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Archive for the ‘Your Health’ Category

In America today many people have become overweight or obese for many reasons. Most Americans today no longer turn to a BMI chart to see if they are overweight, they turn to it to discover just how much overweight they have become.  Many of those American refer to what is called a BMI chart

to see how overweight they are and how much weight they need to lose.  The information a BMI chart provides is the very same information used to sell a person life insurance.The information that comes from a person plugging in their personal information will yield how long a person can be expected to live and what health issues statistically pop up when they are overweight.  We are very blunt here at I Choose Thin so let’s cut to the nitty gritty.  If you are overweight then there is statistical evidence that describes how short your life will be cut short because of how much you are overweight.  The BMI chart will be able to tell you if you are normal, overweight, obese or morbidly obese.  The term morbidly obese refers to the fact that your death can occur much sooner than if you were not overweight.  If you are morbidly obese then it is suggested you either lose weight or get your affairs in order so the children and/or spouse will not have to deal with all the issues that crop up upon a premature, but statically expected death.  Since insurance companies put their money in the information a BMI chart provides, you too should put some attention to your BMI chart information.  Below is an explanation of what a BMI chart is and how it works.  Below is an actual BMI chart that adheres to government standards in the United States of America.

The way a BMI chart works is really very simple.  It takes two pieces of your information and combines them to yield a result.  Two simple measures, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, provide useful estimates of overweight, obesity, and body fat distribution.

Health care providers also use BMI and waist circumference measures to assess a person’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or other health problems. This fact sheet tells you how to measure your BMI and waist circumference, and what these measures mean for your health.

BMI measures your weight in relation to your height, and it is closely associated with measures of body fat. You can calculate your BMI using this formula.

For example, for someone who is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, the calculation would look like this:

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be in the healthy range. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

You can also find your weight group on the chart below. The chart applies to all adults. The higher weights in the healthy range apply to people with more muscle and bone, such as men. Even within the healthy range, weight gain could increase your risk for health problems.

Because BMI does not show the difference between fat and muscle, it does not always accurately predict when weight could lead to health problems. For example, someone with a lot of muscle (such as a body builder) may have a BMI in the overweight or obese range, but still be healthy and have little risk of developing diabetes or having a heart attack.

For the first time in my life I have lost weight. I had been trying to lose weight for years and had tried every diet under the sun. I tried Atkins, which was great till I ate a bowl of cereal.  I tried so many different diets that I sort of went through a sort of numb period.  I sort of gave up and my weight hit a whopping 297 pounds and that is when something had to give.  I grew tired of hiding behind all of my clothes and despite the fact my husband said I looked fine, I did not feel fine.  When I almost hit 300 pounds I decided to throw away all of the weight loss nonsense and knew I had to lose weight naturally.

Most websites will tell you there is some magic pill or some simple 12 minute exercise that you could do just 3 times a week…but we know better and we know that none of that is true.  I received my inspiration for natural weight loss by watching The Biggest Loser.  It was on that show that I realized that it was all about calories in, and calories out.  I even received that thing they wear on their arm in The Biggest Loser, which is called The BodyBugg. I have written over 50 articles about The BodyBugg (Click here to see the articles) and it is the greatest thing ever invented for weight loss.  I am not going to write about why, because i am tired of writing about that thing the players wear on The Biggest Loser.  What I do want to discuss is how my weight loss is all attributed to natural weight loss techniques.  I have listed the three not so easy steps below.

• Get enough sleep- Most people do not realize how important getting a good night sleep is to a person trying to lose weight.  Without a decent night of sleep your body just does not perform as well as it should because it just isn’t.  When you are tired you have less “ooommmmfffff” to get out and exercise.  Let desire to spend the time preparing healthy foods and when you are tired you just have less will power to resist all of the goodies that end up in front of your mouth.  If sleeping isn’t a natural way to lose weight…..what is?
• Exercise- When I first started to lose weight going to the health club or taking a long walk was a horrible thing to do.  I hated going, I hated being there and I could not wait until it was time to leave.  Exercise and me was a four letter word.  Somewhere along the way I stopped exercising to lose eight and just started to do it because I realized that it was something that was just overall healthy for me. I no longer go to the health club to lose weight, I go to just help myself be healthy.  My stress is lower, my cholesterol levels plummeted and I am no longer in line to ever have Type – II diabetes.  Exercise is as natural as a person can get when looking for natural weight loss.
• Eat better- Notice I said eat better, I did not say eat like a rabbit.  When I first started my weigh loss journey in the world of dieting, I thought it was all about salad and other forms of rabbit food.  I tried to eat what I thought to be healthy but after just a few weeks I grew bored and gave up.  After each and every weight loss attempt I went right back to the behaviour that got me fat in the first place.  I have learned that the best way to lose weight naturally is well…..to eat.  I have since learned that to lose weight naturally I need to just make beater choices.  I committed myself to understanding why smaller meals every 4 hours was better.  I learned about the power of protein in defeating hunger.  I learned how bad even diet soda is for a person.  I have learned that I never drink my calories.  This subject is too broad so lets just say I educated myself and now I am in a lifetime course because the true weight loss never really ends, it becomes a way of life.

I have learned that losing weight is not rocket science and the best way to lose weight is the natural way.  I try not to lose no more than 1.5 to 2 pounds a week because I have learned that it is a much more natural amount to lose every week.  The small numbers still add up over time and by losing it slowly, it takes longer for me to put it back on if I have a bad day.  My only negative thing I have to say about my natural method of weight loss is that I never did anything to stop all of the skin from sagging.  I did not do anything about all of the nasty cellulite and now although I am thinner, I do not like what I see.  Although the view is not as bad as being obese. I just wish I prepared myself better for the physical aspect of losing weight.  But then I guess that is a matter for another article and it is tired and I think I am going to call it a night. 

In closing, weight loss is not impossible and it can happen.  Once you get your mind on track you will look back and wonder why you made such a big thing about it at all.  Weight loss is something you can do and if you pay attention you will be able to achieve natural weight loss also.  Weight loss is not only possible, it can start right here and right now. You just have to make the first step and our mind will allow your body to do the rest.  All ideas began in the imagination and if you can imagine yourself thin, you will soon learn that you can lose the weight and start your own weight loss journey. 

Good Luck and God Bless! 

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So you want to lose weight and you are planning to exercise and eat better food choices. In your diet journey you may be considering switching what you drink in an attempt to lose weight. Your drink choices include everything from caffeinated soda to decaffeinated coffee to plain old water. If your goal is to lose weight then you need to drink nothing but water because that is pretty much the only drink that contains zero calories. Unfortunately, that is where the whining begins!

How badly you desire to lose weight will determine how much water you drink and how much other stuff you do not drink. If you want to lose weight but can’t stop drinking beer then beer drinking is more important to you than weight loss. If you desire to lose weight and gave up drinking full sugar soda for diet soda you have made an uneducated choice that will really not help you too much, if weight loss is your goal. Diet soda may have less sugar but it is loaded with sodium and that alone is enough to keep you bloated and lugging around some of those pounds you don’t want.

If you want to drink coffee that is not as bad as other drinks as long as you keep the cream to a minimum and use a sugar substitute. The caffeine is not the greatest thing for you but as far as drinks go….coffee is not too bad if the add-ons are kept to a minimum. One positive trade off with coffee is that it is a natural appetite suppressant and that may help you limit your intake in a fashion that is somewhat similar to purchasing FullBar. FullBar is a product designed to help suppress your appetite.

The bottom line is that if your desire is to lose weight then think twice before you drink your calories. All too often we do not add in the impact of what we drink and that can cause you to mess up your weight loss and discourage you as to your ability. Here is a simple promise. If you stop drinking all but water and drink at least 64 ounces a day for seven days, you WILL see weight loss.

There you go… a free weight loss plan that requires little of your effort. The hard part now is if you are really ready to lose weight and hold yourself accountable for your own actions. If so then give it a try for just seven short days and don’t drink your calories.

Can a person lose weight by starving? The answer is a resounding yes! If you are considering this as a weight loss option or as a diet then we suggest you think again. Losing weight by starving is not only a horrible way to lose weight it is also the unhealthiest way to lose weight. If you deprive yourself of calories your body shuts down the fat burning process and starts to just attack the muscle. Your body does not burn fat when you are starving and instead starts to burn the muscles. This is an ancient and basic human fact that dates back to early human physiology when survival was a daily task.  Many young people try this method of starving themselves and do not even realize that they are on their way to a eating disorder. A great book for young people to read that is an easy an informative read is Faded Denim by Melody Carlson.  This book can be considered a classic and is a must read for any young adult that is experiencing a eating disorder such as attempting a starvation diet.

If you think that starving yourself is a way to drop weight fast you are right but there is a major flaw to this “diet”.  The flaw is that when you do start to eat again your ancient human defense systems kick in once again. After you complete the starvation diet your body starts to store more and more calories by generating more and more fat cells. Most people do not know that human fat cells never, ever go away; they just get smaller when you lose weight. In a defense against future starvation from happening your body generates new fat cells which you will have till the day you die. This increase in fat cells is why you gain more weight than you lost. So….if you starve yourself to lose 20 pounds then shortly after you start eating again you will gain back 20+ pounds to help your body combat future struggles with starvation.

The idea of starving yourself to lose weight is ridiculous and will not help you lose weight in the long run. If you want to lose weight and keep it off then educate yourself through the internet, the library and any books you can read. You must know the truth and the truth is that starving yourself is a horrible idea and one that not only will not work, but will also do you physical harm now and it sets you up for emotional health issues in the future.

 

1. Talk to your doctor and seek council on what is healthy for the baby and for yourself.
2. Start some form of exercise now and keep up a routine that will help you stay fit. Being pregnant is not an excuse to stop being active, unless your doctor requires that inactivity. Get a treadmill or some other exercise equipment and get moving.  Join a gym, walk but do something!
3. Get a journal and start to track your food intake and your exercise and your moods. FitDay is a great computer tool that is really all you need in the record keeping aspect of weight loss and health. FitDay is tool that is unsurpassed in ease of use, quality and efficiency.
4. Educate yourself on what it takes to have a healthy baby while maintaining a healthy body.  Your doctor is a great place to start but follow on education is a great thing for self improvement.  Self education is easy and as long as you have the time you should prepare for not only all aspects of pregnancy, but also for what to expect after giving birth.  Reading is a great way to educate yourself and will help you and your child start off a great life together.

5.  Join a support group whether it is a local organization or a web based group like on eDiets.com.  Either way, the support you receive will make the entire experience of child birth better and you will be stronger for the inter-action and support you receive.

What I want you to realize and take to heart tonight is that weight gain is inevitable with being pregnant but you just need to learn how to manage that weight gain.  You do not have to become an obese person, and that is a fact.  Do not use your childbearing as a permit to eat till you puke.  Pregnancy and the human body is a beautiful thing and as with all things, moderation is best.  Eating, childbearing and gaining weight are not uncommon.  What you need to do is learn what you must do to prevent it from happening.  If you suffer from always being hungry then a decent product worth looking into is FullBar.  FullBar is designed to help you control your weight gain whether you are pregnant or not.

Weight gain is in your control, so what are you going to do about it?  If you want to put that sexy dress on again then go for it and make it happen!  Just because you are having a baby and you are going to be a Mom does not mean you have to end up looking like an overweight woman.

So….what are you going to name the baby?

 

 

Our heart is a complex organ, but keeping it healthy is relatively simple. The heart pumps blood and generates oxygen to fuel all of our vital organs. The great news is that whatever is good for the heart is also healthy for our bodies. The following keys will help us attain a heart healthy life.

1. Start with a healthy diet. We need to limit our fat intake. Fat has several good qualities such as providing taste to our food, and transporting vitamins and nutrients to key organs in our bodies. However, to much fat blocks the arteries which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Fiber is also very important to a heart healthy diet. Eating fiber helps us reduce the absorption of dietary fat, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The old saying, an apple a day (with the peeling of course) keeps the heart doctor away, is true. We also need to eliminate excessive salt abuse. Your body doesn’t want or need extra sodium. Extra sodium overloads your kidneys’ ability to regulate blood pressure, resulting in increased stress on your heart.
2. Get Moving! Exercise, or physical fitness is essential to keeping your muscles strong, healthy, and to generate oxygen throughout your body. Exercise helps keep the arteries free of plaque, and helps our bodies convert food into energy. Physical fitness also reduces unhealthy stress, another huge factor for heart disease.
3. Take Charge of Your Heart Health! This means: know your family health history, monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol, don’t put off getting your yearly physical examinations, and know the warning signs of a heart attack.

Warning signs of on oncoming heart attack may vary between men and women. Below are some of the warning signals.

• Feeling breathlessness, often without chest pain.
• Flu-like symptoms–clamminess, cold, sweats, and nausea
• Pain in upper back, shoulders, neck, or jaw
• Feelings of anxiety
• Unexplained excessive fatigue or difficulty sleeping

If you have any of these symptoms please call 911 or seek medical attention.

Remember for a Heart Healthy Life you need to eat a low fat diet, increase your fiber, reduce your salt intake and to exercise regularly.

If you are overweight then you run the risk of becoming a type II diabetic.That is the plain and simple truth and if you want to run a greater risk of becoming a type II diabeticthen all you have to do is continue to be overweight and get as little exercise as possible.  Since you are here, let us explore exactly what type 2 diabetes is all about. Type II diabetes is something you need to get serious about now or you will regret it for the rest of your life.

What is type 2 diabetes?

The human body is like an engine and like all engines it needs fuel for to operate.  The primary fuel source for the human body is glucose.  For your body to be able to get the energy needed from the glucose it has to be able to break down the glucose.  In type II diabetes either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.  Either way this will create a huge problem for your ability to live a normal life, without treatment.  As you eat food your body needs to extract the needed fuel (glucose) and when the glucose fails to be able to do its job there will be complications.  What will happen is either the cells will be starved for energy or there will be too much energy (glucose) and this will damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and/or heart.  Over the years the damage grows worse with complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, gum infections, and even amputation.

While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others.  Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.  One of the fastest growing groups of people with type II diabetes is people who are overweight.  Type2 diabetes is one health issue that may be fully preventable if only the person were to take better care of their bodies and were more concerned over their health.

Can type 2 diabetes be prevented?

Research has demonstrated that people at risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes by losing weight.  If you were to make even small changes to your diet and physical activity you can either delay or prevent type 2 diabetes altogether.  Federal studies in the United States have proven that if a 200 pound person lost 14 pounds the risk of type 2 diabetes is reduced.  With more weight loss the risk is reduced even more until a normal healthy weight is achieved.  If a person were overweight and had a great chance of becoming a type 2 diabetic were to change their lifestyle and achieve a healthy weight the risk of diabetes is virtually eliminated.  If a person were to have diabetes they will always have it and there will be no way to get rid of it.  If a overweight person had type 2 diabetes were to lose weight and become more active the disease will still be there but it will be more manageable.  The truth about type II diabetes is that if you do not yet have it and are an overweight person and fear contracting it then there are things you can do.  If you want to prevent from this becoming a complicated event in your life then you can do things to prevent it from happening.  If you want to do something about it then you need to get up and start moving.  Get out those walking shoes and go for a walk.  Dust off your treadmill and get going.  If you are a member of a health club then jump onto one of their elliptical machines.  If you have to then go buy a BowFlex which has a super high rating helping people get into shape.  Whatever equipment you have access to is better than doing nothing.  If you were to do nothing then there is a really good chance you will need to start purchasing diabetic test kits. and start taking samples of your blood sugar.  You can do this from home.

Whatever you do, just start doing something.  Start to eat better and watch your portion size of your meals.  The point that you must bring to your conscious thought is that if you want to prevent yourself from becoming a type 2 diabetic you, and only you can make it happen.  You and only you have the ability to make the decision and the time has approached that you have to do it now.  What will it be for you?  Will you need a gloucose test meter?  Will it be exercise or healthier eating? The choice is yours and you better make it soon or the choice will be made for you.

I hope you choose well.

 GOOD LUCK!!

Many people who try to lose weight do well all day long avoiding food that is less than optimal for weight loss.  Are you one of those people who can eat sensible food choices all day long while at work yet when you come home you just have to keep those fingers busy feeding your face?  Do you spend your nights sitting in front of the TV and all too often you get up for a snack that is something you regret the next morning when you get on the scale?  I used to be the same way and one day I realized that losing weight is sort of similar to trying to stop yourself from smoking.  I have learned that I am a victim of my own habits and because I feel the urge to keep my jaws chomping I was becoming more and more obese. 

I have learned that I can go through the entire day and eat at healthy places like Subway or limit my food choices even at places like McDonalds.  I have learned to realize that my one biggest downfall was the fact that when I am home I am always raiding the cabinets looking for a snack.  There were many nights I would burn through more calories snacking than I ate all day long.  Once I made the equation in my head that I was a trying to break a habit I approached the situation with a whole new outlook.  I decided that the best way  to break the habit was not to break it at all.  I realized that the best thing for me to do was to merely alter the habit. 

Instead of depriving myself of snacking I now keep so much fruit in my home that you would think I was running a fruit stand.  At first I was hesitant about the change but now I eat bananas and strawberries and grapes and blueberries and oranges and whatever else I can get my hands wrapped around.  I have settled for the best of both worlds because I can eat pretty much as much as I want and the health benefits outweigh the few calories I am ingesting.  No matter what anyone says, eating a bowl of fresh mixed fruit is better than a bag of pretzels and a soda.  I love to sprinkle Splenda on my strawberries and the explosion of flavor from a cantaloupe is amazing. 

If you are looking for a great snack then go get some fresh fruit and feast away.  It may take a bit more effort but the rewards will be not a only thinner you but also a healthier you by the mere fact that you will be eating healthier food choices.
Weight Loss Information

First off I am not a doctor and to actually get all the advice you need on gastric bypass surgery you will have to speak with your doctor. This is just a brief over view of what you can expect.

The first big consideration is how are you going to pay for it because without the cash the hospitals are not going to perform the procedure. If you think you can save money by having it done in a third world nation please think again. I have seen photographs of what can go wrong and it was pretty scary and gross. You will need to kind of look around and see what is available. More and more insurance companies are paying larger and larger portions of the bill. I would expect for the total cost to be no less than $17,000.00 and with certain “add ons” cost as much as $40,000+. Those add ons will be something you will discuss with your doctor. One thing to keep in mind is that most insurance companies pay a portion of the actual operation, but will not pay for any of the outpatient visits and those office visits can add up quickly. If money is no object then you just need to choose a doctor and sign up for the program.

From what I have seen is that for you to be a success you have to make a lifestyle change and you will have to make adjustments to your eating habits. You can rest assured that you will lose weight when you opt for gastric bypass surgery but what harms people is the fact that they cannot be disciplined in their eating habits once the procedure is performed. After the operation you will be on small portions of liquids and after a few weeks will start to eat solid foods. The biggest difference is the tiny portions you will eat because of your diminished stomach pouch size. The procedure actually reduces the size of your stomach and you will be full after only one chicken nugget and four french fries. By eliminating the desire to eat a person will eat tiny portions and the end result is massive weight loss in a relatively brief period. You can expect to lose up to 75 pounds in as short as three months. After that the weight loss tends to slow down but it will still drop off.

A big issue is after the surgery when you have lost the weight. What has occurred often is people forget (or ignore) that the stomach pouch has an elastic quality and if you overeat you can increase the size and start to over eat again. Also carbonated beverages need to be forsaken forever once you have the procedure because the carbonation will cause your stomach to expand. You will need to pretty much give up bread and never use a straw again. One sip of alcohol can make you drunk and sober in less than 30 minutes because of the straight absorption of the alcohol. There are many things you need to take into account as to your new “diet” after the surgery. Too many people focus on the surgery and only the result of the weight loss. What you really need to come to grips with is whether or not you can stick to the meal plan after the procedure is performed. There is no going back as the operation is irreversible. Educate yourself and gain all the knowledge you can. Interview doctors and ask hard serious questions and make sure you are ready for life after the operation. That life will be thin and has the potential to make you healthier and has worked for thousands of obese people. Just make sure that you have the mental endurance to be able to spend the rest of your forever on the diet plan you will have to live on. If you have the operation and dismiss the need for vitamins and over eat and eat the wrong items the procedure will be a disaster.

Anybody out there have any personal experiences?

I received an email from someone this morning that I never met before. By the end of the letter I was in the presence of a friend who wanted to quit smoking and was afraid she was going to gain weight. I read about her hopes and dreams of what she wanted to accomplish and it was great to hear about her newfound desire to start a healthier lifestyle.

I want everyone to know that what she is accomplishing in her three smoke free days is fabulous. She has quit for three days. The next part of the letter was where I wanted to reach out and hug her and ask her to stop being so critical about herself. She was telling me the wonderful things she has recently accomplished and I could sense the well deserved pride in her achievements. What did worry me was the fact that she gave herself little credit for what she had done. She HAD quit smoking for 3 days. She HAD started an exercise program. I felt as if she was pinning her achievements on something that was to occur in the future and she bypassed the here and now. She was not giving herself the well deserved pat on the back she needed for starting the healthy choices she had recently accomplished.

How often do we all do this?

How often do we look in the mirror and only are critical of what we see? I exercise and then think it was not hard enough. I eat healthier foods and I then am critical that maybe I ate too much. I look in the mirror and all too often I only see a reflection that is too critical of what is inside the body that is only a vessel that carries my spirit. We all need to stop and we all need to take a moment to live in the moment. We need to stop looking at the clock and waiting for 5 o’clock. We need to stop being so unloving about ourselves and the little accomplishments we make on a daily basis.

So yes Margaret, I am proud of you and I know that if you can only use your mind to harness that infinitely powerful spirit you will not only be able to quit smoking but you will be able to lose the weight and be the person you really see in the mirror. Because that critical reflection is really not you, it is only the outward manifestation of what you allow to be.