Weight Loss And A Healthier You

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The content of this book is provided as information only and should not be considered as medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Please consult a medical professional if you have any concerns about your health or medical condition. The author and publisher are not liable in any way for your health or weight loss from reading this book.

BOOK 1

? WEEKS - ONE STEP A WEEK TO WEIGHT LOSS AND A HEALTHIER YOU

Introduction

This is a step by step guide to improving your health and it can take as little as 2 months to get to the right body weight. By making one small change to your diet and exercise regime each week you can live a healthier life and have the energy to do whatever you want. We look at the most sensible way to reduce that body fat especially around the belly. If you remain focused and continue with a controlled diet and a moderate amount of exercise your efforts will be well rewarded. You will not only look a lot better you will feel healthier and more energetic.

Each chapter addresses one improvement and you can approach it in a flexible way. The steps can be undertaken in any order and for longer periods of time if it feels more comfortable. By understanding the various food categories discussed you will be able to make informed decisions of which food to avoid and which food is good for you. There are many different types of exercise routines that you can benefit from and the aim is to build a collection that will work on all parts of your body.

Before we start let’s see our starting point by measuring our body fat.

Assessing your body fat level

There are a number of established methods that you can use to measure your body fat and the easiest to use are:

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Waist measurement

Callipers to measure skin-fold

Waist to hip ratio

A simple method of assessing if you are overweight is to use the Body Mass Index calculation. The body mass index (BMI) is a good indication of determining if a person is overweight and a potential health risk. People with a BMI of 25 and over are considered to be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. The BMI estimates the body fat based on an individual’s weight and height. A BMI of 25 to 29 is moderately overweight and a BMI of 30 and over is considered obese. For children and people of over 60 the BMI number can be less accurate as the relationship between body mass to height changes. The BMI formula has been in use for over 150 years and still has a lot of support in the medical profession, although some research now question its accuracy and believe it tends to give a higher value than should be.

The BMI is equal to body weight (kg) divided by the square of the height (m). In the chart below the metric values have been converted to pounds and inches.

Adult Body Mass Index Chart

BMI

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

Height inch

Body Weight in pounds

58

91

96

100

105

110

115

119

124

129

134

138

143

148

153

158

162

167

172

177

59

94

99

104

109

114

119

124

128

133

138

143

148

153

158

163

168

173

178

183

60

97

102

107

112

118

123

128

133

138

143

148

153

158

163

168

174

179

184

189

61

100

106

111

116

122

127

132

137

143

148

153

158

164

169

174

180

185

190

195

62

104

109

115

120

126

131

136

142

147

153

158

164

169

175

180

186

191

196

202

63

107

113

118

124

130

135

141

146

152

158

163

169

175

180

186

191

197

203

208

64

110

116

122

128

134

140

145

151

157

163

169

174

180

186

192

197

204

209

215

65

114

120

126

132

138

144

150

156

162

168

174

180

186

192

198

204

210

216

222

66

118

124

130

136

142

148

155

161

167

173

179

186

192

198

204

210

216

223

229

67

121

127

134

140

146

153

159

166

172

178

185

191

198

204

211

217

223

230

236

68

125

131

138

144

151

158

164

171

177

184

190

197

203

210

216

223

230

236

243

69

128

135

142

149

155

162

169

176

182

189

196

203

209

216

223

230

236

243

250

70

132

139

146

153

160

167

174

181

188

195

202

209

216

222

229

236

243

250

257

71

136

143

150

157

165

172

179

186

193

200

208

215

222

229

236

243

250

257

265

72

140

147

154

162

169

177

184

191

199

206

213

221

228

235

242

250

258

265

272

73

144

151

159

166

174

182

189

197

204

212

219

227

235

242

250

257

265

272

280

74

148

155

163

171

179

186

194

202

210

218

225

233

241

249

256

264

272

280

287

75

152

160

168

176

184

192

200

208

216

224

232

240

248

256

264

272

279

287

295

76

156

164

172

180

189

197

205

213

221

230

238

246

254

263

271

279

287

295

304

Healthy Weight

Overweight

Obese

The simplest measurement to assess your fat level is by measuring the waist using a tape measure, as a general guide a man’s waist should be less than 40 inches and a woman’s less than 35 inches. Another method of assessing your body fat using a tape measure is to compare your waist measurement with your hip measurement. If you divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement the number can be compared to the waist / hip ratio table as shown.

Waist and hip measurement

File:Waist-hip ratio.png

photo by Mikael Häggström

Waist / Hip ratio Table

Excellent

Good

Average

High

Male

< 0.85

0.85 to 0.90

0.90 to 0.95

> 0.95

Female

< 0.75

0.75 to 0.80

0.80 to 0.85

> 0.85

A more direct method of assessing body fat is by measuring the skin-fold with its underlying layer of fat, make sure the muscle is not pinched. The process is used on different parts of the body, for example, the thigh, triceps and abdomen. There 3 to 10 different locations on the body that can be used to measure and for consistency always measure the right side of the body. A calliper is relatively inexpensive to buy and provides a fairly accurate measurement of body fat percentage. By first pinching the fat with the fingers of one hand and then with your other hand use the callipers to measuring the thickness of the folded skin.

Locations on the body to measure with the callipers are: Chest, Midaxillary, Bicep, Abdominal, Suprailiac, Thigh, Calf, Subscapular, Triceps and Lower back.

Body Fat Chart measured with Callipers

Classification

Women

Men

Essential Fat

10-12%

2-4%

Athletes

14-20%

6-13%

Fitness

21-24%

14-17%

Acceptable

25-31%

18-25%

Obese

32% plus

26% plus

1. EAT HEALTHIER FATS

Eating too much fat and the wrong type of fat is very easy to do. The ‘bad’ fats are called saturated fats and are found in red meat and dairy produce. The good fats are called unsaturated fats and the healthiest of these are the monounsaturated fats found in nuts, soybeans, olives, seeds and avocados.File:Avocado IMGP1105.jpg

avocados by: Nikodem Nijaki

After the age of 45, muscle is replaced by fat because women produce less estrogen and men produce less testosterone. These hormones influence the spread of fat round the body and their reduction causes more fat to be deposited around the abdomen as ‘belly fat’. An increase of only 10% in this belly fat can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes by 60%. On the positive side, when losing weight belly fat is removed before the fat under the skin because it is easier to breakdown.

Remember that oils and fat contain more than twice the calories of protein and carbohydrate so don’t eat too much and lean red meat contains 10% fat already even though you cannot see it.

Oily fish such as salmon are very good for you and contain omega-3 fats important in maintaining a healthy heart.

2. ADD MORE NUTRIENT RICH VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

File:CDC raspberry.jpg

Increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables that you eat. Both are bulky foods and make you feel full more quickly compared to the juices.

Raspberry photo US Gov.

Strongly colored fruit such as blueberries, raspberries and acai berries are packed with nutrients, which have many beneficial effects on the body. Blueberries contain a lot of potassium, which helps to reduce blood pressure and maintain a healthy urinary tract. Pomegranates are also loaded with vitamins and antioxidants,3 which can reduce the risk of heart disease. These small sized fruits are very convenient for sprinkling on cereal or mixed in salads. A cupful of mango will give you 100% of your daily Vitamin C and one third of your daily Vitamin A, fiber and potassium. Having a thick skin it is also one of the fruits least likely to absorb pesticide residues.

A vegetarian diet is regarded as very healthy and reduces the risks of the major health problems such as obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure, cancer of the colon, osteoporosis, diabetes and kidney disease.

3. EXERCISE MORE

Regular exercise burns calories and will reduce the amount of fat you carry. The best exercises are a mix of strength training and cardio. By exercising regularly it is possible to remove as much as 15% of your belly fat in quite a short time.

The exercise doesn’t have to be in a gym and any activity will qualify. Excellent exercises include walking 30 minutes each day, housework and gardening. The important thing is to increase your activity little by little. This increases your metabolic rate and for some time after you stop exercising and it will help boost your self-esteem. You will sleep better and find you have more energy, which will reduce stress and depression.

We all need to exercise in order to maintain our body’s fitness and enhancing our immune system, by exercising we strengthen our muscles and help control our weight. People who do regular exercises have a much better health condition and statistically have a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

With regular exercise our body reduces the level of LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein), which is the bad cholesterol and increases the level of HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein), which is the good cholesterol. The more we exercise the greater the improvement of our cholesterol levels regardless of weight loss. With regular exercise and a controlled diet you will reduce your weight and reduce the level of LDL cholesterol. File:Amanda Françozo At The Runner Sports-12.jpg

Picture by Sergio Savarese

All exercises can be classed as belonging to one of three groups:

Aerobic exercise such as: swimming, walking, running, cycling, kickboxing, dancing, cycling, rowing etc.

Anaerobic exercise such as: weight training, sprinting, high intensity interval training, etc.

Flexibility exercise such as: stretching programs to improve the range of movement, yoga etc.

Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises are also known as Cardio exercises they are repetitive, rigorous and involve a lot of muscle work. Aerobic exercises increases blood flow and oxygen to the heart and improves cardiovascular fitness, it strengthens the heart, lungs, tendons and ligaments. Repetitive and rigorous training will maintain leaner muscles and help you stay strong, it also causes your body to burn lots of calories. The minimum recommended amount of time you should spend is 30 minutes per day for 5 days a week, if you want to lose weight faster than you can increase the exercise time.

C:\Users\Rachael Ramotowski\Desktop\800px-US_Navy_060904-N-1328C-033_Equipment_Operator_2nd_Luis_Martinez_competes_in_Camp_Lemonier_Labor_Day_Strong_Man_Competition.jpg

U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric A. Clement

Anaerobic Exercises

As we get older the body produces less testosterone which is needed to maintain muscle build, by doing weight exercises we can help compensate for this reduction. Of course, age isn’t the only reason for a reduction in muscle mass, if you don’t use your muscles they will become weaker. By exercising your muscles you will maintain strength and build. Repetitive weight training will build lean muscle mass which will make you stronger and fitter. Strength training also helps increase the strength and density of bones which will help prevent osteoporosis. Strength training boots you metabolism due to leaner muscle mass which will make it easier to lose weight.

Flexibility Exercise

Flexibility exercises are good for stretching joints and muscles giving your body full range of movement. Stretching exercises are also recommended before and after a rigorous exercise session as they provide a worm up and a cooling down.

The aim is to work on all parts of your body from your head to your toes. Stretch until you feel resistance and hold that position for several seconds, do not over stretch where you start to experience pain. Start by rotating your head and stretching you neck muscles, up and down and left and right. Followed by stretching your arms across your chest and over your head. Then work on the torso leaning left and right and back and forth, followed by the groin, hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, calf and achilles tendon. The diagram below shows the main types of flexibility exercises:

4. DRINK MORE LIQUIDS

File:Icelandic Glacial bottle.jpg

Any liquid is suitable and it doesn’t have to be water. However it makes sense to choose zero calorie liquids which don’t contribute to your daily energy intake and there is a great variety available to suit all tastes.

Try drinking a glass of water before a meal so that you feel full more quickly. Add a little squeezed lime or lemon juice to flavor.

Picture by Icelandic Glacial

Water helps to remove toxins from the body through the kidneys and is beneficial to the skin. If you are dehydrated your liver switches from burning fat and helps the kidneys to remove the harmful toxins.

Green tea and white tea have a lot of health benefits. They increase your metabolic rate, so increasing the rate at which weight is lost. They contain a group of chemicals called polyphenols5 which, are involved in fat digestion and caffeine which encourages the body to use fat as a source of energy. They do this by stimulating a process called thermogenesis* in which the body produces more heat by breaking down stored food.

5. CHOOSE PROTEINS CAREFULLY

File:Brisket.png

For a healthy diet it is wise to avoid red meats. Red meat is associated with an increased risk of Type ll diabetes (The Harvard School of Public health Aug 2011). The saturated fat4 in red meat is linked to many other health problems such as an increased risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis,5 colon cancer, rheumatoid arthritis6 and endometriosis7.

Brisket by LeonardoG

Choose white meats such as chicken or fish instead.

File:Kycklingfilé.jpg

Raw chicken fillet by Dnor

6. WATCH THOSE CARBOHYDRATES

If you want to know how to lose belly fat then understanding cholesterol is key

Cholesterol belongs to the group of fats and oils called lipids. A fat is solid at room temperature and oils are liquid.  Cholesterol is essential in the body and is found in every cell membrane. It is also involved in the formation of hormones and bile salts and in carrying fats around the body in the blood.

Cholesterol is made in the liver, mainly from saturated fats or is absorbed directly from the small intestine from cholesterol rich foods such as dairy products and eggs. However, the cholesterol present in food has a relatively small effect on the level of cholesterol in the blood. Linoleic acid can lower blood cholesterol and can prevent clots forming.

A small amount of fat, about 2% is needed to supply the essential fatty acids that the body cannot make. However, we tend to eat a lot more than we need. Indeed if you are on low carb diet such as The Atkins Diet then your fat intake will be higher.

Cholesterol is transported around the body as a lipoprotein which is made from cholesterol, fat and phospholipids together with a carrier protein. There are two types of lipoprotein:  low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL’s are regarded as a ‘bad‘ form of cholesterol and are  linked to CHD  (coronary heart disease) because they carry 70% of the blood cholesterol.  If there is too high a level they can narrow arteries by forming plaques. The balance between LDL’s and HDL’s is important. HDL’s are regarded as the ‘good’ form and carry cholesterol from places where there is too much to the liver where it is removed.

There has been a lot of concern about the link between a high fat intake and cardiovascular diseases such as CHD and strokes. CHD is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle with food and oxygen.

 This can cause angina (chest pain). They can become narrower due to a build up of fatty deposits of plaque called atherosclerosis.  If they break up a clot may develop (coronary thrombosis) then a heart attack may occur.  In the brain this may result in a stroke. It has been shown that there is an increased risk of death from CHD if a person has a high level of cholesterol in the blood.

The concentration of cholesterol in the blood should be 5.2mmol/L or less. If higher, then further tests can be taken to measure the relative amounts of HDL’s and LDL’s. Most people with high levels of total cholesterol rarely need drug treatment and can reduce it by eating a low fat and a high fibre diet and by keeping their weight under control. The following foods can  be eaten to help reduce cholesterol.

Lower rates of CHD are found in European people eating a ‘Mediterranean diet’. The food tends to be low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats mainly from olive oil. They also eat lots of fruit and vegetables. In America the borderline cholesterol concentration in the blood is 200 mg/dL and above 240 mg/dL is linked to health problems. The most recent research suggests that nearly 38 million have this higher level and women over the age of 45 have higher cholesterol levels than men. Less than 100 mg/dL is considered good and Asians tend to have a level under 95 mg/dl because their diet is low in fat.  People over the age of 20 years are recommended to have their blood cholesterol levels checked every 5 years.

Statins are drugs which reduce cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of cholesterol made in the liver. They work by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for producing cholesterol called HMG-CoA reductase. They are used for preventing and treating atherosclerosis to reduce heart attacks, angina and strokes. As well as high cholesterol, other risk factors include increasing age and a family history of heart attacks especially at a younger age.

A new class of drug is currently being developed which treats both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and could be more effective than statins. This new drug affects cholesterol ester transfer proteins (CETPs) and so raises the level of HDL’s which are the ‘good’ form of cholesterol. Torcetrapib is currently under trial and two more drugs called dalcetrapib and anacetrapib are being developed. When given with statins the drug dalcetrapib increases the level of HDL’s by 67%. No difference was observed when given statins alone and so this new class of drugs could have a marked effect on reducing heart disease and by stabilizing blood sugar levels reduce diabetes 2. Patients given both drugs had blood sugar levels 7% lower than when statins were used alone and resistance to insulin also improved.

7. REMOVE PROCESSED FOOD

Processed food usually contains a lot of calories plus a variety of additives and preservatives to extend shelf life. Junk food in particular contains far too much fat, salt and sugar. Also the fat tends to be the wrong type and many processed foods contain trans fats2. Trans fats may be labeled under different names such as hydrogenated, partial dehydrogenated and liquid shortening and should be avoided.File:Crown and Greyhound, Dulwich Village, London (4752550941).jpg

Picture by Ewan Munro

Highly refined foods made with white flour and white sugar digest easily and quickly raise the blood sugar level. Your body removes the sugar from the blood by changing it into fat.

8. EAT MORE FIBRE

Current research indicates that wholegrain which is high in fiber can help you lose weight especially around the waist.

Vegetables are naturally high in fiber and are bulky with proportionately less calories. Fresh vegetables are always healthier for you than cooked and canned because some vitamins are destroyed by heat such as the B vitamins. Vegetables particularly high in nutrients include sweet potatoes, broccoli, and beans, especially garbanzo beans. Leafy green are also high in vitamins and minerals.

A tasty way to eat fresh vegetables is to chop them into crudités and dunk them into low calorie dips. This also makes a healthier snack when hungry and is quick to prepare and much better than a packet of crisps/chips for example.File:NCI EatBeansAndOtherLegumesOften.jpg

Chick, peas, green, beans, legumes, garbanzo, beans, chickpeas

Source: National Cancer Institute Photo by: Bill Branson

9. EAT SMALLER MEALS MORE OFTEN

It is better to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day rather than the standard 3 larger ones because they will maintain a higher metabolic rate1 for a longer period of time. If you stop eating for long periods then your body goes into ‘starvation mode’ and your metabolic rate will slow down and weight loss then becomes slower.

Try to eat slowly by chewing food more. This allows the body time to signal when you are full and will reduce the amount you eat. Smaller portions are also beneficial and many celebrities achieve this by using a smaller plate size so that it looks more full.

10. CHECK FOOD LABELS

Also take are with low fat products because quite often they are loaded sugar, especially yoghurts.

File:US Nutritional Fact Label 2.svg

Nutritional Fact Label by Trounce

SUMMARY

Remove the 6 ‘C’s from your diet which are chips, crisps, cookies, cola, candy and cake.

GLOSSARY

1.Metabolic rate

2.Trans fats

3.Antioxidants

4 Saturated fat

5. Polyphenols

6. Endometriosis

C:\Users\Rachael Ramotowski\Desktop\Fitness_Model_Britt_2007.JPG

Picture by Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com

Belly Fat Diet

10 steps to improve your body and health

File:Waist-hip ratio.png

R

File:Fruit and vegetables basket.jpg

Source:http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=2451