 Take
the First Step
Figure your body fat, compare it to recommended ranges, and set realistic goals for
improvement.
Assess Your Body
Being overfat, or obese, has health risks. Obesity causes or aggravates a wide range
of health problems from high blood pressure, to arthritis, to certain forms of cancer.
The good news is that weight loss--actually body fat loss--can help prevent or control
the development of many of these diseases.
It's fat, not weight, that is a problem. Fit people come in all weights, sizes and
shapes. Standard height-weight charts and Body Mass Index
charts (BMI), that relate height and weight, may be misleading. Many experts believe
that percentage of body fat is a better measure of physical fitness than weight alone.
A person who is "overweight"
according to height-weight charts does not necessarily have too much fat. The extra
weight may be due to an above-average amount of muscle. On the other hand, a person
can be "overfat" even if they are not overweight, if they have too much fat in
proportion to the muscle in their body. Figuring your fat can tell you if you are
truly "overfat."
Body Fat Measurement and Monitoring
Until recently, measuring and monitoring body fat has been a complicated process. The
most common methods required a trained technician, expensive equipment or
uncomfortable procedures. As a result, it was not convenient for people to monitor
their body fat on a regular basis, nor in the privacy of their own home. |
 Step on It
Monitor your body fat regularly to chart your progress and as part of a routine
personal fitness program.
Recent guidelines issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirm successful
weight loss requires increasing physical activity and reducing calories. Changing your
balance of diet and exercise can help you achieve a healthier balance of fat and
muscle in your body.
Exercise contributes to weight loss, and is most helpful in prevention of weight gain.
It also can change overall body composition,
by reducing fat while building muscle. In addition, exercise increases cardiovascular
fitness.
Start an exercise program with
moderate activity, progressing to 30 minutes or more on most or preferably all days of
the week.
Exercise can be done in one
session, or in short periods throughout the day that add up to 30 minutes.
Choose physical activities you
enjoy and can do regularly. Consistency is important.
Walking is an excellent exercise because it is safe and accessible. Start at a
slow pace, gradually increasing how long, how fast, how hard, and how many times a
week you walk.
In addition to planned
exercise, increase everyday activities such as taking the stairs instead of the
elevator. It all adds up. |
 Step It Up
Make changes in diet and exercise to change the composition of your body, not just
your weight.
Most weight loss occurs by cutting calories in
the daily diet. According to the USDA, you should restrict your daily intake of fat to
no more than 30% of total calories consumed.
To lose weight, the NIH recommends 1-2 pounds per week as a safe and effective goal
based on an individually planned low-calorie diet. But the weight you lose will
consist of muscle, as well as fat, unless you exercise. With proper diet and regular
exercise you can lose the weight and increase your muscle mass. Monitoring body fat as
part of your program can tell you if your exercise and diet goals are in step by
showing how your proportion of muscle to fat improves.
Even if your weight appears to
remain the same from year to year, your body composition can change for the worse. The
good news is that you can catch any change with the regular use of a home body fat
monitor and make the necessary adjustments to your diet and exercise. Keep in mind
that reducing body fat takes longer than losing pounds. Losing fat and keeping it off
often requires permanent changes in eating and exercise habits. Monitoring body fat,
as well as weight, can be part of those long-term changes, and tracking body fat
percentage over time is the best way to measure any progress. |
