with smaller waistlines. This shows how dangerous it can be to have a big waist.

To clear things up, the waist is the area between the bottom of your ribs to the top of your hips. You may call this your abdomen or belly area. Most of the time, people with large waists tend to have an apple-shaped body, as opposed to a pear-shaped body when more of the body fat is stored in the hips. If you have an apple-shaped body, you should certainly measure your waist size and ensure that it is not too big.

You must be wondering what a ‘large waistlineâ? means. In general, if you are a man and your waist circumference is more than 37 inches, and if you are a woman and your waist circumference is more than 32 inches, you already have a higher risk of contracting diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The risk is heightened even more if your waistline is above 40 inches (for men) and 35 inches (for women). So, try your best to reduce your waist size to below the mentioned levels.

A bigger waist means more of your fat is stored in your abdomen, on and around your organs. This can impair the ability of your organs to function properly, which is why many health problems afflict people with bigger waistlines.

It’s important to know that you cannot target weight loss to happen around your waist only. The only way to drop the fat is to eat a lower-calorie diet and do regular exercise to burn overall fat. Generally, fat burns off last from the abdomen, so you will have to work on it if you are going to reduce your waist size.

It won’t be easy, but for your health’s sake, strive to achieve a healthy weight as well as a healthy waist size.


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Weight Loss Exercise

Why Tracking Is Key To Weight Loss Success


You may have tried various fad diets to try to lose weight, and all of them yielded the same results; you failed miserably. This is probably due to the fact that you went on a diet that you couldn’t maintain for the long-term. To lose weight, you need to undertake a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet. It’s more effective if you can just adjust your current lifestyle by making it healthier in several key areas.

One of the main ways you can start practicing this is by tracking the amount of calories you take in and burn on a daily basis to get a better understanding of why your old lifestyle caused you to put on weight.

Here are some reasons why tracking is one of the main keys to weight loss success:

Tracking can help you stay motivated on your weight loss journey as it is a systematic way for you to keep track of what you are eating. By tracking your calories, you will be less tempted to stray from your healthy eating plan, since if you want, you can always allocate calories for a special treat that you love, or if you overeat at a particular meal, you can compensate during another meal by eating fewer calories. This way, you will see results and stay motivated.

Tracking your calorie intake helps you change your eating habits, as you can learn portion control and learn to swap high-calorie options with lower calorie ones. Since you have a set amount of calories per day, you will be very careful with how much of the high-calorie foods you let enter your mouth.

Tracking the amount of calories you burn with your fitness endeavors will help you budget how much extra you can eat to stay on your goal, and at the same time give you a boost of encouragement every day when you see how many calories you have burned from your efforts. You will be more motivated to push yourself during workouts this way. More intense workouts mean more calories burned!

Tracking your weight loss or body measurements are a great motivation tool; when you can see the progress you’ve made in black and white, you will be very motivated to keep on going and achieve your goals. Sometimes subtle changes can be hard to see in the mirror. But when you see them on paper, you’ll know that you’re getting somewhere.

So as you can see, there are many benefits that you can get if you start tracking your calories and your progress in your weight loss. And don’t forget to make the most of the various websites and apps out there to help you keep track.


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Is a Measuring Tape Better Than A Scale?


The need to lose weight is something that many of us have. The truth is, however, that we should be seeking to lose fat specifically. Muscle weight is fine, but weight from fat is not.

The problem is that it can be hard to measure your progress when you’re making effort to lose weight. This is especially true if you work out regularly as part of your weight loss process. If you incorporate strength training three to four times a week, you may gain muscle, which will add to your weight. This is not a gain in fat, but in muscle.

The Problem With Scales

If you use a scale to measure your progress, you can never tell the difference if the weight you lost or gained is water weight, fat, or muscle. This is why a measuring tape is more appropriate to track your weight loss progress. By using a measuring tape, you can see if you are losing inches off your body. When you lose inches, chances are you are losing fat. And ultimately, that’s the whole point of losing weight.

Does this mean that you should throw away your scales and rely completely on a measuring tape? Not necessarily. Use both to measure how far you’ve come with your weight loss efforts. Use the number of the scale to see if you are heading in the right direction, and reconfirm whether it is fat that you are losing with a measuring tape. This way, you get a way better picture of how things are with your weight loss. Weight varies from day to day, but fat loss is less variable.

Go Beyond The Measurements

Besides the scale and the measuring tape, what else can you use to measure your weight loss? Well, you can judge by whether your clothes are becoming looser, and whether you feel lighter and fitter. These may be more subjective, but sometimes all you need to confirm that you are losing weight is the fact that you can fit into your old jeans.

Many people also report feeling more energetic, and generally happier and more confident in themselves. So, even if the scale shows slow progress, don’t discount this kind of evidence when it comes to motivating yourself by knowing that your efforts are paying off!

If you want the most accurate measurements possible then there are more ways to measure body fat – calipers, for example. Just know that, by tracking your progress every day or every week, you’ll help keep yourself motivated to continue.


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