|
One of the biggest threats to our health is how fat we are. So, how can you tell if you have too much body fat and are overly fat – and at risk of health problems? The best indicator, according to most experts, is the location on your body where your fat is stored. If it happens to be in the tummy area you are essentially a ticking time bomb. Abdominal fat is particularly bad for long-term health because that type of fat is more active in producing a range of chemicals that significantly increases the risk of the 'big three' modern lifestyle diseases, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. To evaluate your own health risk the simplest way is to measure your waist circumference which is a good indicator of your level of abdominal fat. For men this measurement should be less than 40 inches and women less than 35 inches. If you are over and above these measurements you need to take steps for body fat reduction, but whatever you do don't go on a low calorie diet. The reason you have gained this fat should be indentified and then addressed otherwise you will always be battling the weight loss war and it is highly unlikely you will win. Look to your lifestyle for the solution, do you exercise? What type of exercise do you do?
Is it consistent? Do you exercise at the correct level of intensity to achieve results? If the answers to these questions include that you live a no or very little proper exercise lifestyle then the cause of your over fat body is likely to be that your fat burning motor (your metabolism) has slowed from loss of muscle tissue. If you are not doing any muscle building and maintaining activity there is no way you will hold on to your fat burning tissue – your muscle. The solution is simple – build back your metabolic engine so it burns more calories (fuel) than it is doing right now and let it go to work for you in burning up that unhealthy body fat. But, you have to do the right exercise to achieve this. Forget the long, slow recreational activities like walking, jogging or cycling. These activities are great as part of an active lifestyle but can never ever replace a proper exercise program and its ability to bring your body back to a healthy body fat level. Rather than worry about the numbers on the bathroom scale, focus on increasing the health of your metabolism which is dependent on your level of muscle tissue. No matter what you weigh or how much body fat you have you can still improve your metabolic fitness which is the key to living a healthier lifestyle. Metabolic fitness is when the body has an improved chemical and hormonal balance and is achieved when people eat healthfully and increase their level of proper exercise. It has nothing to do with how much a person weighs, which means people of all shapes and sizes can and should improve their metabolic fitness. And this is how excess body fat will be lost through increasing the health of the body's engine. Makes sense doesn't it?
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here: Ways To Look Younger For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
|
