Monday, June 6, 2011

Go from Guilty Pleasures to Healthy Pleasures - part 1

It is summer in North America and most all of us want to shave a few pounds to fit into that teenie weenie bikini (or look svelte in those trunks), right?  But most don't want to give up all the foods they love to get there.  In just a couple steps - and with some better understanding of calories - we can get you there...

Proper weight - depends on a variety of factors - how tall you are, male/female, and how big your frame is are the two primary factors, but other things also play a part - including where you live, how old you are, and your physical health.  So, most of the charts you will find online are for people in good health between the ages of 25 - 30.  Here is the best one I could find:

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm

Where you live plays a part for the extremes - near the equator vs near the poles - I think you can deduce the difference.  Your age also plays a part - as you age, your body slows down, that includes your metabolism UNLESS you remain very active.  In addition, your weight typically will go up after menopause (both men and women) between 5 - 10 pounds due to the drop in hormones.  Physical health also plays a part - if your body is not healthy / weak / diseased - your weight will be different than others with the same physical characteristics.  I stress that you should be healthy when starting a course of weight loss - as the fat is broken down toxins typically are released into the body which will weaken your immune system until they have been flushed from the body.  You need to ensure you are adding additional water to your daily regimen to compensate.

Calories and Fat.  The same basic rules apply to calories as to your weight.  There are many different factors that all play a part.  Most all of us have found that it is MUCH easier to gain a pound than to lose it.  Why?  So, for my ideal weight I should maintain a diet of about 1550 calories a day (in my current state of inactivity).  To LOSE one pound I have to remove 3500 calories from somewhere.  OUCH!  Obviously the best way to do that is to increase your activity - find 30 minutes 3 - 5 days a week and burn those excessive calories. 

Here is a good calculator - make sure to put in your ideal weight and your current level of activity (or inactivity) to see what your should be maintaining for calories.  http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Come back tomorrow for the tasty stuff... changing those guilty pleasures into healthy pleasures... Blessings.  E

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