Monday, February 27, 2012

Stop Trying To Get Skinny & Start Getting Healthy


I've been obsessed with my weight most of my life. I tried diet after diet with little to no success. I was eating low-fat prepackaged foods that tasted horrible. I was always hungry and always craving things I wouldn't "allow" myself to eat.

Finally I said enough is enough...and that's when things started to change. I stopped worrying about how much I weighed and what I could and couldn't eat. I felt free for the first time in my life. I learned to eat when I was hungry and more importantly to stop when I was full. I stopped eating processed foods and I stopped thinking of food as fattening. Don't think for a second that all I eat is fruits and veggies...I eat everything you see me post about...just in moderation.

I've also started working with a trainer which has helped me focus my workouts and get more out of my routine. Every little bit helps. Below is an article, written by fitness trainer Tyler Webb, about how focusing on your body composition vs. your weight is more beneficial for attaining your ideal body.

"Tyler Webb graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University where he got a degree in Health and Fitness studies. He's currently the General Manager/Exercise Physiologist at Life Start Fitness in Phoenix Arizona. Tyler's philosophy on fitness is: "it's not about working out harder; but rather working out smarter" You can follow Tyler on Twitter or Facebook for more fitness tips"




Your Ideal Body is Measured by Composition Not Weight

There’s a common misconception that needs to end now. We have become slaves to our scales, while we should be slaves to our body’s composition. Day in and day out millions of Americans wake to find themselves mindlessly heading to their scale, only to see a disappointing arbitrary number waiting for them. After the initial let down and discouragement, each and everyone one of us signs a new pact with ourselves that we are going to stop this onslaught of our bodies and do something to fix it TODAY! As you can tell from the obesity numbers (12 states with over 30% of their population being obese) we are failing miserably by utilizing scales and weight alone. It’s time for a change in how we perceive and monitor our bodies.

Body composition, simply put, is the breakdown of our weight into two categories, lean tissue and fat tissue. Body composition is read as a percentage and is most commonly referred to as our body fat percentage. These numbers are vitally important in our quest to good health, well-being and looks. They are much more important than that number on the scale. As we look around we see countless different body types, sizes and shapes. Yet, traditionally we are all held to the same standard of X amount of weight equals healthy and X amount of weight equals obese etc. This type of categorization is unbearably wrong and needs to be stopped.

If I were to walk down the street I could find three individuals that all weigh 200 lbs. yet only one would be healthy, one fat and one obese. How is this possible you ask? The first individual would be 200 lbs. of solid muscle and very little fat. The second individual would be a habitual fitness individual. In and out of fitness centers daily with little or no change to their body in years. They are slaves to the scale and always hover around the 200 lb mark but a body composition test would reveal that while they are “fit” they also have a higher percentage of body fat therefore raising their risk factors for an array of cardiovascular diseases at the same time not giving them the body they want. The third individual is a small heavy set individual. On first glance you might not think they are “obese” because of their stature, but after a body composition we come to realize they have a very high percentage of body fat. Risk factors for disease jump and results never come. These three individuals prove that according to the scale they should all be the same person, but after further more accurate analysis we see the common misconceptions that arise.

How do you fix these misconceptions and start seeing results? For you to finally see results it is important to have a working knowledge of the norms for body composition and to seek a professional to help you understand your personal numbers. A professional would be able to determine weaknesses and strengths of your exercise routine and nutrition patterns. They could then prescribe an exercise plan to help guide you in the path to finally achieving your desired body. Stop mindlessly wandering through your fitness regimen and start seeking professional advice. Our bodies are highly adaptable and ready for the change once we swallow our pride and realize that we might need a little help or jump start from someone else.












8 comments:

  1. You make a lot of good points, but the Pizza Hut ad above is a little distracting.

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  2. Can you just hit me over the head with this? Cause I need it these days.

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  3. I definitely need help from someone else! Great post!

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  4. Yes Amen! Thank you for sharing so honestly. I completely agree with what you wrote!

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  5. Great article and great info!!

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  6. Loved this post as I think a lot of us can relate. Getting healthy and eating real food is a revelation and funny how it was there all along.

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