Exercise and Weight Loss

Weight loss itself is an ambiguous term, a more appropriate definition is weight training. This is not to say you want to build yourself up as a bodybuilder but rather you want to convert your fat into 'lean muscle tone'. That's the whole point of keeping fit and losing unwanted body fat. If you follow a well thought out exercise routine with an end objective in mind, coupled with a sensible diet, not only will you improve your general cardiovascular or strength fitness but you will keep those unwanted pounds off.

Start taking up regular aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise
if you don't already (i.e. at least 3-4 times a week) This is aimed at those who want to burn fat and convert it into lean muscle, if your intention is to build muscle then you need a different routine based on heavier weights and less repetitions.

If you are in a gym and are starting off at unfit level and want to convert fat into lean muscle:

Stretch your body in order to prepare it for activity (5 minutes stretches)i.e. side stretches, hamstrings, touch your toes etc etc.

Do 10 minutes at easy pace on Cycle then 1 minutes rest then 10 minutes on rowing and 1 min rest and so on for each exercise machine you want to do.

If you have weights then do 10 repetitions at a very light manageable weight, rest for 30 seconds and repeat this twice. So you do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a light weight on each weight machine.

Do the same for other weight machines taking only 1 minute rest in between each different weight exercise remember to use light weights

Concentrate on cycling, rowing, stairmaster, stepper type machines, I don't recommend the treadmill simply because it puts a lot of strain on the joints, i.e. heels, ankle, knee. Jogging effectively can put 10 times the bodyweight force on the joints and should only be done on soft surfaces such as grass and with adequate cushioned footwear. That's why the treadmill is not to be recommended. The other aerobic machines put less stress on the joints.

At the end of your program which should be about 40 minutes on average you need to cool down, try easy cycling for 3 minutes and then stretches after that.

It is very important to warm up before an exercise routine and to cool down after wards, this is so that you don't suffer from muscle soreness and tenderness after wards and besides it keeps the muscles and ligaments supple and with less chance of muscle tear and injury during a workout.
Remember muscles work better when they are warm.

If you follow this program after a few weeks you will notice considerable improvement and will want to either increase the intensity, duration or weight in your program as it gets easier. Increase the reps to 20 for each exercise if you want to carry on getting leaner.

Remember to burn fat and get lean defined muscle do more repetitions at a less weight, to build heavy muscle and gain strength do less reps at a heavier weight.

Health Risk By Body Fat

To determine quickly if you are overweight the following is a surefire way of pinpointing your health risks.

Waist to Hip Ratio determines distribution of body fat. More body fat in the upper body (chest and waist) suggests increased health risk for elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, strokes, longer time to conceive, heart disease or diabetes. More fat in the lower body (hips and thighs) suggests fat loss is difficult.

Exercise & Weight Loss
Determining if you are overweight
Suggestions to lose weight and keep it off
Tips on starting exercise programs

Using a tape measure, measure the hips in inches (or centimeters) at the top of the hip bone on the right front of the body. This spot will be slightly lower than your belly button.


Next, measure the waist 1" (2.5 cm) above your belly button in inches (or centimeters).


Using these two measurement values, divide the waist reading (2) by the hip reading (1). This tells you where most of your body fat is located.


Apple shape (a ratio of .95 or greater) means your body fat is located above your waist which indicates a higher health risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Pear shape (a ratio of less than .95) means your body fat is located below your waist which indicates a lower health risk, but fat located in the lower half of the body may be harder to lose during weight loss.

Pregnancy Complications by Overweight

Overweight and obesity raise the risk of pregnancy complications for both mother and baby. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have an increased risk for:

Gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy).
Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy that can cause severe problems for both mother and baby if left untreated).
Cesarean delivery or complications with cesarean delivery.
Babies of overweight or obese mothers have an increased risk of neural tube defects (defects of the brain and spinal cord), stillbirth, prematurity, and being large for gestational age.

How are they linked to overweight?

Pregnant women who are overweight are more likely to develop insulin resistance, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. (Insulin resistance is when cells do not respond properly to the hormone insulin, which carries blood sugar to cells for energy. It may result in high levels of blood sugar.) Overweight also increases the risks associated with surgery and anesthesia, and severe obesity increases operative time and blood loss.

Some studies have shown that gaining excess weight during pregnancy—even without becoming obese—may increase risks. It is important to consult with your obstetrician or other health care provider about how much weight to gain during pregnancy.

What can weight loss do?

Women who are overweight or obese and who would like to become pregnant should speak with their health care provider about losing weight before becoming pregnant. Pre-pregnancy weight loss significantly reduces pregnancy complications. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese should speak with their health care provider about limiting gestational weight gain and being physically active during pregnancy.

metabolic syndrome and Overweight

The metabolic syndrome is a group of obesity-related risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes. A person has the metabolic syndrome if he or she has three or more of the following risk factors:

A large waistline. For men, this means a waist measurement of 40 inches or more. For women, it means a waist measurement of 35 inches or more [1].
High triglycerides or taking medication to treat high triglycerides. A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher is considered high [1].
Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol or taking medications to treat low HDL. For men, low HDL cholesterol is below 40 mg/dL. For women, it is below 50 mg/dL [1].
High blood pressure or taking medications to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure is 130 mm Hg or higher for systolic blood pressure (the top number) or 85 mm Hg or higher for diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) [1].
High fasting blood glucose (sugar) or taking medications to treat high blood sugar. This means a fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher [1].
A person with metabolic syndrome has approximately twice the risk for coronary heart disease and five times the risk for type 2 diabetes [1]. It is estimated that 27 percent of American adults have the metabolic syndrome [2].

How is it linked to overweight?

The metabolic syndrome is strongly linked to obesity, especially abdominal obesity. Other risk factors are physical inactivity, insulin resistance, genetics, and old age.

Obesity is a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome because it raises blood pressure and triglycerides, lowers good cholesterol, and contributes to insulin resistance. Excess fat around the abdomen carries even higher risks.

What can weight loss do?

It may be possible to prevent the metabolic syndrome with weight management and physical activity. For patients who already have the syndrome, losing weight and being physically active may help prevent or delay the development of diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other complications.

Individuals who are overweight or obese and who have the metabolic syndrome should aim to lose 10 percent of their body weight and do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day. Quitting smoking, eating healthfully, and taking prescription medications for conditions such as high blood pressure or low HDL cholesterol may also be recommended. You can learn more about the metabolic syndrome from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Sleep apnea and weight loss

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during the night. A person who has sleep apnea may suffer from daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and even heart failure.

How is it linked to overweight?

The risk for sleep apnea is higher for people who are overweight. A person who is overweight may have more fat stored around his or her neck. This may make the airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult, loud (snoring), or stop altogether. In addition, fat stored in the neck and throughout the body may produce substances that cause inflammation. Inflammation in the neck is a risk factor for sleep apnea.

What can weight loss do?

Weight loss usually improves sleep apnea. Weight loss may help to decrease neck size and lessen inflammation.

Weight Loss Reduce Heart Disease !

Coronary heart disease means that the heart and circulation (blood flow) are not functioning normally. Often, the arteries have become hardened and narrowed. If you have coronary heart disease, you may suffer from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina (chest pain), or abnormal heart rhythm.
In a heart attack, the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart is disrupted, damaging portions of the heart muscle. During a stroke, blood and oxygen do not flow normally to the brain, possibly causing paralysis or death. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the third leading cause.

How are they linked to overweight?
People who are overweight are more likely to develop high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides (blood fats) and LDL cholesterol (a fat-like substance often called “bad cholesterol”), and low levels of HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”). These are all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In addition, excess body fat—especially abdominal fat—may produce substances that cause inflammation. Inflammation in blood vessels and throughout the body may raise heart disease risk.

What can weight loss do?
Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight can lower your chances for developing coronary heart disease or having a stroke. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing as little as 10 pounds. Weight loss may improve blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels; improve heart function and blood flow; and decrease inflammation throughout the body.

Depression and Overweight Person

Depression is a very serious emotional and psychological disorder. The symptoms are very diverse and those persons who suffer with Clinical depression should seek professional help. This article will be discussing the relationship between obese persons and depression.
Are all people depressed sometimes? Yes. Everyone has the "blues" sometimes. However, true depression lasts for days or months, as opposed to one day a year, or once in a "blue" moon. Those persons who experience symptoms of depression on a regular basis should seek professional help.

Why would an obese person be depressed? The health, social, economic, emotional, and physical problems associated with obesity are numerous and, for some, overwhelming. This sense of "social isolation" can lead to clinical depression. The depression may then lead to further weight gain, and then more isolation. This is a very vicious, persuasive syndrome.

Health:

For those with obesity there are many complications, health wise, with which to cope. There are increased risks of heart disease, joint deterioration and osteo arthritis, diabetes, hypertenstion, and gall bladder disease, to name a few. Many obese persons also experience hernia problems, swelling in the exremities, and shortness of breath. These problems are serious, and may cause a decrease in the quality of life for most obese persons, which, over time, may lead to severe depression.

Social:

This is a two fold problem. To begin with the obese person feels that they are no longer valued in society, with our culture pointing to the superiority of those who are beautiful. Excess weight is not an acceptable trait. Then, to compound this already low self - regard, often times people in our society ridicule, single out, and isolate those individuals who are extremely overweight. This can be devastating to a person who already believes they are "useless". As you may guess, a person who feels they have no purpose in their existence will experience a severe depression.

Economic:

When a person feels isolated they are not able to function in the society which has created this isolation. Many obese persons find it difficult or impossible to work in a society which shuns them. This, along with physical and health limits, create a hardship for the obese person, who now has less than adequate employment, and a low socio-economic position in our culture. This inability to function, to provide and perform can be a catalyst into a depressed state of mind.

Alternative Therapy for Weight Loss

Lawrence Cheskin's book covers reasons the body stores fat, an overview of diet pills used as appetite suppressants and alternative therapies for weight loss.

New Hope for People with Weight Problems, a book by Lawrence J. Cheskin (Prima Publishing, 2002), is a helpful resource for overweight and obese people who are having trouble losing weight. Sometimes diet and exercise just aren't enough to make weight loss happen, and there may be an underlying cause that you aren't aware of. This book offers new hope for weight loss in people with weight problems who have tried and failed at dieting.

Cushing's Syndrome, for example, is one of the potential problems Cheskin discusses. Cushing's Syndrome is caused by a defective pituitary gland that causes adrenal glans to overproduce cortisol. Excess cortisol is what prompts the body to store excess fat in the belly. You can tell if you have Cushing's Syndrome if you carry excess fat in your face and abs and have a large hump over your neck. Aside from obesity related side effects, Cushing's Syndrome often leads to diabetes, osteoporosis and spinal fractures.

Other reasons for excess fat storage in the body include:
Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome, in which high estrogen causes extra body hair, irregular menstrual cycles and difficulty getting pregnant. It also makes your body resistant to let go of the excess fat.

Leptin is out of balance so fat cells aren't signaling to the brain that enough fat is stored.

Family history of obesity, heart conditions and cancer affect your health and potential for weight loss.

Your medical history signals whether your body is healthy or you have a tendency for infection, disease or excess fat storage.

Your weight history is a good predictor of your future weight. If you have been overweight since childhood and are an obese adult, it will likely be difficult for you to shed the extra pounds.

You body has a natural set point as far as weight and it is extremely hard to push past this number and maintain the weight loss.

Above all, your eating habits play a key role in your body's fat percentage.