To all the Americans deemed obese by the guidelines announced by the National Institute of Health. Don't panic.
"The good news is that you can have a high body mass index (BMI - a relative measure of body height to body weight) and can actually be healthier than someone who is thin but sedentary," says The American Council on Exercise (ACE).
BMI uses total body weight (not separate estimates of fat and lean body mass) in the calculation; it does not discriminate between the over-fat and the athletic, more muscular body type. Therefore, the percentage of fat mass and muscle mass should be taken into consideration when evaluating one's BMI.
The well-muscled and conditioned person with a high BMI will have a lesser health risk than the over-fat person with the same BMI. Research consistently shows that you can reduce health risk factors and build important muscle with regular exercise even if you don't lose weight.
Don't get stuck on where your weight is supposed to be or on your BMI score, states ACE. (over weight is defined as a BMI of 25 - 29.9 and obesity as a BMI of 30-plus. For instance, a BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight and equivalent to 22l pounds in a 6' person, or l86 pounds in someone 5'6".")
Concentrate instead on building the good habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle. For weight loss, this means undertaking some form of physical activity four to five times a week.
A shortcoming of dieting in the absence of exercise is that when weight is lost, it's usually muscle as well as fat. As much as 25 percent of weight lost by dieting alone is lean body mass. When dieting is combined with exercise, chances are greater you'll lose more fat and less muscle.
BMI is only a rough indicator of body composition, ask a qualified fitness professional to help determine whether you're truly too fat. Step4wardFitness.com can do that for you. Contact me!
Wednesday
Tuesday
Do you feel so exhausted that you just can’t face your exercise?
Your diet—rather than simple sloth—may be the problem. If you tend to skip meals in an attempt to save calories, you may be robbing yourself of important fuel for your workout. While skipping meals may temporarily make your stomach feel flatter, doing so can also leave you feeling tired, irritable and unfocused. Then, you’ll be tempted to forego your noontime workout, or go home, eat and stretch out on the couch in front of the TV.
If, however, you follow some simple, sensible dietary practices throughout your day, you’ll get that workout done. And rather than feeling lightheaded and exhausted afterward, you’ll be energized and refreshed.
Stay with Feel-good Foods
One key to staying motivated to exercise is to keep the amount of sugar in your blood—and thus, your energy level—stable to prevent ups and downs. You can best do that by eating a series of small meals throughout the day that are composed of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, beans and other vegetables, whole grain crackers and fruit.
Eating complex carbohydrates helps keep your blood sugar stable because they are digested and absorbed slowly into the blood and don’t require your pancreas to produce much insulin. Refined carbohydrates, such as potato chips, doughnuts and cookies, are absorbed very quickly and trigger the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin. So, while they may give you an initial boost, your energy will drop off quickly, and your mood will follow.
The amount of sugar in your blood is also related to the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is an important chemical called a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood. If your level of serotonin is where it should be, you’ll have a sense of well-being and confidence—and feel ready to tackle that workout. Should it drop, you may feel tired and depressed. If you often experience a craving for carbs, this may be your brain’s way of telling you it needs more serotonin.
Early Birds
Suppose you’re an early bird, and your best time to work out is in the morning before you go to work. For quick energy, drink some juice upon rising. Once you’ve completed your workout, have a more solid breakfast of whole-wheat cereal or toast and fruit to fuel your concentration for the morning’s work. If you work out and eat too lightly, chances are you’ll get “the drowsies” by 2 p.m., if not sooner.
Keep in mind that finding the right combination of food and drink to energize your workout —whatever time of day you choose—may take some experimenting. It all depends upon your individual tastes and your metabolism. With a little patience, an open mind and a little creativity, you’ll determine which foods suit you best.
You’ll keep your motivation to exercise if you:
• Have a glass of juice to boost your energy before a morning workout.
• Eat a breakfast that includes whole grains and fruit.
• Eat small, frequent small meals and snacks during the day to maintain your blood sugar.
• Make sure to have a light, healthy snack an hour before your noon or after-work workout.
• Stay hydrated, keeping a water bottle at your desk at work.
• Limit the amount of caffeine in your diet.
This info comes from American Council on Exercise
Stay with Feel-good Foods
One key to staying motivated to exercise is to keep the amount of sugar in your blood—and thus, your energy level—stable to prevent ups and downs. You can best do that by eating a series of small meals throughout the day that are composed of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, beans and other vegetables, whole grain crackers and fruit.
Eating complex carbohydrates helps keep your blood sugar stable because they are digested and absorbed slowly into the blood and don’t require your pancreas to produce much insulin. Refined carbohydrates, such as potato chips, doughnuts and cookies, are absorbed very quickly and trigger the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin. So, while they may give you an initial boost, your energy will drop off quickly, and your mood will follow.
The amount of sugar in your blood is also related to the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is an important chemical called a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood. If your level of serotonin is where it should be, you’ll have a sense of well-being and confidence—and feel ready to tackle that workout. Should it drop, you may feel tired and depressed. If you often experience a craving for carbs, this may be your brain’s way of telling you it needs more serotonin.
Early Birds
Suppose you’re an early bird, and your best time to work out is in the morning before you go to work. For quick energy, drink some juice upon rising. Once you’ve completed your workout, have a more solid breakfast of whole-wheat cereal or toast and fruit to fuel your concentration for the morning’s work. If you work out and eat too lightly, chances are you’ll get “the drowsies” by 2 p.m., if not sooner.
Keep in mind that finding the right combination of food and drink to energize your workout —whatever time of day you choose—may take some experimenting. It all depends upon your individual tastes and your metabolism. With a little patience, an open mind and a little creativity, you’ll determine which foods suit you best.
You’ll keep your motivation to exercise if you:
• Have a glass of juice to boost your energy before a morning workout.
• Eat a breakfast that includes whole grains and fruit.
• Eat small, frequent small meals and snacks during the day to maintain your blood sugar.
• Make sure to have a light, healthy snack an hour before your noon or after-work workout.
• Stay hydrated, keeping a water bottle at your desk at work.
• Limit the amount of caffeine in your diet.
This info comes from American Council on Exercise
Wednesday
Save Time & Maximize Your Workout
For an athlete short on time, using multi-joint movement exercises is more time efficient than single-joint movements, says a report. Instead of performing a leg extension, for example, opt for a squat. This exercise not only works the quadriceps, it also works the lower back, hamstrings, gluteus, and calves.
Other time factors to watch for:
• For most lifters, a multiple-set workout (2-4 sets) is more beneficial than a single-set workout. If you don't have time to perform multiple sets on all your targeted areas in a workout, focus on a different area each workout. You'll see greater results in the long run.
• If you want to get the most out of your workout, pick a weight that allows you to perform 8-12 repetitions. Make sure the weight causes you to be near exhaustion on the last repetition. For example, if you're lifting 100 pounds, you should be able to properly lift the weight seven times, and should reach exhaustion between repetitions eight and 12.
• High repetitions with light to moderate load promote muscular endurance, but do not produce muscular strength. A workout focused on moderate load and moderate repetitions (8-12) promotes muscular growth. A workout focused on fewer repetitions (1-6) with a heavy load is best for strength gains but should only be used by experienced people who have been training for at least one to two years.
• Circuit training, which consists of continuous movement from one exercise to another with little or no rest in between each exercise, is a great way to maximize your workout time. To get the best results, the entire circuit should be repeated more than once in a workout. By comparison, single weight training requires you to perform one set of repetitions, rest 30 seconds to 90 seconds, and repeat eight to 12 times before moving on to the next exercise. Single weight training is preferred for building strength.
It is always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Then use a qualified Personal Trainer to ensure you are performing at your best. :)
• For most lifters, a multiple-set workout (2-4 sets) is more beneficial than a single-set workout. If you don't have time to perform multiple sets on all your targeted areas in a workout, focus on a different area each workout. You'll see greater results in the long run.
• If you want to get the most out of your workout, pick a weight that allows you to perform 8-12 repetitions. Make sure the weight causes you to be near exhaustion on the last repetition. For example, if you're lifting 100 pounds, you should be able to properly lift the weight seven times, and should reach exhaustion between repetitions eight and 12.
• High repetitions with light to moderate load promote muscular endurance, but do not produce muscular strength. A workout focused on moderate load and moderate repetitions (8-12) promotes muscular growth. A workout focused on fewer repetitions (1-6) with a heavy load is best for strength gains but should only be used by experienced people who have been training for at least one to two years.
• Circuit training, which consists of continuous movement from one exercise to another with little or no rest in between each exercise, is a great way to maximize your workout time. To get the best results, the entire circuit should be repeated more than once in a workout. By comparison, single weight training requires you to perform one set of repetitions, rest 30 seconds to 90 seconds, and repeat eight to 12 times before moving on to the next exercise. Single weight training is preferred for building strength.
It is always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Then use a qualified Personal Trainer to ensure you are performing at your best. :)
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