Track Your Body Fat From or At Home

April 29, 2009

In this post of mine, I’m going to talk about obesity and some of the ways to reduce weight without the help of a medical practitioner. As you all know, obesity is a condition when excess of body fat gets accumulated in the body causing harmful effects. Eating unbalanced diet at improper intervals and lack of regular exercises are the main reasons for obesity. It teams up with heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

So, how can you get rid of excess body fat? Dieting and physical workouts are safe and reliable methods to shed down extra pounds. When your body fat monitor shows no significant change in your body fat percentage or Body Mass Index (BMI), then you should consult a physician and start taking anti-obesity drugs. These drugs cut down your appetite and arrest fat absorption in your body. It is only in extreme cases, bariatric surgeries are suggested to obese patients. Reducing stomach volume and bowel length is the aim of these weight loss surgeries. It weakens a person’s nutrient absorption. Although these surgeries are very effective, they are equally risky.

Coming to the ways of reducing body fat, you should have a positive attitude towards weight loss. Being fit and having a great shape or physique is not just for showbiz people, but also for every health-conscious person. Remember staying fit and healthy will boost your confidence level. Here are some tips to begin with:

1.  Consult your dietician and get a balanced diet plan chalked out exclusively for you.
2.  Do not fall for fad diets that promise fast weight loss.
3.  When you feel thirsty, drink plenty of water and avoid carbonated drinks.
4.  Include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet menu.
5.  If you are a hard-core non-vegetarian, consume skinless poultry and fish cooked with less oil.

Last but not least, calculate body fat at regular interval to analyze the effectiveness of your diet. Buy a branded body fat calculator and chart your body fat measurements regularly to track your progress at your home in your convenience.

Diet Plans – The Best Method for Weight Loss

We may not be a model, but many of us have a secret desire to look like one. More than looks, some of us are really concerned about fitness and health. The increasing awareness towards obesity and other related health issues, like heart diseases, diabetes, and other problems have made diet mandatory.

Friends and Internet always have a number of diet plans to offer, but they may be fad diets. These fad diets sounds too good to be true and often claim immediate weight loss. But, it is very important to stay away from fad diets.

A few are under the impression that diet plans are for individuals who are obese. Always remember diet meals are not just for losing weight, but are also for maintaining optimal weight.

I consulted a dietitian and got a diet plan chalked out exclusively for me. I have been following the weight loss plan for the past two months. Having lost 8 pounds after a month, I feel more confident to share my thoughts and experiences about weight loss plans and healthy diets with you.

Saying “no” to pizzas, pastries, chocolates, milkshakes, and French fries is quite a challenging task for me! Yet, I managed to stick on to my diet meal plans and so can you with determination. Five useful tips for a healthy diet plan:

1. Instead of taking three meals a day, split it into 4 – 6 small meals and snacks daily.

2. Drink plenty of water; at least 6 glasses a day. Water is essential for good digestion and also to keep you energetic.

3. Let your diet menu include a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereals.

4. Don’t swallow your food, chew and eat slowly.

5. If you are a non-vegetarian, opt for low-fat meats, fish, and skinless chicken.

Maintain diet fitness, do routine exercises, and monitor your body weight and body fat regularly on a reliable scale. Hope these tips will help you to stay active in good health and cheer.

10 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism

April 13, 2009

Our body needs energy to function properly and maintain itself. We burn calories while doing various day-to-day activities, like sleeping, cleaning, washing, or any other activity, for that matter. Our metabolism is nothing but the number of calories we burn throughout the day. Any unused or surplus calories get stored as fat and adds to your weight. So it is always good to boost your metabolism to stay fit and have the perfect body.

If you are a muscular person with a low percentage of body fat, you will have a higher metabolism than those who are less muscular. If your metabolic rate is high, you don’t have to worry about weight gain.

That doesn’t mean that those with low metabolism rate should be concerned. The good news is that there are a number of metabolism boosting tips available to increase metabolism. Exercise definitely helps, but it’s not the only thing, you need a weight scale to help monitor your progress. There are so many other ways by which you can boost your metabolism.

1. The first and the most important thing is to develop more muscle tissue. This will help you enhance your metabolism rate

2. Starving yourself will only slow down your metabolism. Eat 5-6 small meals per day. Eat the majority of your meal earlier in the day.

3. Alcohol and sugar are a definite no-no.

4. Eat healthy, by which I mean, foods with high nutritional value. Include protein in your meals.

5. Water, without doubt, helps you boost your metabolism. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

6. Green tea as well as a combination of apple cider vinegar, honey, and garlic can also significantly increase metabolism.

7. Exercise is a sure shot way to burn those extra pounds.

8. For a fast metabolism include metabolic boosters like chilli, mustard, and cayenne pepper.

9. Deliberate breathing is a natural way to boost your metabolism.

10. Vitamin B supplements will also help get enough energy.

With the help of weight scales, body fat analyzers and heart rate monitors available in the market, you can keep track of calories consumed and burned by you.

Tanita UM-060 – The Perfect Scale for Monitoring Body Fat and Body Water Percentage

April 9, 2009

Tempting junk foods and a sedentary lifestyle can play havoc with your figure and well-being. Not only this, many times work keeps us so busy that we forget to drink water which leads to a lot of health issues, like dehydration and tiredness. So, adopting a proper diet plan, taking in plenty of water and working out regularly are all required for a healthy body. You also must use a reliable weight scale to monitor your body weight and other related things on a day-to-day basis to know your fitness level. If you don’t have a scale at home, buy one soon.

I have a Tanita weight scale at home and I can guarantee you that this product is worth your money. It features an extra thin, 1.5-inch platform and only weighs 2.7 lbs. You can have it anywhere you want and use it at your convenience. These body fat monitors can store details of up to 4 users. Both adult and child modes are available in the Tanita UM-060, making this body fat scale an ideal one for your entire family. The readings can be easily read on its LCD display.

These body water feature scales use Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) to calculate your body fat and body water percentage. This is an accurate means of finding out your body fat and body water percentage. A harmless, low-level electrical signal is passed through your body and the resistance to this signal as it travels through the fluids in the muscle, blood, and fat helps calculate your body fat and body water percentage. The signal easily passes through water in the muscle but faces more resistance if the fat content is higher.

This Tanita UM 060 Body Fat Scale has the capacity to weigh up to 330 lb. Buy one and you will not regret it!

Seca Quadra 808 Digital Bathroom Scales – Where Form and Function Come Together

April 4, 2009

Routine hospital visits and tons of medicines will dampen the spirit of even the liveliest of people, don’t you agree? That is why the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is so true. If you want to nip health issues in the bud, you need to watch your diet, and lead an active lifestyle. Last but not the least, you have to keep an eye on certain basic health indicators. Body weight is one of them; but it is not enough! You have to monitor your body fat and body water content as well with a standard weight scale. There are many digital bathroom scales available in the market these days that can easily help you do just that.

The Seca Quadra 808 Digital Glass Bathroom Scale is an extremely sleek and stylish product with a modern yet practical design. It features a large display unit on its wave-like plastic base, which makes it easy to clean. The base is covered with an 8 mm-thick safety glass, which adds to the durability of the scale. Stainless steel elements are used to secure this glass platform on to the base.

When you enter your height, age, and gender the first time, these personal data get stored for calculating your body composition. You don’t have to enter the details each time! Not only you, but three more users can also use this quadra digital floor scale. Each user is identified automatically on the basis of his/her body weight.

The Seca Quadra 808 Digital Glass Bathroom Scale has a capacity of 330 pounds or 150 kilograms with graduations of 0.2 pounds or 100 grams. You can measure your body fat and body water content to a precision of 0.1 percent. As it is a low-power consumption scale with automatic switch-off feature, these scales will give you close to 8,000 weighings for each set of batteries.

Good Cholesterol Vs Bad Cholesterol - Essential Cholesterol Facts

Cholesterol is a biomolecule often called as a lipid or a fat. All animals require cholesterol to build and maintain cell membranes. As it is insoluble in water, its incorporation into cell walls makes the cells waterproof. This is crucial in the functioning of the nerves and nerve cells. In fact, the brain and the nervous system contain the highest concentration of blood cholesterol.

It is important to note that not all cholesterol is bad. In order to measure your cholesterol you may need some home medical supplies to do so. The water-insoluble cholesterol is transported in blood within carriers called as lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are classified into different groups according to their densities. The two major forms of blood cholesterol are High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL).

LDL Cholesterol

LDL cholesterol is referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol. When excess LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it tends to deposit on the lining of the arteries. Over a period of time, the hardened deposits form plaque and obstruct the flow of blood in the arteries. If a clot occurs in the heart, a heart attack or stroke can occur.

HDL Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol, widely known as ‘good’ cholesterol is another type of lipoprotein. Researchers believe that HDL is involved in transporting cholesterol away from the arteries back to the liver.

Diet

Dietary intake of cholesterol plays a major role in blood cholesterol management. As much as possible, avoid saturated fats and trans fats that increase LDL cholesterol levels. Instead opt for foods that will lower LDL cholesterol levels. Fiber-rich foods, such as wheat bran, oatmeal, and barley are essential. Consume a lot of beans, pulses, and lentils. Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds also reduce your blood cholesterol level. Fruits and vegetables, like avocados, apples, strawberries, carrots, shitake mushrooms, root ginger, and garlic have to be incorporated in the diet.

Keep monitoring your cholesterol levels, eat right, and stay heart-healthy!