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What Does It Really Mean to Be Overweight?

Obesity is an ever increasing problem in the US now-a-days. Studies show that over 66 percent of Americans can be categorized as either fat or obese, and the medical community is even going so far as to call it an epidemic. However, with today’s aesthetic standards as portrayed by the media and the fashion community, it can be very tough to decipher what is actually a healthy weight. No doctor would recommend trying to be stick-thin, but we all know that obesity is dangerous to the health. So, where is that healthy midline? What, exactly, does it mean to the general public to be “overweight?” Here are the plain facts:

Overweight
Overweight (Photo credit: just.Luc)

The definition. Being overweight means weighing more than what is healthy. This amount varies from person to person, as it depends on factors that are unique to each person’s build. Therefore, what is overweight for you might not be overweight for someone else.

Overweight compared to being obese. It is important that you understand that overweight does not necessarily mean obese. Healthy (or unhealthy) body weight is graded on a scale, including the categories of “normal weight,” “overweight,” “obese,” and “morbidly obese.” Each level has its own set of qualifying factors and, of course, morbidly obese is the most dangerous. Being overweight means being one step above normal weight, one step below obese, and two steps below morbidly obese.

What factors are used to determine overweight? Your body mass index (BMI) is used to determine where you are categorized on the health/morbidly-obese scale. Your BMI is a measure of your body’s composition, accounting for how much you weigh in relation to your height. There are various different methods to calculate BMI. The simplest is to use an online BMI calculator, but for the most exact figure, it is a good idea to see a doctor or nutritionist. If your BMI falls between 25 and 30, you are generally considered overweight. However, it is important to keep in mind that BMI has no way of accounting for your muscle to fat ratio. This ratio can make a major difference in your overall health, and therefore can change your status as overweight. For example, if you are a serious athlete with a lot of muscle, you may weigh more than someone else your height who is at a “normal” weight, but that doesn’t mean you are overweight.

Overweight is a term that is used loosely, which makes it confusing when determining whether or not you fit into that category. Your best bet is to consult with your doctor to figure out if you are overweight, and if you could benefit from lowering your BMI.

About the Author: Tommye Lounder is a health and wellness specialist who specializes in educating people about their bodies. He enjoys researching common medical conditions, including candida expert opinions, heart health, addictions, and the body’s metabolism.

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Is Paleo For You?

It seems like a new diet is hitting the marketplace every other day, and every new diet seems to be dubbed as the one that works. There are so many diets out there, that if you want to lose weight, it can be hard to decide where to begin.
The latest dieting craze to hit the marketplace is called Paleo, and many people are wondering if they should give it a try.

What is the Paleo diet?

The Paleo diet basically refers to only eating the foods that our historic ancestors ate, which includes fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and nuts. This means that you should cut out legumes, grains and dairy. Basically, you want to eat only those items that can be hunted or gathered and refrain from eating anything that has been processed or sealed (so no canned vegetables). Fresh foods contain more vitamins and nutrients than those that have been processed, and they’re more healthy for you than those that tell you they’re healthy.
What’s the point of the Paleo diet?

The Paleo diet doesn’t cut out fat or carbs. Instead, it relies on you eating a healthy amount of food in order to maintain a decent body weight. Eating these foods will increase your metabolism and give you more energy throughout the day. And since you tend to eat more fruits and vegetables than whole grains, you may actually cut out a good deal of the carbs you eat on a regular basis.
Along with keeping you at a healthy weight, the Paleo diet is also known to reduce the risk of major diseases, such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes. By keeping your food intake simple, you are not clogging your body full of supplements or processed foods.

What are the benefits of the Paleo diet?

The Paleo diet doesn’t require you to count points, read labels or consume a great deal of protein shakes. The foods used in the Paleo diet are simple and real, and you know exactly what you’re getting.
Preparing Paleo-approved meals is simple. Choose a meat, choose a vegetable and you’re done. There is no need to read a ton of cookbooks or think too long about what to prepare for dinner. This will also help you decide what to eat more quickly when dining out at restaurants. Rather than spend a great amount of time reading over the menu, you can choose the option that fits best with the Paleo diet.
Is the Paleo diet right for me?

The Paleo diet hasn’t hurt anyone, so as long as you’re okay with eating meat and vegetables and cutting out dairy, grains and  legumes, trying the Paleo diet shouldn’t be that hard to accomplish. And since there is not counting points or reading labels, you can choose Paleo-approved foods more easily than other diets. People have been using the Paleo diet for years. If you start the Paleo diet, you will see an increase in your energy levels, and you’ll start to look better too.

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exercise weight loss

A Good Fitness Watch for You

Polar is the leading known brand when it comes to watches that have heart rate monitors. These watches are among the best of their types offering more quality performance for their users and a satisfaction guaranteed value with the stylish design along with tons of very useful features for fitness fanatics. The Polar watches are now widely popular among the fitness world.

There is a wide variety of options for Polar watches that you can select from this website here. Your selection will always depend on your needs and preferences for a watch but whatever your reasons for purchasing one, it is surely accommodated by either one of the many Polar watches.

The Polar F Series, Polar AXN Series, and the Polar S Series are among the three available Polar watches in the market today. The F series watches are directed for users who want a general purpose for a good and excellent heart rate monitoring system. You may want to take a quick glance at a Polar FT40 to find out why this is such a good watch. This comes along with a compact display of useful guideline information about your routine exercises, while the AXN heart rate monitor watches are specifically designed for individuals who involved themselves with intensive routine workouts. These are athletes and sports minded people who want a total portable functionality of a watch.

The AXN heart rate monitor watch also include additional features that are very useful for their extreme exercises such as barometer, compass, altimeter, and vertical speed measurement. On the other hand, the S Series watches are best for runners. The watch is fully designed to suit the every need of a runner or a cyclist with a specialized casing and built-in software to meet the needs and preferences of every running exercise.

The Polar series watches are best for people involved in fitness activities. With the many variations of features and functions with each series, the Polar watches are the most ideal and portable device that a fitness enthusiast can have. The prices as well are considerably affordable and this makes it possible for every fitness enthusiasts to avail of the high quality product’s advantages.

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exercise free trials weight loss

Warming Up for Gym Sports

Playing a gym sport could be exciting and fun, but we should be aware that in any sport, we should also remember that injuries may occur. Warming up is an essential part of any overall workout or any game. Proper warm-up gets your blood pumping to your muscle tissue and joints as well as increases your metabolic rate in preparation for an intense activity. Warming up doesn’t really take too much time, it only takes around 5 – 10 minutes just to keep yourself safe.

Warming up for a gym sport can be done in many ways. One is through the use of home gym machines. A usual warm-up involves cardio exercises and home gym machines such as a stationary bike or a treadmill can provide you those services. Exercises on these machines such as walking briskly, jogging or biking increases your heart rate and breaks a sweat, although you must also keep the intensity to a minimum to avoid injury.

If workout machines are not available, you can also use simple cheap equipment that can help you warm up, a jump rope would be a good choice. Jump ropes are very effective for warm-ups but if in high intensity, it becomes a workout. While spinning the rope using your wrist, you should use different footwork such as keeping your two feet together, one foot at a time, raising a knee or maybe moving your two feet from side to side. A gym ball is also a great choice for the upper and lower-body muscles and for cardio workouts.

If none of the above mentions are not available for a gym sport warm-up, you can be resourceful by using your own body. Jumping jacks is a great way of pumping up your entire body. You can start by standing up with feet apart and hands on your side. Then start jumping, raising your arms and hands above your head and bringing your feet apart double its width. Then jump again, returning to your previous position. Do at least 20 – 30 reps for two sets.

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exercise weight loss

Treadmill Vs. Elliptical Trainer

Treadmills and Elliptical Trainers are just two of the most popular cardio machines but it seems like they are the only stationary exercise machines in the market because they are always compared from one another. There is always a question as to which one is better, which one is best, and which one is mostly preferred by many gym enthusiasts. While it is true that treadmills still come out to be the #1 workout equipment because it was around for a very long time and its wonderful benefits are still evident, it cannot also be denied that elliptical machines are continuously growing in popularity since it was introduced in the 90’s. Nobody knows, maybe one of these days, elliptical trainers will already be on top because of its many advantages and benefits over treadmills.
Treadmill Vs. Elliptical

The main advantage of treadmills over elliptical trainers is the length of time it was around providing people serious and extreme workout for physical fitness and weight loss. However, this advantage can be easily overcome by the number of advantages and benefits of elliptical machines and that what we are going to discuss. While it is true that elliptical trainers are only ideal for low impact exercises, this does not affect its rating because there are more people who are into less strenuous workouts than those who need a serious one. It is even an advantage to the elliptical trainers because its users do not suffer from strains on the feet and joints which usually happen to those who are using treadmills. Elliptical machines are also a good choice for those who cannot make walking or running for their daily exercise routine because of a knee injury or old age. Lastly, you can get a good elliptical machine within $600 and $1400 price range while good quality treadmills for sale will cost you $1000 to $2000. Getting an elliptical will save you a lot of money while allowing you to experience equally satisfying benefits.

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Improve Fitness And Lose Weight With Home Gym Equipment

If you have decided to start getting into better shape, but do not want to pay the high cost of a monthly membership to your local gym, then you may want to consider adding a few pieces of gym equipment to your home or office.  This will give you the flexibility of working out whenever time allows and you will not have to worry about all the wasted time driving to and from the gym, and competing for equipment.  Your home gym does not need to be elaborate to offer a terrific workout.  You just need to be sure you have the right equipment to meet your personal goals.

Before you start searching for a good used treadmills sale, you need to first understand what you hope to accomplish in your workouts.  Develop a list of your short and long term fitness goals, as well as a time line as to when you home to accomplish them.  This will not only help you better realize which equipment will be right for you, but will also give you a great method for tracking your results along the way.

Now that you know what you hope to accomplish with your potential home gym, you can begin looking for the various types of equipment that will help you effectively reach those goals.  If losing weight and building or toning muscle are part of your plan, you will most likely need to incorporate both weight lifting equipment and a good cardio routine (i.e. treadmill, elliptical, or a light jog outside).  When these two methods are combined, the potential fitness level is escalated dramatically and results can be seen much faster then with one or the other alone.  Keep in mind that free weights are a great supplement to a full weight machine and are a great way to save money and space by only buying the weights you need at any given time.  Often you can find great deals on free weights and other gym equipment on sites like Craigslist as well as on other fitness related websites.