A Warning about diet Pills

I received this email recently about diet pills. I’ve never been a fan of taking pills but I realize some of us have tried everything possible to lose weight and diet pills were a last resort. And pills should always be a last resort. Pills are a way to introduce another chemical into the body. If there’s any way to get the nutrition you need from food, then that’s what I want. Diet Pills are supposed to curb your appetite and cut the cravings and therefore you lose weight. But with any pill, there are side effects; sometimes you can’t feel the side effect, but your system does feel it. If you want diet pills get them from your doctor and let him put you on a diet to go along with the pills. Your doctor should monitor your progress and talk to him about any effects you're having from the pills.

This article appeared on the internet.

The international police agency Interpol has issued a global alert about an illegal and potentially lethal drug used for dieting and bodybuilding.

The warning concerns “2,4-dinitrophenol” (DNP), a combination of compounds that increases body temperature and metabolic rate. Last month a British woman who’d taken pills containing DNP died. The drug also left a French man seriously ill.

DNP, which is also used as a raw material for explosives, is linked to other deaths too. It’s highly toxic and causes side effects like hot, dry skin, excessive thirst, and an unusually fast heartbeat.

The drug is being sold on the Internet. It’s usually sold in yellow powder or capsule form, but it’s also available as a cream.

Back in the 1930s it was marketed as a weight loss drug.

‘Burning Up From Within’

Eloise Parry died in a hospital after taking tablets she bought online. Police believe they included DNP. Her family had described how “she was literally burning up from within” before her heart stopped.

An Interpol “orange notice,” which warns of imminent threats, has been sent to police in 190 Interpol member countries at the request of the French interior ministry.

The French authorities and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) say they want to draw attention to the growing popularity of DNP as an aid to improving body image and performance, particularly in the bodybuilding world.

The orange notice says the risks are even higher because DNP is usually made in secret laboratories where hygiene conditions may be poor.

“We are appreciative that Interpol has issued this global warning,” says David Howman, director general of WADA. “This is a perfect example of how crucial it is that law enforcement and anti-doping organizations continue to forge closer ties so that dangerous, and potentially fatal, substances such as DNP do not reach the hands of athletes.

This article highlights DNP in particular. The drug has been around for decades and is being used today in diet pills that are sold on the internet. Research any drugs you are buying on a website. Most of these drugs are not made in this country. Other countries have different regulations governing the drug industry so read the ingredients labels and even consult your doctor about any diet pill you want to take. The side effects are more important than any results that you might get.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Cancer And Your Diet

On the Fox TV Network the other night, one of the big stories was about high-protein diets. A new study has shown a link between the overconsumption of animal protein and how it can stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

It seems we all have cancer cells but they don’t normally grow unless we consume too many cancer-causing chemicals from foods or drinks or breathe in pollutants.

Older adults between the ages of 50 to 65 years of age are in that age bracket where cancer cells will grow at their fastest rate. But interestingly enough, after 65 it seems like the body needs animal protein and larger percentages don’t affect the growth of the cancer cells. Now your doctor will tell you there are many other ways to get cancer but the truth is that medical science doesn’t really know.

Older adults and those with a family history of cancer who are under 65 should reduce the amounts of animal protein to a daily amount of less than 10% of total protein intake. Dairy products are animal protein and poultry, beef, and pork. I don’t count fish or other seafood. The best sources are vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils.

So how much protein is too much. Well, depending on the size of your frame, and your weight you divide your body weight in half and that’s the number of grams of protein you should have every day. For example, I’m 160 pounds so I need 80 grams of protein a day. A 3 1/2-ounce steak has 80 grams of protein. That’s all the protein you need for an entire day. If you are doing a normal to extreme workout, you’ll need to supplement your protein with a powered supplement like WHEY.

Now, remember what I said about animal protein, in my case I should be consuming less than 10 grams a day of animal protein and consume the rest from plants or fish. Vegetables have protein along with beans and lentils plus fish. The good news is that you won’t go hungry, plant protein and other nutrients from vegetables plus fruit and nuts is a good healthy diet that will reduce your body fat, give you plenty of energy and you won’t have to count calories and weigh yourself every day to lose weight, stay healthy and lower your risk for cancer.

Why do we have so much Cancer in North America? Well, it’s because the average adult consumes more than 20% of their diet in animal protein. That feeds the cancer cells and makes them grow until you develop a tumor.

To reduce your risk of cancer no matter what your weight or how much body fat you have, change your diet, eat healthily, no processed foods and reduce amounts of animal fat and eat more plant protein. A simple all-natural diet and don’t worry about your weight, when you stop eating man-made foods your body fat will disappear. There isn’t anything wrong with good fats, but your body can’t process bad fats. Get a list of the bad fats on most health websites.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

About Beer And Weight Loss

 A reader sent me a note asking if you can drink beer and still lose weight. And my response was “yes” with a but connected. Beer in itself doesn’t add fat to your body. Too Many calories add fat to your body.

When a heavy person in a restaurant or bar is sitting near you drinking beer you might immediately think that they must drink a lot of beer to have a beer belly like that. Not so. Calories are calories and many people overindulge which will cause a beer belly but it’s not always from drinking beer. I used to work with a guy who would drink 6 or 8 cokes daily. I never saw him drink water, he always drank coke.

You might not know it but the average American will drink half their daily calories. They might eat 1800 calories a day and think they're cutting calories but they consume another 1800 or so calories in drinks every day. Cokes, sweet tea, coffee with cream and sugar, and all those designer drinks at the coffee shop all add up, and then if you drink alcohol you can double those drink calories. It’s no secret that most of us consume more calories per day from beverages than from food. Beer, wine, and soft drinks add the most calories.

Any trainer or weight consultant will always encourage a client to stop drinking calories and drink more water. That is some of the best advice I can give anyone trying to lose weight.

I saw someone today running through the park for a workout, but he was seriously overweight. I thought if I could stop the car and talk to him I’d tell him not to run. First, you can’t run off fat when you are too heavy to run. Yes, you can be too heavy to run. Being overweight puts stress on your hips and knees and running will only increase the pressure on those joints and can cause damage.

Walking is a better choice. One hour of extra walking every day will help you lose weight and make you a healthier person. Walking more will lower blood pressure, lower your resting heart rate, and help strengthen your joints.

But if you really want to get in shape you have to change your diet. Start counting calories and count carbs. Depending on your size, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need and only half those calories should be from carbs and those carbs should be from fruits and vegetables and grains. The other half of your daily calories should be from protein and fats from plants. No calories from drinks or processed foods.

When I was pushing myself to lose weight, I would eat all-natural foods. I avoided all processed foods. So what does that mean you might ask. I would eat fruits and vegetables that I could pick from open bins, nothing prepackaged, I stopped drinking dairy, Ns any other drinks that had calories. I only bought fresh-cut meat and poultry, nothing frozen. Seafood is different. I would buy vacuum-packed fish. The Asian markets sell the best seafood in my ar
ea. I never starved. I would consume about 1800 calories a day.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

How Many "Carbs" Does Your Body Need?

Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet, but eating the wrong carbs can cause the body to store too much fat. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Dieting and losing weight is all about losing body fat. Reading the article below will give you some insight into losing body fat. It's not a quick process, but over time changing your diet and eating the right foods will help you reach your goals. You shouldn't get discouraged because losing fat happens over time, but there are ways to speed up the process.   Even a small amount of exercise can speed up fat burning. Losing fat is about training your body to burn body fat to create energy. The mistake most of us make is eating the wrong carbs. Unknowingly, we have trained our bodies to burn the carbs we eat instead of burning body fat. 

The body will find the easiest form of protein, fat, and carbs to burn for energy. Why is that you might ask? The body is programmed to use the least amount of energy to create more energy. That might be a little hard to understand. We'll say that our body creates 100% of the energy we use. Energy is measured in calories. Say the body needs 1000 calories a day. I'm just using that number for this example. Now we'll say the body uses 200 calories of energy to process your food and drink. So the body's short on calories. If you need 1000 for bodily functions the body must process 1200 calories to fill the need. But your body is programmed to use the least amount of calories to produce the largest amount of energy. When you are eating the wrong foods your body is using even a greater amount of the energy created just to produce the 1000 calories of energy. 

The reason people increase their body fat is that the food they eat lacks the nutrition needed for the body to produce the amount of energy they need. So what happens over time is that your body has to decrease the amount of energy that is allocated for body function. Then as time passes, you become weaker, and your immune system becomes weaker. Your liver cannot process enough food and your health will begin to suffer.

The way I lost my body fat was to eat natural whole foods. Fresh foods that have nothing added to them. I didn't buy anything packaged. Fruit and vegetables came from the produce department in opens bins. I could see and touch everything I bought. The meat and fish came from the meat department. You can buy fresh frozen, or vacuum-packed fish. I prefer meat and poultry that haven't been frozen. Also, I stopped drinking anything with calories. Eating this type of diet and nothing else, you don't have to limit your food or drink and you don't have to count calories.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, about half your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. So that’s quite a lot. But, there’s more to it than how many carbs you need — some sources of carbohydrates are better for you than others. What they mean by “carbs” is vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, and whole grains.

First, what are carbs? Carbohydrates are mostly found in plants where they provide energy and structure. Sugars, starches, and fibers fall into this category.

And although animals need and consume carbohydrates, you won’t find any carbs in meat, fish, or poultry. But you will find carbs in milk and dairy products because they contain lactose, which is also a type of sugar.

How Many Carbs Do You Need?

Your carbohydrate need can be based on your caloric intake. If you know how many calories you need each day, you can figure out how many grams of carbs you need:

Start by determining your daily calorie need and divide that number in half. That’s how many calories should come from carbohydrates.
Each gram of carbohydrate has four calories. Divide the number you got from the first step by four.
The final number is equal to the number of carbohydrates in grams you need each day.
For example, a person who eats approximately 2,000 calories per day should take in about 250 grams of carbohydrates (2,000 divided by 2 = 1,000 and 1,000 divided by 4 = 250).

Tracking Your Carbohydrate Intake

Find the carbohydrate grams on the Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods. You’ll find calorie information there too, but be sure to double-check the serving size and a number of servings per package.
Use the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference to calculate carbohydrate amounts for fresh foods. It’s a large database that’s regularly updated.
Keep a food diary to track your information. You can print out your own pages and keep them in a notebook.
Join Calorie Count to track calories, carbohydrates, and all the other nutrients, plus you’ll find suggestions for a healthy diet. They also have a great smartphone app so you can track your calories when you’re away from your computer.

Which Carbs are Best

Carbohydrates include complex carbohydrates, like starches, and simple sugars such as white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and honey. As far as plant-based carbs go, choose 100 percent whole grains, and fruits and vegetables for most of your carbohydrates. The standard tip is to ‘make half of your grains whole.’ That way, as long as you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, you’ll add a substantial amount of fiber to your diet.

Of course, you don’t want to consume carbs only. You need protein and fat, just not as much. Balance your carbohydrate choices with protein sources such as lean meat, poultry, eggs, or fish, and some healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado or nuts, and seeds. Protein combined with high-fiber carbs helps keep you feeling full between meals. The protein that is recommended by most professionals is seafood and poultry. The fat in these two food groups won’t contain any animal fats.

Watch Out for Sugars

The worst carbohydrate sources may be sugary foods, including things made with sugar, honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup. These foods usually have too many calories and little or no nutritional value.

Avoid sugary snacks, pastries, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, candy, and cookies. Watch out for heavily processed foods that often contain added sugars, even those that don’t taste sweet. A good rule of thumb is “don’t drink your calories”.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Stop Burning Sugar, Start Burning Fat

This great article explains why we work out but don’t lose any inches. The article explains why you could be working out just to burn sugar and other sources of energy but not real fat.

by Shaun Hadsall

Did you know that the years of eating processed foods, lack of exercise, and normal eating patterns have literally PROGRAMMED your body to burn NOTHING but calories and sugars from the foods you consume every day…
…INSTEAD of burning off your ugly body fat?

In fact, today’s exercise programs take way too much time and use old-school methods that cause you to crave more food and calories – especially calories from sugar – FORCING your body to burn sugars and waste away nothing but stored energy.

This means that EVERY time you eat and exercise your body is busy fighting a losing battle.

But – what if there was a way to RESET your body’s fat-burning switch so that your body burns fat FIRST every time you move and exercise?

Well, there IS.

It’s a super simple 3-step metabolic primer from my colleague, and Stubborn Fat Expert, Shaun Hadsall that TURNS OFF your body’s “addiction” to burning sugars while making your most stubborn fat your “go-to” energy source in ONLY 3 or 4 days.
STEP #1: Try to consume zero starches or fruits for 3 or 4 days in a row during the week.

This will help accelerate the depletion of glycogen (your stored energy) and get your body burning fat again. This should equate to a total of 25 to 50 impact carbs for the day. Consume protein in every meal to help increase satiety and keep your body in “fat-burning mode”.

You’ll program your body to burn a ton more belly fat by using this approach just a few days of a week.

STEP #2: Increase your fats and double your servings of green cruciferous veggies on depleted days.

When you lower carbs for a few days you’ll automatically need energy from other sources. Friendly fats and cruciferous veggies should be your go-to macronutrients to help provide this needed energy.

Some good examples to use are extra fish or krill oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter and small amounts of raw nuts for fats — spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, arugula, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are great choices for extra veggies.

This will help provide all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals necessary to maximize fat loss during a lower-carb phase.

It will also DECREASE your cravings in a big way.

STEP #3: Double your daily water intake when you deplete carbs.

Remember, for EVERY gram of carbs you eat over the weekend (or any other time) your body holds nearly 3 grams of water.

So if you had a few slices of pizza, some bread, and a bowl of ice cream we’re talking an extra 700 to 1000 grams of water sitting under your belly skin.

Consuming extra water is the fastest way to UNDO the damage of over-eating, getting rid of excess water retention, and facilitating other metabolic processes that burn fat.

A good rule of thumb is to consume at least 50-60% of your total body weight in ounces of water a few days after overeating.

After 3 or 4 days of using this strategy, your body and hormones will be PRIMED to burn PURE fat when you exercise.

You just have to make sure you’re using the RIGHT TYPE of exercise or all this could be nothing but a waste of your time and energy.

If you are serious about trying this, exercise is important, but if you are an active person and you don’t spend hours sitting, a quick 10-minute workout with stretching first and afterward may be all that’s necessary.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

My New Method To Lose Body Fat

I picked this photo because you don't have to be fit to start a jogging routine.  You simply have to have the desire. I found this article last week when I decided to get serious about jogging again. I haven't jogged for 40 years. I'm in my 70s and some might think I'm crazy but I tried this a few years ago just to lose a few pounds and it worked for me. Then I start biking and quit jogging. Now the weather is right for biking so I'm going back to jogging.

If you’re thinking about starting to run for exercise, you may feel a little overwhelmed.  Rest assured, this guide to jogging for beginners will help you start pounding the pavement safely and successfully.  Jogging is a powerhouse of exercise that will help you feel healthier and fit!  Learn all about the benefits of jogging, how to start, and how to build up your endurance. 

Read the disclaimer it's important

Disclaimer:  This post is written Chrissy Carroll, an RRCA Certified Coach, and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach.  This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as individual advice.  Always consult a physician prior to beginning any new exercise program.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOGGING AND RUNNING?

While various sources offer up different perspectives on jogging vs running, the truth is that there is not an exact definition that separates the two.  Jogging is generally accepted as a slower form of running.  Many classify running as a challenging pace (over any distance), while jogging is a more comfortable pace.

However, there is no exact pace cut-off.  Some sources define jogging as moving at a pace under six miles per hour, or a 10:00 mile.  However, average running paces in research in the US vary from around 9:44 to 11:47 (source) – so by the 10:00 definition, most US runners would be classified as “jogging.”  In reality, most of these individuals are likely moving at a challenging pace that they’d classify as running.

Personally, I jog at less than 5 miles an hour whereas running is twice that speed.

Some people are offended by the term jogging, suggesting that any pace other than walking is considered running.  It’s totally a personal call as to how you define and interpret it.  For the purposes of this post, though, we’ll assume jogging is a comfortable running pace, and you can call it whatever you’d prefer! 🙂

BENEFITS OF JOGGING

Jogging can be beneficial to just about anyone that is trying to improve their health in some way, shape, or form.  Here are just a few of the benefits:

Beginner-friendly.  The younger sibling to the fast-paced, heavy-breathing run, jogging is generally less intense and less intimidating. You don’t have to be fast or at peak fitness to jog; it can be performed by novices or the elite alike.

Minimal costs.  Aside from a good pair of sneakers, there are almost no costs associated with jogging.  While gym memberships and weight equipment can be pricey, jogging is just about free.

Burns calories.  If you’re looking to lose weight, jogging can be a great exercise to burn some extra calories through cardiovascular training.  According to Harvard Medical School, a 155-pound person will burn 186 calories jogging at a 4.5 mph pace for 30 minutes.  Boost that up to a 5 mph pace, and you’ll burn 298 calories in those 30 minutes.  (Keep in mind you can burn more or less depending on your individual weight.)

Builds strong bones.  Exercise scientists refer to jogging as a “weight-bearing exercise”, which helps to build strong bones. As you jog, you place pressure and load onto your bones, muscles, and joints. In order to compensate for this stress, your bones thicken and strengthen to help prevent injury and issues. Isn’t that smart? This can aid in the prevention of bone issues such as osteopenia and osteoporosis (source). 

Works muscles.  When jogging, you’re working your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core the entire time you are moving.  For brand-new joggers, this can help strengthen muscles to a degree – though, after a while, you don’t gain additional strength from jogging.  (However, adding in sprint workouts, later on, can improve muscle strength – read more about that in our sprinting vs. jogging article.)

Improves cardiovascular health.  You know that when you start jogging, you feel your heart beating faster and working harder.  This can improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of problems down the line.  The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, to improve heart health.

May reduce anxiety.  While you may not be able to see the physical benefit of it on the outside, jogging can also do wonders for your mind. Remember the famous Elle Woods quote from Legally Blonde?  “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy!”   While it may not have been a legal defense, her point on exercise was pretty accurate. Exercise does boost your endorphins–the little feel-good chemicals.  Jogging and exercise overall can also help to clear your mind, reduce your stress levels and make you feel happier and more positive day to day.

May help you sleep.  While there haven’t been many studies that can actually cite this, it seems as though people who exercise early in the day may sleep better overall.  The theory is that exercise may raise your body temperature a bit, so later on in the evening when it drops back down, it can trigger feelings of drowsiness and tell your body it’s ready for sleep.  For this benefit, try jogging in the morning or early afternoon.  If you have trouble with sleep, avoid jogging in the evening as the stimulation may keep you awake later (source).

After reading the article you are probably wondering "how can I possibly do this"? You can but you start out slow. 

I started by walking 100 yds. then jogging 100 yds. then walking 100 yds. and so on until you jogged about 8 times. After that, you walk slowly until your heart rate comes down. 

As you build your endurance, you jog a little longer and walk a little shorter. My workout takes about one hour so I work out every other day. Jog as slow as you have to, the object is to finish the workout. Try to do at least 30 minutes. Try not to stop. Try to do the 30 minutes even if you walk the whole way.

This is a workout that anyone can do. Speed is not a factor. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Are You Really Overweight; Lets Figure It Out

It may sound like a stupid question... who doesn't need to lose weight?  But we often base our weight loss goals on an old version of ourselves that was once fit and thin. 

When you get older, things change and it pays to actually assess your weight with the right tools so you know just how to set your goals.

Do You Need to Lose Weight?

If you're unsure, your doctor's office is an excellent place to start.

When was the last time you had a physical?  Now would be a great time to schedule one and talk to your doctor about your weight.  He or she can at least give you a ballpark for a healthy weight for you. But you shouldn't get all wrapped up in the numbers on the scale. 

Those who want to lose weight, really need to lose body fat. So while most of us use the scale to measure results, we should be using a tape measure. Another blogger wrote in one of her blogs, "your pants don't lie". What she was talking about is that dropping two pants sizes is more important than the numbers on the scale. When you can buy a smaller pair of jeans, that's real progress. You want people to notice the "new you", Don't reward yourself with a piece of cake. Buy new pants.

Tools To Help You Get a Baseline

Of course, there is no shortage of formulas out there to help you figure out if you're overweight.

None of these are perfect, of course, so I would take all of your results with a healthy grain of salt (or some other spice, since too much salt, isn't healthy).   You might be overweight if you:

• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 25
• Have a Waist-Hip ratio of higher than .8 for women and higher than 1.0 for men
• Have an Abdominal Girth measuring more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men

Of course, there are other factors involved such as your height, frame size, and body fat percentage, which is why it's important to get an individual assessment from your doctor or your personal trainer if you're not sure.

How to Use Numbers That Aren't Always Accurate

As I mentioned, all of these formulas are flawed.  If you have a lot of muscle, for example, your BMI may show you're overweight even though you're not.  So, how do you use these numbers if they're not accurate?

What I recommend is that you use these numbers as a way to measure your weight loss progress.

  Get a series of baseline numbers - Your BMI, waist-hip ratio, tummy girth, body measurements, body fat, scale weight, and planetary alignment on your measurement day.  Once a month (or more often if you like), retake all of these measurements.  If the numbers go down, you're on the right track.

If they stay the same, you might be hitting a plateau and may need to change your workouts or, if you're not working out, you really should start.

If the numbers are going up...well, I don't have to tell you what that means.  I would look at my diet at that point, which is often the culprit for weight gain. 

Cutting calories is only part of losing weight. You want to change the foods you eat. Some foods will help you lose weight and other foods will fight again weight loss, so just cutting calories doesn't really work.

About That Weight Loss...

Numbers aside, how does this weight loss thing really work?  It's much more complicated than just creating a calorie deficit.  Well, it is about that, but making that deficit requires that you focus on a few very important things:

1. You Need to Exercise More - You don't have to kill yourself, but you really need to do more.
2. Get Enough Sleep - Yes, lack of sleep can contribute to weight problems. Not only because you're awake longer to eat more, but because your body emits a hormone that causes your body to store more fat.  I know.  Not Fair.

1. Deal With Your Stress - Yep, stress does it too. That hormone thing again...cortisol, which causes your body to store more fat.  A great reason to move to Maui.
2. Watch Your Calories - You already know this, right?
3. Be Consistent - You already know this, too.  Whatever happens in your life, keep doing something, even if it's 10 pushups.  Keep the ball rolling, y'all.
4. Stop Overdoing It - When the weekend comes, do you bury your face in a big pizza pie?  I know, you've been good all week, but don't let yourself completely blow it on the weekends, ok?

So, there you go.  Do all that and you'll lose fat and weight.  I believe in making all my changes at once. So you will feel the effects of your efforts faster.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.