Calculating BMI

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, which is an assessment of your weight relative to your height. The equation is:
weight in kg / (height in m x height in m)

The BMI Calculator will do the math for you. And don't worry if you measure yourself in pounds, feet or centimeters, or even stones, we'll convert the numbers to fit the equation.

The results of the BMI calculation are categorized as follows:

BMI Category
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5-24.9 Normal Weight
25-29.9 Overweight
30-39.9 Obese
40 and above Morbidly Obese

You will be able to estimate a healthy weight for your height in our next topic,Calculating Ideal Weight.

Notes on Accuracy
The BMI equation is extremely popular, yet it can be extremely inaccurate and misleading.

The equation does not take into account body composition, a measure of the percentages of muscle and fat composing your body. It is therefore less accurate if you have a non-typical amount of muscle.

This is because while a person with an above average amount of muscle is likely to be healthier because of it, the equation simply interprets the added muscle as fat and overestimates obesity. The problem is compounded by the fact that muscle weighs more than fat.

Conversely, with older persons and others with a below average amount of muscle, the BMI equation underestimates obesity.

Because of this discrepancy, if you are gaining (or losing) a significant amount of muscle with your weight loss program, checking how your clothes fit might be a better way to monitor your progress than recalculating your BMI.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

The Three Macronutrients

The energy or calories in the food we eat comes from three macronutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Macro means large, and these nutrients are needed in large quantities to sustain our growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions.

Our bodies require other nutrients, too, including vitamins and minerals. However, these nutrients are required in smaller quantities and are therefore called micronutrients. While critical to our health, micronutrients do not provide us with energy or calories.

Protein
Protein is the main component of our organs, muscles, all our living cells, and almost all our body fluids. Proteins are chains of amino acids linked together in complex formations.

There are 20 different amino acids, and all of them must be present in order for our bodies to build, maintain, and repair themselves. Nine of the 20 amino acids are considered essential because they cannot be manufactured by your body; they must come from food sources.

Proteins that contain all 20 amino acids are called complete proteins, and they are found in animal sources: meat (poultry, fish and other meats) and dairy (eggs and milk products). Proteins that come from plant sources are considered incomplete because they do not contain all 20 amino acids, though you can combine different plant sources to obtain all of them.

It is a common misconception that you must eat animal products in order to supply your body with adequate protein. In fact, if you compare meat and dairy to dark green vegetables, soybeans, and other plant sources, you will find that the plant foods often contain more protein -- based on an equal number of calories -- than their animal counterparts.

And speaking of animal counterparts, gorillas become huge and muscular without eating meat or dairy.

Fat
While consumption of unhealthy fats should be kept to a minimum, fat, like protein, is necessary to maintain a healthy body. It is a vital component for building body tissue and cells, and it aids in the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. And just as there are essential amino acids, there are essential fatty acids which must come from food sources.

Many people eat too much of the bad fats, but also eat too little of the good fats required for optimal health. In our topic on fats we discuss saturated fats, unsaturated fats (monosaturated and polysaturated), trans fats, the essential fatty acids (primarily omega-3 and omega-6), and cholesterol.

It's not just the fat we eat that can become fat on our bodies. Any macronutrient not immediately needed by our bodies is stored in our energy reserve of body fat. When needed, it can be broken down and used for energy. Though all too often it is just left to sit there.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are chains of small, simple sugars, and are the body's main source of fuel. They are broken down and enter the bloodstream as glucose. Excess glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and, in limited quantities, the muscles.

• Simple carbohydrates are small molecules. Because of their size, they can be metabolized quickly and therefore provide the quickest source of energy. They include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar).
• Complex carbohydrates are larger molecules. Because they are larger, it takes longer for your body to metabolize them to provide energy. They include starch, glycogen, and cellulose, and are found in vegetables and unrefined whole grains. Complex carbohydrates are also excellent sources of fiber.
• Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that our bodies cannot digest. It is not only important for health, but is a significant factor in weight loss.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

Calories in Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates


Macronutrient Calories Kilojoules
Protein 4 16.7
Fat 9 37.7
Carbohydrate 4 16.7

Yes, each gram of fat you consume provides more than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate!

As an example of how these numbers are used, imagine a food containing 10 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat, and 10 grams of carbohydrates. That would total 170 calories:
(10 g protein x 4) + (10 g fat x 9) + (10 g carbs x 4) = 170
In this imaginary food 40 calories come from protein, 90 calories come from fat, and 40 calories come from carbohydrates.

Technical Notes

The Numbers Don't Always Add Up
If you check a food label you may find that the total number of calories listed doesn't match the number you arrive at using the 4-9-4 method described above. The reason for the discrepancy may be that the figure for carbohydrates includes insoluble fiber, and the food manufacturer has accounted for this in their figure for calories.

Insoluble fiber passes through your body without being converted to a form that provides energy, or calories. Knowing this, the manufacturer may subtract the caloric value of the insoluble fiber (4 calories per gram) from the total calories figure. When they do this, the 4-9-4 method will give you a higher figure for total calories than the one you find on the food label.

You might think that you could subtract the figure for fiber from the figure for carbohydrates to correct the discrepancy. But the figure for fiber will likely include both soluble and insoluble fiber, and you'd only want to subtract the insoluble fiber. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing how much of the fiber is soluble, and how much is insoluble.

Calories in Alcohol
You will also find that the numbers do not add up when you are looking at the caloric value of liquor. This is because the total calories for liquor include the calories in the alcohol, and this is not addressed by the 4-9-4 equation.
A gram of alcohol provides 7 calories.
Our next topic discusses the proportions of the three macronutrients necessary for a healthy diet.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

Macronutrient Ratios

Now that you know calories come from protein, fat and carbohydrates, and how many calories each of these macronutrients provides, you will want to know how much each macronutrient should contribute to your diet. The answer is commonly expressed in percentages and referred to as micronutrient ratios, or simply nutrient ratios.

Example: 30% protein, 15% fat, 55% carbohydrates

In order to obtain optimal health, and the slim body that comes with it, you need to eat healthy foods. But it's not enough to simply eat healthy foods; the foods must provide a healthy balance of all three macronutrients.

There is no one set of numbers that is best for everyone, and the percentages that are best for you can change with your circumstances. At different times your goal might be to lose body fat, gain muscle, or both.

Examples of Ratios
The USDA Food Guide recommendations, based on a diet of 2000 calories per day, include 91 grams of protein, 65 grams of fat, and 271 grams of carbohydrates. This equates to 18% of calories from protein, 29% from fat, and 53% from carbohydrates.

While one of the goals of the Food Guide is to reduce consumption of fat, many would consider 29% too high for optimal health. But perhaps it's a good compromise for the average American who might not be willing to reduce fat consumption further.
USDA: 18% protein, 29% fat, 53% carbohydrates

In his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, author Tom Venuto recommends a baseline diet of 30% protein, 15-20% fat, and 50-55% carbohydrates. These percentages are referred to as "baseline" because they are only meant to be a starting point.

The book instructs you in how to modify the baseline percentages based on your body type and goals. And how, after measuring your initial results, to further refine them to meet the requirements of your particular body.
Burn the Fat: 30% protein, 15-20% fat, 50-55% carbohydrates

The percentage for protein is higher than the USDA recommendation because Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is based on the concept of eating properly and exercising to ensure that you do not lose muscle while losing fat. Losing muscle causes your metabolism to slow and weight loss to stop.

You will find that most diet plans recommend specific proportions of the three macronutrients. Keep in mind that any diet plan proposing extremely low proportions of any of the three macronutrients may be designed for quick weight loss and have little chance of long term success. People often find that they tire of eating in such extremes and quit, rendering their diet a failure.

Converting the Percentages to Grams
Once you have determined the macronutrient ratios you will be using, it's easy to calculate how many grams of each macronutrient you should be eating. But first you have to calculate the total number of calories you will eat in a day as described in Calculating Daily Calorie Needs.

• daily calories x percent protein / 4 calories per gram = grams protein
• daily calories x percent fat / 9 calories per gram = grams fat
• daily calories x percent carbs / 4 calories per gram = grams carbs

For example, if your daily calorie needs are 2000 calories and you choose proportions of 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbohydrates:

• 2000 x .30 / 4 = 150 grams protein
• 2000 x .20 / 9 = 44 grams fat
• 2000 x .50 / 4 = 250 grams carbs

This tells you how many grams of each macronutrient you should be eating to achieve the ratios you have chosen. Another way of looking at it is to calculate the ratios of what you are eating, and then make adjustments accordingly.

Calculating the Ratios of the Foods You Eat
Butter and oils contain only fat, and sugar and honey contain only carbohydrates. But foods comprised of a single macronutrient like these are the exception. Most foods consist of a combination of two or all three of the macronutrients.
To see the proportions of a food you eat, simply calculate the food with the Food Calculator. If a food doesn't appear in any of the food lists, you can enter the grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates with the Add Foods feature and then calculate it.
To see the proportions of a combination of different foods, calculate each of the foods and let the results accumulate. The results will indicate the percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrates for the total of the foods you calculate.
The formula used by the calculator is quite simple, and you can do the math by hand if you prefer:

• (grams protein x 4) + (grams fat x 9) + (grams carbs x 4) = total calories
• (grams protein x 4) / total calories = percentage of calories from protein
• (grams fat x 9) / total calories = percentage of calories from fat
• (grams carbs x 4) / total calories = percentage of calories from carbs

Source: caloriesperhour.com

The Thermic Effect of Food

The term "thermic effect of food" is used to describe the energy expended by our bodies in order to eat (bite, chew and swallow) and process (digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. We "expend energy" by burning calories.

Processing protein requires the greatest amount of energy, with estimates ranging as high as 30%. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is so easily processed and turned into body fat that there is little thermic effect, perhaps only 2 or 3%. The amount of energy required to process carbohydrates falls between that of protein and fat.

What Do I Do with This Information?
As you can see, all calories are not equal. If you eat an equal number of calories of protein, fat and carbohydrates, the calories in the fat are more likely to end up on your waist as fewer of them are burned off by the thermic effect.

And as you learned in Calories in Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates, a gram of fat contains more than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate. So a gram of fat not only gives you more calories, but a smaller percentage of them will be burned off by the thermic effect. A double whammy.

A figure of 10% is generally used to account for the thermic effect of food. This means that if you want to replace 500 calories burned through activity, you need to eat 10% more, or 550 calories. And if you eat 500 calories, 10% of them will be burned off by the thermic effect, leaving only 450.

However, most people are either unaware of the thermic effect of food or choose to ignore it, making weight loss seem just a little easier.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

Why Healthy Food Makes You Slim

People who eat healthy, mostly unprocessed foods, including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas), and limited amounts of lean animal protein (reduced-fat dairy, fish, chicken, and lean cuts of other meats), often find that they can eat as much as they want without gaining weight. If they are switching from a diet containing lots of processed foods, they find that they can eat more yet consume fewer calories -- and they lose weight.

Because natural fruits, vegetables and whole grains are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, they are absorbed slowly and satisfy our feelings of hunger. Heavily processed foods, on the other hand, are not only low in nutritional value, but they don't make us feel satisfied so we eat more of them. They are made from refined ingredients that are so tasteless they require large amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and high-priced advertising to make them attractive.

Perhaps our biggest nutritional mistake has been turning away from foods in their natural state. We have replaced them with processed foods that have been modified to last longer, be easier to manufacture and distribute, and be more convenient to store and use.

Take apple juice as an example. Even the simple act of removing the pulp to make apple juice detracts from its value for both health and weight loss. A medium size apple contains just 72 calories, and over 3 grams of fiber, while 8 fl oz of apple juice contains 120 calories and no fiber at all. And we're just talking about pure, "healthy" apple juice.

• Natural foods are nutritious and contain much of what is good for us, including vitamins and minerals, fiber, the cancer-fighting antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, and the sustained energy provided by whole grains and complex carbohydrates. They reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
  Because of their nutrient and fiber content, natural foods are healthy for us and help keep us slim.
• Heavily processed foods are substantially less nutritious and contain much of what is not good for us, including sodium, preservatives, sugars, saturated fats and trans fats. The most nutritious part of whole grains is the outer cover, the part that is removed to make white flour and white rice. Because of their lack of nutrient and fiber content, and all their additives, heavily processed foods can be unhealthy for us and help us gain weight.

Eat healthy, natural foods with a high ratio of nutrients to calories and you will not be fat and you will not go hungry. You will be healthier, too.
Learning to eat well and exercise is the only solution to long term weight loss.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

How Fiber Helps You Lose Weight

Fiber is the part of plant-based foods that our bodies can't digest. It passes through our digestive tract without providing nutrition or calories, and yet it is very healthy for us.

Fiber helps to keep our bowel movements regular and ward off certain diseases. Carcinogens in our intestines bind to it and move through our colon more quickly than they otherwise would, reducing our risk for colon cancer. Fiber also helps transport cholesterol out of our body, reducing our risk for heart disease.

Populations that eat greater amounts of fiber-rich foods are generally healthier. While all of the reasons for this are not known, it may be because the fiber-rich foods themselves are healthier. Perhaps fiber's greatest value, however, is in helping to keep us slim.

Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Due to its greater fiber content, a single serving of whole grain bread can be more filling than two servings of white bread. Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed.

Meat and dairy products contain no fiber, and refined grains have had most of their fiber removed. To increase your intake of fiber, eat more whole and natural foods, and fewer processed foods. Some good examples of fiber-rich foods include:

• Legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas)
• Other vegetables
• Fruits
• Brown rice
• Whole grains (wheat, oats, barley)

Products labeled "whole grain" are made with the complete grain kernel, whether the grain remains intact as in oatmeal or it is ground to make bread, pasta or cereal. Cracked wheat is also made from the complete kernel, but don't be mislead by wording like "100% wheat" or "multi-grain."

Don't be misled by color, either. Most wheat bread is almost identical to white bread except that caramel coloring has been added to make it look more natural.

Refined grains like white rice and those used to make white bread and sugary breakfast cereals have had most of their fiber and nutrients stripped away. They turn into blood sugar (glucose) so fast that, like sugar itself, they can cause a spike in our insulin level. This tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

However, the greater concern with the insulin spike is not that it tells our body to start storing fat. Whatever we eat and don't burn up eventually gets turned into fat anyway.

The greater concern is that the insulin spike is followed by a drop in insulin level that leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more. The unfortunate result of this scenario is that it makes us want to eat something else with a high sugar content. When we do, we start the cycle all over again. Eating foods with plenty of fiber will help keep our blood sugar at a more consistent level.

Adding more fiber to your diet will likely help you lose weight and improve your health, but do it gradually. Rapid increases in consumption of fiber may result in gas or diarrhea.

And be sure to drink plenty of fluids when adding fiber to your diet. While fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.

Source: caloriesperhour.com

How Blood Sugar Levels Affect Weight Loss


When we eat, our body converts digestible carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose), our main source of energy. Our blood sugar level can affect how hungry and how energetic we feel, both important factors when we are watching how we eat and exercise. It also determines whether we burn fat or store it.

Our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin that transports blood sugar into our body's cells where it is used for energy. When we eat refined grains that have had most of their fiber stripped away, sugar, or other carbohydrate-rich foods that are quickly processed into blood sugar, the pancreas goes into overtime to produce the insulin necessary for all this blood sugar to be used for energy. This insulin surge tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

However, the greater concern with the insulin surge is not that it tells our body to start storing fat. Whatever we eat and don't burn up eventually gets turned into fat anyway.

The greater concern is that the insulin surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of our blood and this results in our blood sugar and insulin levels dropping below normal. This leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more. The unfortunate result of this scenario is that it makes us want to eat something else with a high sugar content. When we do, we start the cycle all over again.
What to Watch For

• Simple Carbohydrates: Because of their small molecular size, simple carbohydrates can be metabolized quickly and are therefore most likely to cause an insulin surge.
  Simple carbohydrates include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar). Watch for the "-ose" ending.
• Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods: Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups.
• Sugar in Beverages: Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and most such drinks aren't filling.
• Fat-Free Products: Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. And as if that's not bad enough, without any fat to slow it down the sugar is absorbed into your blood faster.
• Cereal Box Claims of Less Sugar: Many newer cereals do contain less sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. The manufacturers have simply replaced sugar with other refined, simple carbohydrates.
• No Sugar Added: It doesn't mean that the product doesn't naturally contain a lot of sugar. 100% fruit products often contain concentrated fruit juice, still another form of fructose or sugar. Table sugar (sucrose) is often said to provide "empty calories" because it has no nutritional value other than providing fuel for energy. Honey and other more natural sugars, on the other hand, are often considered to be healthier because of the trace vitamins and minerals they provide. Still, for weight loss purposes, all of these sweeteners can simply be treated as sugar.

What You Can Do

• It is also important to understand what happens when you skip a meal or go on a crash diet. When you skip a meal your metabolism slows to conserve your energy. And when you lose weight too quickly for a few days, your body thinks it is threatened with starvation and goes into survival mode. It fights to conserve your fat stores, and any weight loss comes mostly from water and muscle.
  
  Regulating your blood sugar level is the most effective way to maintain your fat-burning capacity. Never skip a meal, especially breakfast, and eat healthy snacks between meals. Eating frequently prevents hunger pangs and the binges that follow, provides consistent energy, and may be the single most effective way to maintain metabolism efficiency.
  
  When you will be away from home or work, plan your snacks and take them along so that you will be able to eat regularly and won't be tempted by junk food. This may be good advice for people who stay at home, too.
  
  But remember that it was probably snacking between meals that caused you to become overweight in the first place. It will be very important that any snacks are healthy; that they are pre-portioned so you won't be tempted to overeat; and that meal sizes are reduced to compensate for the additional calories the snacks provide.
  
  High fiber snacks and meals also help to regulate your blood sugar level. The fiber slows down glucose absorption and your rate of digestion, keeping your blood sugar level more consistent and warding off feelings of hunger. This makes eating apples and oranges a better choice than drinking (pulp free) apple and orange juice.
  
  A Note about Diabetes
  Some people either produce too little insulin or their body doesn't respond to it properly. This creates too high a level of blood sugar in their blood which leads to diabetes. For further information please visit the American Diabetes Association website.
  
  Source: caloriesperhour.com

How Salt Affects Your Weight

Salt does not cause your body to gain or lose fat. In fact, salt has no calories. High consumption of salt only results in temporary weight gain as it causes your body to retain water. Conversely, low consumption of salt can result in temporary weight loss as it causes your body to expel water.
It is interesting to note that many crash diets which boast quick weight loss rely on foods with little or no salt content. The weight loss is mostly water, and as soon as you eat foods containing salt again you regain the weight.

A Word of Caution
Our opening paragraphs would lead you to believe that salt is of little concern in regards to long term weight loss. In fact, a diet high in salt content can not only affect your blood pressure (see below), but is typically associated with weight gain.

The reason is that high levels of salt in our diets usually come from calorie dense, fiber poor, processed foods, like those found in fast food and restaurant meals, as well as on supermarket shelves. If you adhere to a low salt diet, it will likely consist of the lower calorie, healthier foods associated with weight loss.

Salt versus Sodium
We add table salt (sodium chloride) during cooking and at the dinner table to enhance the flavor of our food. Manufactures add it, often in great quantities, to return flavor to processed foods and help preserve them. But when we look at nutrition content, we look at sodium.

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, salt and sodium are not the same thing. Sodium, which is found naturally in most foods, accounts for approximately 40% of table salt. Therefore when salt is added to food, the sodium content increases by approximately 40% of the amount of salt added.

Why Salt Causes Water Retention
Our bodies rely on electrolytes, most significantly sodium and potassium, to carry the electrical impulses that control our bodily functions. In order for our bodies to function properly, it is important that the concentration of electrolytes in our bodies remain constant.

A high concentration of electrolytes in our blood triggers our thirst mechanism, causing us to consume adequate amounts of water to return to the proper concentration of electrolytes. This is one of the reasons bars provide free salty snacks like pretzels and peanuts. The salt causes us to become thirsty and purchase more drinks.

When we consume an adequate amount of water, our kidneys are able to keep the concentration of electrolytes in our blood constant by increasing or decreasing the amount of water we retain. The result of our retaining more or less water in our bloodstream can also affect our blood pressure.

The water moves beyond our bloodstream, too. Through the process of osmosis, water flows from a lower salinity environment to a higher one in an attempt to balance the levels of salinity. After we consume large amounts of salt, it is the water moving from our bloodstream into our skin that gives us that "puffy" look and makes it hard to get our rings off. Then, when we consume lesser amounts of salt, the same process works in reverse to remove the excess water from our bodies.

Salt and High Blood Pressure
Some people are "salt sensitive," which means that consumption of salt can increase their blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is an important risk factor for both heart attack and stroke.
For information on high blood pressure, including methods of lowering it and recommended levels of sodium consumption, please visit the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association websites.

Source:caloriesperhour.com

Why Exercise Is Important for Weight Loss

Just as a car runs on gasoline, our bodies run on the blood sugar (glucose) circulating in our bloodstream. When we exercise enough to deplete the supply of blood sugar, hormones are released that instruct our fat cells to release fat into our bloodstream. The fat circulates to the muscles that need it for fuel, and we end up with less fat on our bodies.

The Right Reason to Exercise
Exercise plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body, and it makes it possible to create a calorie deficit and lose weight without starving your body and slowing your metabolism. But do not look to exercise as your sole method of weight loss.

Think how many times you've heard someone say, "I'll have dessert and work it off later." As our calculators will show you, that dessert can equate to hours of exercise -- something you're not likely to actually do. Better to eat well in the first place.

Eat healthy foods in reasonable quantities and exercise regularly to maintain good health, and your body will find a healthy weight naturally.

Categories of Exercise
Exercise is frequently divided into two categories, both of which burn calories:

1. Aerobic exercise, also called cardiovascular exercise or simply "cardio," causes you to breathe harder and increases your heart rate.
   Performed on a regular basis, activities such as running and swimming improve both your respiratory capacity (lungs) and your circulatory system (heart and blood vessels).
2. Strength building, also called resistance training, increases the proportion of muscle on your body. Examples include weight lifting with free weights and using a machine with variable resistance. Because muscle is a metabolically active tissue, the more muscular you are the higher your metabolism will be. This means that you will burn more calories even at rest.

Exercise Regularly
People who exercise on a regular basis not only lose weight more effectively, they are more successful at keeping it off.

The significance of regular exercise goes beyond the physical benefits. It produces a mental attitude of self-care and self-esteem that bolsters confidence and the desire to continue to improve.

The health benefits of regular exercise are significant and include reduced risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and diabetes. Even just walking on a regular basis is of great value. Exercise also helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, which can be brought on by dieting itself, and can lead to overeating.

As explained in What It Takes to Lose It All, dieting often causes you to lose muscle and your metabolism to slow. Not only does exercise burn calories, but exercise -- especially cardio -- causes your metabolism to remain elevated for a period of time after you finish exercising. And strength building exercise builds muscle, which helps to keep your metabolism elevated 24 hours a day.

Getting Started -- Slowly
Have you ever seen an obese person "busting a gut" on their first day at the gym or track? And maybe you saw them a second day, but not a third? Or maybe something similar has happened to you? Take baby steps. Maybe just walking at first. With time you will build your strength, endurance, and confidence.

You can challenge your body to improve by exercising just outside your "comfort zone." Then, when what you're doing is no longer a challenge, you can do a little more or do it a little harder, faster or longer. But forget about the old saying, "No Pain, No Gain." If you hurt, you won't get off the couch!
When you work your muscles, you may feel a little soreness the next day.

This is called "delayed-onset muscle soreness" and it is especially common when you first begin exercising. Stressing your muscles causes microscopic tears to their fibers, and this causes the soreness. The good news is that as your muscles heal they become stronger.

If you experience any other type of pain, stop or see a doctor. Our bodies do a wonderful job of telling us when we are abusing them. The problem is, exercise can be so addicting that we sometimes don't want to stop and listen.

It's Natural
The human body was designed to be active, and the modern conveniences that make life so easy work to our detriment. If you have a desk job, fight back! Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a walk during your lunch break, and walk the last few blocks to work.

Calculate how many calories you would burn if you went for a half-hour walk a few days a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks a year and you'll be surprised at how it adds up. It can make a significant difference in your weight management and, perhaps even more important, your mental attitude and health.

Source: caloriesperhour.com