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.
| | Motivation: Keeping the Fire Going in Your Fat Loss PlanWritten by Aimee Deak
Motivation is a factor often overlooked when it comes to weight loss endeavors because you feel strong and determined when first embarking on a fat loss plan. You’re positive you’ll never lose sight of your goals. But, what happens when you lose your focus and motivation takes a serious dive? Can you ever regain your fierce determination and get back on track? YES YOU CAN!Are you ready? Are you ready to stop fighting against your own success? Are you ready to break free of your limitations? Think for a moment about your desire to lose fat and get fit. Know that if you would attempt it, you would without a doubt, achieve your goal. Think carefully about it. Now, reach out and touch that highest vision. The day you begin your fat loss plan you have just started to make your goal a reality. You've set your mind on best you can imagine for yourself, and you're on your way. You'll most certainly get there. There will be effort involved in reaching it. But that's okay, because you can do it. In fact, you'll enjoy making that effort because you'll know where it's leading. Have you ever seen someone who seems to be able to attract success easily and naturally? You've just become that person. The goal you desire will come to you, easily and naturally, because you've focused yourself on achieving it. The efforts involved may be things you once considered difficult or uncomfortable, yet now they won't bother you because you'll know precisely where they're taking you. You're on your way. Keep going, and delight in wonderful rewards you've already started to create for yourself, including feeling better and living longer!
|
