| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
Is Your Goal Really Weight Loss?
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a goal weight that you want to reach through weight loss? I'd say so, it's been pushed into our brains many times over and over again that "weight loss" is what we want to accomplish. There are weight loss guides, weight loss supplements, and many other things that push "weight loss". Many people even set their goals to be at a certain weight. Additionally, the medical community has developed an "ideal weight" chart, which can further add to the confusion about weight loss. Now, let me ask you a question. Is your goal really weight loss? Unless you are trying to make a weight class for wrestling or some other sport with weight classes, you may think that your goal is weight loss, but it really isn't. You are trying to lose that flubbery stuff attached to your body called FAT. Correct? So then, why do we measure our progress by how much we weigh? Why do we step on the bathroom scale and hope that those numbers will be lower than before? You see, our weight is affected by more than just how much fat is on our body. Some other factors include water, muscle, glycogen, and obviously if we have eaten anything earlier or used the bathroom lately. Our water weight fluctuates constantly. For instance, when we exhale water vapor comes out. When we sweat, we are sweating out water. There are also many more factors that can affect the amount of water in our body. Water is what usually causes those random gains or losses of a pound or two in weight that can make you happy or sad. It is almost physiologically impossible to lose a pound of fat in one day. One reason the low-carb or no-carb (also called ketogenic) diets are so attractive is because of the large initial loss of weight. However, this weight is not necessarily fat. When carbohydrates are restricted the body has a backup store of them located in the liver and muscles in the form of something called glycogen. The human body can store approximately 400 grams of glycogen. In larger individuals this number can increase. In addition to this, for each gram of glycogen stored in the human body, 3 grams of water are also stored. If you figure it out, this would equate to about 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water. When you stop or limit your consumption of carbohydrates, your body starts using its glycogen stores. After a couple of days that 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water are gone. Also, as an adaptation to the restriction of carbohydrates, your body produces these things called ketones. Ketones also appear to have a diuretic effect, which would mean an even greater loss of water. In addition to water, if you have been working out lately to speed along your "weight loss" (you mean fat loss, right?) progress you probably have gained some muscle doing so. This gain in muscle can also affect the numbers you see on the scale. Muscle is also more dense than fat. You may be wondering how you are going to measure your progress now that the scale doesn't mean as much as it used to. Well, there are several methods to measure your body fat percentage. None of these methods are 100% accurate, but they will be much more useful than the use of a scale. One of the simplest ways is to use a caliper. You can usually find these at your local sporting goods/fitness shop. If you can't find them locally, you can order them off the internet. Calipers measure the thickness of a skin fold on your triceps. Then there are directions that come with the caliper that show you how to use the number you get to derive your body fat %. If you don't want to go out and buy some calipers, there is a body fat % calculator on my website. The calculator uses the circumference of several parts of your body and then plugs them into a formula developed by the U.S. Navy to derive an approximation of your body fat %. You can find this calculator here: http://www.weight-loss-resources.com/calculators/bodyfat.html There are also much more accurate ways to measure your body fat % like buoyancy testing or the use of special lasers. If you insist on knowing your progress by weight loss and want to use a scale, try to weigh yourself at the same time everyday. Probably the best time would be right when you wake up in the morning and before you do anything. So, your new goal should be to shoot for fat loss and not weight loss. Don't necessarily trust the scale all the time as it can be deceiving - your weight is affected by more than just how much fat you have gained or lost. In addition, it is almost physiologically impossible to gain or lose a pound of fat in one day. Nathan Latvaitis runs a website at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com where you can find even more fitness/weight loss articles, product reviews, book reviews, calculators, a message board, and more.
MORE RESOURCES:
Weight-Loss - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Reduce And Lose Your Weight With Fats REDUCE YOUR WEIGHTNow you are not very far from losing your excess fats and unwanted weight. You know to get something you usually have to lose anything and in this case to get success you are going to lose your weight and I hope you would like to lose it. It's Not Just About Dieting You may not like what I'm about to say, but dieting alone will not help you to lose weight. You have to give your body the exercise it needs. Surviving September: The Dietary New Year With summer completed and school back in session, it'll be time to settle back into another fall routine. And, even though the flexible schedules of summer have gone, this is actually a very good thing for your weight and health. Slim Hips and Thighs: Tips to Lose Weight from Hips and Thighs! Losing weight on hips and thighs has always been a dream. And yes, dreams come true! It is usually difficult to lose weight from thighs and hips as compared to abdomen. Why Do You Say You Want To Lose Weight? How many of your New Year's resolution start out with "I want to lose x amount of pounds" as if just saying it were some kind of magic mantra.As if the weight would just fall off, in response to the spoken words!Why do we not want to pay the price for anything? Gaining weight is not an overnight effect and it will NOT be reversed overnight. Give up the Diet If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose those extra pounds think again. Long-term weight control through dieting is near impossible, for the simple reason is that diets promote only short term solutions not long term. Weight Loss During Holidays: What to Do With Leftovers? If I Want to Lose Weight, What Can I Do With Leftovers?Okay, tell me if you've ever done this: It's Monday late afternoon. You decided yesterday that starting today you were going to 1) eat right, and 2) start to get regular exercise, and 3) give up all your bad habits. Weight Loss: Goal-Setting for Success If you were going to travel to the other side of the world, you'd need to plan it. I mean, you're not going to just book a seat on a plane, take off and just take it all as it comes. Setting Morning Intentions For Success Ever heard of the expression, "Getting up on the wrong side of the bed?" Many people have less than idealistic starts to their day. The alarm goes off, the snooze button gets thwacked several times and something gets grumbled about it being too early. Weight Loss Options -- Infrared Radiant Heat Saunas (IR Saunas) Infrared Radiant Heat (IRRH) is a form of radiation that penetrates the outer surface of objects, including human skin. Heat is generated as the infrared energy interacts with and penetrates the skin surface. Slowing Down Can Help You Lose Weight Faster Running For Weight Loss??.Slow DownYou may be out running your fat burning hormonesSo you've loved running since your track days of high school. Diet Preparaton -- The Impact of Sleep and Stress When you have started a diet in the past, how much sincere and attentive focus did you give to preparing for your diet? Isn't it true that usually you are getting the food together a particular diet requires, buying yet another tread mill (or hauling out the old one covered in dust from the last diet), getting another gym membership, planning that last big blowout gluttonous meal you're going to eat because you are going to have to starve for the next eight weeks. The above really isn't an exaggeration. How Safe Is the Atkins Diet? The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come and go, but The Atkins Diet, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight-loss plan, seems never to go away, no matter how many medical professionals denounce it."Low-carb diets have been linked to increased frequency of colon cancer, formation of kidney stones, kidney disease, and even osteoporosis," says Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Commission for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit research group based in Washington. 10 Easy to follow Tips to help YOU Lose Weight Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably all be thin. Weight Loss NOW! The Soft Drink Diet In the early nineties doctors were beginning to see the growing trend in American's waistlines. So for a very short period of time they came out on the offense by promoting better foods to eat. Maximize Your Fat Burning Potential Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat burning? Are you frustrated by that stubborn fat that seems to stay with you no matter how hard you train?Many athletes are in the same boat. They train hard, lose some weight, but then hit a plateau and the fat loss stops. Get NeanderThin on the Cave Man Diet Are you up to a cave man diet? You won't have to start living in a cave, but your eating habits will have to become.. Help for Sugar Cravings Many people have asked me what foods they should eat in order to cut down on the sugar cravings. And in the past I've always had to say "I don't know. Weight Loss: Its Not Always What You Eat, But What You Dont Eat On a little island half way in between Guam and thePhilippines there is a rampant epidemic affecting the inhabitants. This tiny island of approximately 8,200 people is not afflicted with famine or a deadlydisease as you might think when talking about anepidemic. Weight Loss: Secrets To Losing Weight Without Much Efforts Are you overweight?Most people are afraid to admit they are.It may not be a crime to be overweight, but it can be harmful to your health and life, if you fail to take action to reduce your weight.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
