Monitoring Weight Loss
Quite often, after putting in laborious weeks in the gym to try and lose some weight, we are disappointed by the numbers staring back at us from the scale. WHY can I not lose weight after all of this? If this sounds a little too familiar to you then don’t worry; it’s probably just a simple case of not using all the right tools to track your progress.
Different weight-loss goals also have different needs. And even these come into play when you are trying to track your progress. For instance, if you are trying to perfect your hour-glass figure without really losing much weight, neither scales nor body fat percentage will be able to help you out. It thus becomes very important to use multiple methods to track your progress through your routine.
Measurements
Many people often forget the basics and some underestimate their effectiveness. Get the measuring tape, dust it off and put it to good use. Measure not only your target areas, but everything that you can. For instance, measure the bust (around the fullest part), chest (right under the bust), waist, hips, upper arms, thighs, calves and forearms. Remember that as much as we might be trying to work out a specific part of a body, other parts get affected too. So this way, you will soon realize which parts of your body are responding to your efforts and to what extent.
Body Fat
The entire story is not told by the scales alone. Some people have heavier bones, some are built broader while some might actually have more lean tissue than normal. Measuring your body fat percentage gives you a fairly accurate view of how much of your body is really made up of non-essential fats- those that need to be targeted. With a simple set of body fat calipers, one can easily measure and calculate the body fat percentage.
Scales
Though scales are not the most reliable indicators, they have their benefits. Scales are the easiest available equipment that we can measure our bodies with. And when combined with the body fat percentage, give us a number that we can work better with. Simply multiply your weight (e.g. 150 pounds) with the non-essential fat percentage (e.g. 20%) to understand how much weight you need to lose (150 x 20% = 30 pounds).
Waist to Hip Ratio
With specific goals, arise specific measurement needs. In case you want to improve your hips, you might be better served with this method. It is very simple to do at home and all it needs is a measurement tape and a calculator.
Procedure:
Measure the waist at the narrowest point and the hip at the widest point, both in inches or centimeters.
Divide the waist measurement by that of the hip.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a ratio greater than 0.8 for women and greater than 1.0 for men puts them at an increased health risk due to their fat distribution.
Clothes
We all have that pair of jeans that fit us two months ago and don’t anymore, or the sleeves of the top that fit too tight now. These and other clothes can be very strong indicators of our progress. Remember how certain pieces of clothing fit you and you won’t need anything else to tell you that you’re on the way to that bikini body.
Photographs
Snap a picture of yourself every week in a specific pose and compare these snaps over a period of time. And soon your camera will become a better friend than your mirror.
Additional Tips
Perform these measurements in the nude or with minimal clothing on.
Perform the checks at the same time of the day (ideally first thing in the morning) to avoid errors.
For females, keep in mind the extra water your body retains during your periods.
Keep a tabulated record of all your readings.
Do not check your progress daily. Do it every week or even every month. The body does not respond as fast as we might want it to.
Hannah Wright
For more information on how to lose weight visit http://loseweightmystyle.com
Categories: Weightloss Tags: Loss, Monitoring, Weight
Teen Weight Loss Formula
More and more teens these days are either a bit overweight or in real danger of becoming morbidly obese. They did not gain weight overnight and consequently they will not lose weight overnight either.
Although there are many ways to strip unwanted fat such as diet programs, diet pills, fat camps and so on, the best way to lose weight will always be through healthy eating and regular exercise. Here I am going to focus on the exercise part of the deal.
Exercise boosts a teens’ stamina and as this develops, it will speed up their metabolism as well. The end result of this is a chain reaction where the body now burns more calories than it did before causing the unwanted fat to drop off.
Studies have shown that provided there are no underlying health problems, there is no apparent downside to properly performed regular exercise. The worst that can happen is perhaps pulling a muscle by failing to stretch, or not leaving enough time for recovery before taking part in another session.
Teens don’t even have to spend a lot to lose weight as there are some exercises which can be done from home. For example, after stretching, of course, they can try some brisk walking or an early morning jog. Then there are sit ups and push ups or even just going up and down the stairs if they have them. Not the most glamorous methods I’ll agree but they’re cheap and they’ll certainly burn the calories.
If a teen has some money to spare they could always join a gym. Any gym worth its salt will have fitness trainers who will help the teen lose weight by working with them on a one to one basis and devising a program that suits their own individual needs and abilities.
Teens who don’t have the money to hire a personal trainer can work out themselves once they know how to use the gym. Alternatively, they could join a class such as aerobics, tai chi or yoga.
Teens who are a bit self conscious around other people but who would still like to enjoy these activities could get one of the many DVD’s available in any good store.
It is vital while exercising to drink lots of water. A general guide is 2 litres a day. Those who don’t may suffer from heatstroke or dehydration, the latter of which is bad news for someone trying to lose weight.
Before taking on any exercise program it is advisable to see a doctor. Teens having the confident mindset that they do will feel like they can achieve anything, but their bodies may not be up to it. It’s always best to do things slowly but surely at first and then gather momentum as time progresses.
If the teen is attending a school or college they may have access to sports facilities and exercise equipment. This is an ideal way of saving money whilst being able to participate in either organised sports or casual classes.
Healthy eating and a good diet are essential to any weight loss program but are rendered ineffective without the inclusion of regular exercise.
Remember this formula:- eat healthily + exercise well = lose weight.
Article Source: http://ezineseeker.com/?expert=Ian_Russell
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Categories: Weightloss Tags: Formula, Loss, Teen, Weight
Weight Loss Formula
Many people just think of weight loss as just losing weight but there’s so much more involved with it. Metabolism in order to be successful at losing weight you need to have a fast metabolism rate it will help you lose weight quicker and burn more fat.
What is the difference between slow and fast metabolism rates?
A slow metabolism rate means a person burns fewer calories and will gain more weight and body fat over time whereas a person with a fast metabolism is able to burn more calories and lessen the amount of the weight you gain and will be able to keep a leaner figure.
How do you get that faster metabolism rate?
Well there are certain things you can do to improve your metabolism for example exercise can make a big difference being more active will help you burn more fat and calories quicker but will also help whilst resting and sleeping you will still burn more calories because your basic metabolism rate is high. But just becoming more active will help overall and losing weight will also increase your bmr because the more body fat that is stored it lessens the rate.
What causes a slower metabolism rate?
You’ve heard the saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day well its true believe me skipping meals does not help it only slows it down and you gain more weight from personal experience i’ve tried skipping meals thinking the more i don’t eat the more weight i will lose its the wrong direction to go in you will get opposite results to what you want. Eating throughout the day will help because your metabolism is ongoing just snacking briefly between meals.
3 Basic Rules of building a better metabolism rate
– Don’t skip meals eat 5 small meals a day and snack between meals healthy snacks for example fruit.
– Become more active and exercise even by just doing simple things cleaning the house, walking the dog, hoovering and walking instead of driving will help and make a big difference.
– Exercising around morning will get you off to a good metabolism rate throughout the day.
Weight loss is such a big topic and so many people are wanting to lose weight and there wanting to lose weight the quickest way they can but building up a good metabolism rate is the first step to being successful at losing weight a slow one is whats stopping us from losing weight but gaining more.
Find out more by going to http://www.yourweightlossformula.com
Categories: Weightloss Tags: Formula, Loss, Weight
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