Fitness ResolutionsWritten by Aimee Deak
The holidays are now officially over and it’s time to get back on track! January 1st is day we all get to start over. A time to make changes in our lives that we’ve wanted to make but got sidetracked along way. So, you've had your fill of tempting treats. The holidays are always exciting and indulgent. Now that they're over, hopefully you'll never want to look at another piece of pumpkin pie or vat of mashed potatoes. Starting a healthy eating program will be a pleasure instead of a chore.Maybe emotionally, you're ready for a change. For most Americans, New Year's is a time of new beginning and emotional rebirth. You may feel desire to alter your way of life or spend more time focusing on yourself. There's no better time to improve your health. Also, there's plenty of time to prepare for next holiday season. You've got a whole year to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. The next time holidays hit, you'll be better prepared to enjoy yourself without overindulging. Approximately 90 percent of Americans make at least one New Year's resolution each year. Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned they are, most people fail to keep their resolutions. Here are a few ways you can ensure your success: 1. SET OBTAINABLE GOALS. It's reasonable to lose 10 percent of your starting weight within 3 months. The goal of EVERY BODY LOSES plan is to help you learn how to make healthy eating choices that you can carry with you for life. Rather than focusing on losing as much weight as you can as quickly as you can, realize that, if you follow plan correctly, this could be last program you’ll ever need.
| | WAIST TO HIP RATIOWritten by Aimee Deak
Your health is affected not only by how much body fat you have, but also by where most of fat is located on your body. Waist to hip ratio (WHR) analyzes relationship between your waist and hip measurements to help you understand your body-type and current health status. Most people store their body fat in two distinct ways, often called "apple" and "pear" shapes. These terms refer to where you carry excess body fat – around your middle (apple) or around your hips and buttocks (pear). Carrying excess body fat around your middle increases health risks significantly more than carrying fat around your hips, thighs and other areas of your body. To determine if you have a healthy WHR, first use a measuring tape to obtain circumference of your waist, just above your belly button. Then measure circumference of your hips at widest part of your buttocks. To determine your WHR, simply divide your waist circumference from your hip circumference, in either inches or centimeters. If you are male and have a WHR greater than 1.0 – or a female with a WHR greater than 0.85 – you are considered to have an "apple shape", meaning that you have more body fat located in your abdominal area. If your WHR is less than 1.0 (male) or 0.85 (female), you either have a healthy body fat percentage or considered to have a "pear shape", which means that you tend to have more body fat located in peripheral areas of your body, like your hips and/or buttocks. Apple-shaped (rather than pear-shaped) body-types are at increased risk for health problems associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.
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