If you’re like millions of other people across the globe then you probably want to lose some weight and get into better shape. This doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems for some people. Instead, you can take advantage of a variety of exercises and programs that are designed to help you see success and great results as easily as possible. While many people struggle with diets and fads and everything else, you can choose some simple forms of exercise that work great for you instead. You’ll see results with your workout program when you do something that you enjoy, because you’ll be motivated and stick with it while your body enjoys all of the great benefits.

One unique idea for exercising is to perform some exercises in water. These don’t have to be water aerobics classes, you can do them on your own to receive some great benefits in a short amount of time.

Aerobic exercise increases the heart rate and is an excellent weight loss exercise. Enter the shallow end, and do 90 seconds each of squats, walking lunges and leg lifts to back and the side. Aerobic dance, bicycling, walking, swimming, stepping etc are some great forms of aerobic exercise. You can also join an exercise class as per your requirement, but don’t start with something which is too strenuous.

Stair climbing has long been recognized as a fantastic form of exercise. Now you can enjoy all of the benefits without the inconveniences with a machine like the Bowflex TC5500 Treadclimber, one of the many Bowflex Treadclimber models that is highly rated by everybody who has tried it.

There are many other exercises that you can complete right from your own home as well. You can perform a variety of stretches and bodyweight exercises even without having any equipment. Or just head outside and start walking, looking for areas with hills and slopes for maximum benefit. Just keep your focus and find something that you enjoy and your goals will be easier to accomplish.

Right from your home you can perform something like bodyweight squats which target many different important muscle groups. With one easy movement you’ll be hitting your quads, your butt and your hamstrings all at once.

In terms of general workout programs, you won’t even need to invest that much time. You can spend just 20 or 30 minutes a few times per week and see fantastic results. You can then add an additional workout session each work or increase your time to 45 minutes per session. Either way your results will continue to improve and you’ll get into shape in no time.

V-up and roll is a great weight loss exercise. This is just a variation of crunches, however work smarter by reducing the stress on the back and work harder by using more muscles. Be practical, and avoid doing too much too soon. While working out, listen to the body and understand the cues. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your legs off the floor while folding your body up. Patience and persistence is the key to any successful weight loss program.

The Bowflex TC5500 Treadclimber can help you lose weight fast. Visit www.treadclimbersonline.com to review this Bowflex Treadclimber.

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Walking into any gym lately, you’ll see classes being formed for the new rage in fitness, the kettlebell workout. Worker-outers everywhere are jumping on the kettlebell bandwagon touting it as the best thing ever, thinking it’s some kind of new invention. But the kettlebell has actually been around for thousands of years. Where did they come from? And why do they work so well as a fitness tool?

What the heck is a kettlebell?

Some say it looks like a cannonball with a handle. Some say it looks like an iron tea kettle. No matter what you think it looks like, it is a hand weight that ranges in size from 5 lbs. to 100 lbs. You can use the handle to maneuver them in such a way that you can tone and strengthen almost every muscle in your body in one fail swoop.

Was it the Greeks, or the Russians?

Although some mistakenly think the kettlebell originated in Russia in the early 1700’s, Greek athletes were actually using this tool way back in the day (almost 2000 years ago). But Russian athletes are notorious for using the kettlebell, or “girya” as they call it. Many athletes, for many years, in many countries have been utilizing this device to stay fit. Even the U.S. military is on the bandwagon.

Why do trainers love them?

Well, “It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing.”

When you are using a kettlebell, like, for instance, with the basic swing, you are engaging almost every major muscle group in your body. The basic swing is simply holding the kettlebell handle with both hands, lowering down into a squat, and swinging the kettlebell between the legs and up about shoulder height into a standing position. In this exercise, you are engaging almost all your major muscle groups (core, legs, hips, arms etc.) all at the same time! This helps build not only muscle, but endurance. And, another bonus is, your workouts can be done more quickly and with more efficiency because you aren’t isolating the muscle groups to work them out.

Learn more about kettlebell workouts. Stop by our site where you can find out all about kettlebells and healthy weight loss today.

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How can anyone expect a man to control anything in his life if he can’t even keep his weight under control? “Man boobs” are one of the biggest indicators that a man is overweight. How to get rid of man boobs is not as basic a problem as you might think. Before getting into the solution, let’s look at the cause more closely.

There are really two reasons why you might be haunted by man boobs:

Being overweight — This isn’t a surprise. Man boobs most commonly result from the buildup of fat on a guy’s chest. This happens from eating too much fattening foods. So, the short answer on how to get rid of man boobs is to start watching what you eat more closely and to start exercising more.

Hormone imbalances — Gynecomastia is the rarer second means of ending up with man boobs. This is usually confirmed by checking to see if you have extremely low levels of testosterone. Instead, you have an abundance of estrogen. You’ll end up with man boobs from the hormonal imbalance. This could be the result of side effects from medicine that you’re taking or a testicular tumor,

Check with a doctor if you think you might have man boobs from a hormonal imbalance..

However, if you’re overweight, keep reading and you’ll discover how to get rid of man boobs and lose weight quicker than ever.

You’ll want to take up a combination of proper eating, cardio exercise, and strength training to burn away those man boobs.

Diet — It would be good to set appropriate portions for your meals. Plan your meals each week and decide what you’ll be eating for the entire week. Make sure to decide on HOW MUCH you’re going to eat as well. Limit fatty foods. Record what you eat every day in a food journal. Keep with it no matter how challenging it may seem in the beginning. Soon it will turn into a new habit.

Strength Training — This includes weight training and resistance exercises to build muscle. The more fat burning muscles you have, the faster those man boobs will melt away. You’ll likely find the workouts to be very hard at first, but after a few weeks, they will get much easier.

Aerobic Exercise — This goes hand-in-hand with the strength training. Here you’ll be doing exercises that involve constant motion like running, or bicycling. You are raising your heart rate and burning calories actively so that you can start to slim down. Most gyms have some kind of programs where you can do aerobic exercises with groups too.

You now have a good beginning on how to lose your man boobs by eating right and exercising regularly. Keep with it and you’ll soon see the results that you have been dreaming of.

If you found this article helpful and you’d like to discover more great ways to lose man boobs and get body you’ve always wanted, check out How to Lose Man Boobs and Build Chest Muscle.

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When heart rate monitors were developed for the first time they were used primarily in hospitals or for other medical purposes. Today though, heart monitor watches serve several purposes. Although still important medically, heart monitors are used widely by athletes as well as by anyone looking to improve their level of fitness.

Heart monitor watches are used first and foremost as a means of counting how many times a heart beats within a certain specific period of time. This is the primary purpose whether they are being used medically or by athletes. But today’s monitors are vastly different from original monitors.

Heart monitor watches today help with fitness training for both serious athletes and the casual exerciser. Some monitors come with several basic features while other monitors are more advanced. It depends on what you want to measure as well as what you want to keep track of.

Many monitors will assess your overall level of fitness when you are at rest. When heart rate is combined with other data such as age, the on-board computer can estimate your optimum number of beats per minute, known as BPM. You will then be able to plan a training program to keep your heart rate at the right level.

Once you find out what your optimum BPM is you can look for a monitor with a zone alarm. This is a feature that many who have used a monitor find hard to do without. That’s because a zone alarm helps you maintain a workout in a range that is ideal for you. When you do this, you are able to safely exercise while still giving yourself a challenge. The alarm signals when you are exceeding either the upper or the lower level of your optimum heart rate.

Along with a zone alarm, many monitors will measure the number of calories that are burned during a workout. Fitness buffs find that this motivates them to keep working out. It also seems to be a great incentive for beginners because they can see right away how many calories are being burned during their workout.

A heart monitor watch is designed to keep track of a great deal of information. This is useful in that it helps you to get the most out of a workout. Besides calories burned, these monitor watches will track average heart rate, total time spent in a workout, the number of sessions you’ve completed, and more.

Many advanced models let you upload data from your monitor to a company website. This website will then recommend a training program that is tailored to you specifically, based upon your exercise goals along with the purpose of your workouts. Goals might be improvement in your level of fitness, or even weight loss.

Monitors designed to be used by athletes are usually waterproof and will have a back-light to enable viewing if you are exercising in the dark. You can count on them being rugged enough to withstand some abuse.

The most common set up for a heart rate monitor is to have two separate components; the watch and the band or strap that fits around the chest. The strap actually measures your heart rate and then transmits this information to the watch.

Although this kind of heart monitor produces results that are most accurate, the strap can be uncomfortable for some. Women sometimes have a problem getting a proper fit with the strap. The result of wearing an ill-fitting strap could be an inaccurate reading. Fortunately there is a way around this problem. Wrist heart rate monitors can be used without a chest strap.

Heart monitor watches can definitely increase the effectiveness of your fitness or training program and keep you safe at the same time by monitoring your heart rate. So whether you are a serious athlete or simply want to get serious about your fitness level, a heart rate monitor can help you.

Be sure to choose a reliable manufacturer of heart monitor watches to avoid disappointment. This is a case of getting what you pay for. You can’t go wrong with a polar heart rate monitor watch for reliability as well as versatility.

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If you have diabetes and you start losing your hair, you may be experiencing diabetes related hair loss. Although the connection was long thought to have already been established, the link between diabetes and hair loss needs to be further studied. Looking however at the basic facts about diabetes and hair loss may help you understand why there might be a real connection.

Hair Facts

Before we look into the diabetes and hair loss link, it is important to first understand both diabetes and hair loss basics. Head hair may seem to have no functional use other than as an appearance enhancer. Nonetheless, it is still very much a part of the human body. Your hair will therefore stand to benefit or suffer from whatever you put in your body and whatever is going on in your body in general.

Hair grows from a root and follicle located underneath the human scalp. The hair grows and is nourished by through the bloodstream which transports nutrients from the body to the hair roots and follicles. If there your body does not have sufficient nutrients or does not have proper blood circulation, hair growth and health is also affected.

Hair Loss

There may be no immediate link between diabetes and hair loss in your specific case. There are many reasons why people lose their hair and it is important to first rule out other reasons for hair loss before concluding your diabetes and hair loss conditions.

One other factor of hair loss is through genetics and heredity. 95% of people suffering from hair loss have androgenetic alopecia. This is a hair loss condition brought about by genetic make-up and hormonal activities in the body. Because both conditions have their sources in genetics, it may be more difficult to identify which condition is causing your hair loss.

Diabetes and Hair Loss

The relationship between diabetes and hair loss can be determined best by taking a careful look at the nature of diabetes and how it affects the body. Diabetes is a condition in which the body neither produces insulin nor respond properly to it. When this occurs, glucose cannot always enter the body cells to provide energy that the body needs. Since glucose has been rejected by the body’s cells and therefore has no place else to go, it will start collecting in the bloodstream. If you have high blood sugar levels, fat deposits may also begin to attach on blood vessel walls, consequently clogging blood passageways which results to improper blood flow and poor blood circulation.

As previously explained, the hair’s source of primary nutrition is the blood. Poor circulation may mean poor hair health. Poor blood flow can also result in infections and skin irritations among diabetics. The scalp is of course still a part of the skin which may be infected too and result in hair loss.

Dietary Conditions

You may have a more difficult time dealing with hair loss if this is caused by diabetes compared to an ordinary hair loss condition. In an ordinary hair loss condition, the problem may be treated with nutritional supplements and proper diet. However, diabetes is causing your hair loss, you will have to stick to a diet that is more proper as a diabetic rather than a person suffering from a hair loss. The best thing to do in such case, therefore, is for you to consult your doctor for a proper dietary plan before tackling your hair loss condition.

Learn more about the possible complications of diabetes? Find out more diabetes care faqs from Andy Rowde.

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These days, the value of a dollar can really be learned by the arts of price comparison and online shopping. Everyone wants to make their money go as far as they can, and they want to save time as well. However, many people are still unaware of the potential advantages of not only shopping on the internet, but also comparing prices while you are doing so. There are many applications, for instance, which make comparing costs quite easy. Rather than simply believing that at face value, continue reading for some reasons why these two practices are so beneficial.

One of the great things about shopping on the internet is that your options are literally limitless. No matter where you live, you can search for the item you want from any online shop, located anywhere in the world. With such far reaching possibilities, it is easy to see why comparison shopping can be so lucrative. There is absolutely no reason to limit yourself. In fact, it is much smarter to see what your options are, especially in terms of price.

Shops and stores on the internet have many advantages over their live, real world counterparts. One such benefit involves the subject of time. We all know how frustrating it is to need something from the store, only to find out it is closed. This does not occur over the internet. It could be three o’clock in the morning. It could be Sunday. Neither the hour nor the day matter. The shops online do not close. They are always open, so at any time the need to shop occurs, you can take advantage of online shopping applications that work with your browser to shop prices, compare, and purchase.

One thing that you will notice whenever you are shopping at an actual store is the fact that your choices are very, very limited. You basically have to purchase what the store has in stock. That is not the case whenever you are online, for there are endless items and this works in your benefit for prices as well. You can find anything from clothes all the way to furniture!

It almost goes without saying that you can save time when you visit an online store. There are no lines, you are not sharing space with people who ram into you with carts or block the aisles. In addition to being time efficient, these shops are typically cost efficient as well. By taking advantage of comparison applications and web sites specializing in cost comparisons, you can save even more money. For example, many of them have extra specials, discounts, deals, and promotions.

For that matter, in many cases, you can find things online that cannot be found in stores. Even in popular stores, if you go to their web sites, you will find that many items can only be found exclusively online. As you can thus imagine, it often makes more sense to do your shopping on the internet anyway.

As you can see, shopping online is certainly the best option whenever you are thinking about going shopping. Not only are you saving time and money, but you will not be so stressed out or frustrated by the overall experience of shopping in a real store.

Take advantage of the technology out there that allows you to compare pricing and shop online via the internet, after all, price comparison and online shopping is very important and super easy to do!

Find more information and details about the benefits of bargain shopping. You can easily compare prices and find the perfect products easy and fast when you visit online today!

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Spring is here and it is time to finish putting away the excess layers of clothing we have been wearing during this unusually cold winter and start reconsidering our desire to shed some of the unwanted extra pounds we have carried around for far too long. For starters, no one wants to be called a couch potato; yet most of us acknowledge that by getting up from our favorite piece of living room furniture can be the first step toward reclaiming a healthy body.

For most of us, walking and jogging are typically the first choice of exercise we consider trying. However, many of us have physical limitations that make it difficult to jump back into the game. After the first few attempts at jogging, we get easily discouraged by the initial discomfort associated with knee and lower back pain. Adults know all to well the trials and tribulation of getting into an acceptable workout routine that suits our life style and time constraints.

What if I told you that I had discovered a fun and exciting new way to motivate yourself to get up off the couch, get yourself into shape and enjoy the gorgeous South Florida weather we experience all year round? With proper nutritional guidance, a fun looking pair of boots is the key to bouncing your way toward losing weight and getting physically fit. Kangoo Jumps are just what the doctor ordered. These specially designed boots are easy to use and remove 80% of the joint impact we experience while walking or running on hard surfaces. Research has shown the use of ‘rebounding’ reduces body fat while toning and shaping arms, legs, thighs, hips and abdomen. Rebound exercise increases heart muscle and a persons overall fitness level. According to Dr. Morton Walker, author of Jumping for Health, increased G-force (gravitational load) in ones work out strengthens the musculoskeletal systems and protects joints from chronic fatigue delivered on hard surfaces. G-force increases the capacity for respiration and circulates more oxygen to the body’s tissues and thus burning twice the amount of calories.

Our office has been a permanent fixture in the medical community since 1986. At the Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL) on University Drive, Dr. Elisabeth Cohn-Gelwasser can easily chart a patient’s progress utilizing our proprietary scale and testing methodology. Our body composition analysis is 99% accurate in determining how much body fat, muscle mass and water percentage each person possesses. The testing we perform can identify which arm or leg has more muscle mass versus fat mass. These results allow us to recognize how to best optimize your work out routine. In some cases B12 and Lipo B injections are utilized to increase metabolism and energy.

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser reports that many of us are unaware of the medical fact that the human body contains four times more lymph than blood. Our lymphatic system lacks a heart-like pump to move fluids through the body relying solely on gravitational forces for lymphatic circulation. Kangoo Jumps maximize this very process with each and every bounce and speed up the progress of ones weight loss. Kangoo Jumps and rebounding help manage body composition and improve overall muscle to fat ratio and can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Kangoo Jumps are an important enrichment tool of our extremely successful weight loss program. The boots are fun to use and encourage exercise and motion to all who use them. Keep in mind by exercising outdoors we can increase our vitamin D levels. If the sun is not your thing this revolutionary shoe can easily be used in the comfort of your own home. The choice is up to you. I use my shoes to run, jump rope, or race my kids up the block.

Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) use Kangoo Jumps in their astronaut program exclaiming that rebound exercise is the most effective, efficient and pleasant exercise available. Kangoo Jumps are safe and fun for the entire family. At CMWL, we sell boots to our medical weight loss patients, local athletes, entertainers, retired runners and anyone looking for a fun new way to exercise. In addition children weighing forty pounds or more can also enjoy jumping in these out of the ordinary boots.

I use Kangoo Jumps as part of my personal fitness routine and weight loss regimen and recommend all couch potatoes to get up and try on a pair. For a limited time CMWL will be selling Kangoo Jumps at a specially reduced price to insure the greatest number of additional jumpers in the community.

Gabriela Rosenthal, the author is a weight loss specialist at The Center for Medical Weight Loss on University Drive. She has lost more than 130 pounds and personally relates to the battle many people face while trying to lose weight. The Center is conveniently located at the intersection of Sheridan Street and University Drive in Pembroke Pines with extended office hours. To make an appointment with the doctor for your very own body composition analysis or to purchase your very own Kangoo Jumps call 954-966-5700 or visit www.cmwl.org. Email Gabriela directly at Gabriela@cmwl.org.

Gabriela Rosenthal, the author, is a weight loss professional with The Center for Medical Weight Loss at University Drive. She has personally dropped more than 130 pounds and realized the battle a lot of people fight with weight loss. For more information, check out www.cmwl.org

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Many physical fitness aficionados along with the typical exerciser nowadays still depend on lengthy moderately paced aerobic workout as the major routine for their lower ab workout and to try and burn body fat quickly. But the truth is the latest studies have demonstrated that this is often an enormous miscalculation. Essentially, one could suggest that the whole aerobic training explosion from a few decades back was probably one of the biggest errors within the health and fitness industry. Why?

The problem with most aerobic exercise is that it involves only moderate physical stress for a certain length of time. This can actually confuse your body, both in terms of weight gain and overall health. Your body may actually begin to store more fat after moderate aerobic exercise, because the fat burned during the workout triggers your body to create fat reserves for energy use in future physical activity. Also, the low or moderate-intensity workouts prepare your body to handle only moderate physical, mental, or emotional stress – which puts you at risk for health problems in the future. When your body is only equipped to handle moderate stresses, higher stresses – which are often encountered in real-life situations – may prove overwhelming. This type of training can potentially set you up for serious future health risks.

Although you will probably burn calories during your lower ab workout, your body will start to store fat as soon as the workout is over, so that it can be ready for your next workout session. In addition, if you do moderately paced aerobic exercises more than once a week, your body learns to be more efficient. This may sound good, but the results are actually very bad for your overall health and fitness.

You’re working only in your current aerobic limits, with out improving your own aerobic capability. This is important simply because your aerobic capability is what determines how your body responds in times of physical, emotional, and psychological stress. Should you reduce your capacity for work, as you do with this kind of exercise, you’re reducing your long-term health, not to mention an unlikely chance of losing body fat or weight.

The good news is, you can reverse these effects by instead focusing your workouts on high intensity resistance training, with workouts that last 15-20 minutes on average, and can only be performed 2-3 times per week. These workouts will burn carbohydrates instead of fat during the workout, and will cause your body to use its fat stores to replenish the burned carbs over the next 24 hours, after the workout is done!

Resistance training pushes your body to new levels, gradually strengthening all your body systems and increasing overall health. This is why these exercises are conducted only for short periods of time, 2-3 days a week. The body must be given a chance to recover and repair itself between workouts, which actually makes the body stronger in the long run. High-intensity resistance training can provide significant long-term health benefits, and can dramatically speed weight loss and provide a much better lower ab workout. It is a healthier, more helpful alternative than traditional aerobic exercise.

Want to find out more about Lower Ab Workouts, then visit Brandon Walker’s site on how to choose the best Variable Workouts for your needs.

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Dehydration is a common ailment, in spite of plenty of awareness about the importance of water intake for the body. Dehydration, in addition to causing fatigue and productivity loss, can also impede digestion, making it far more difficult to lose weight. Water is lost constantly throughout the day, from perspiration and even breathing – nearly a pint of water per day is lost through exhalation alone. However, water is crucial to digestive processes in the body, so for those hoping to lose weight, increased water intake can have a big impact.

If there is insufficient water available, the impact on the body could be significant and very unpleasant, leading to negative effects that may include things like putting on weight, decreased muscle, difficulty with digestive function, problems getting rid of harmful toxins, water retention, as well as joint and muscle pain. In other words, with out sufficient drinking water, it’s almost impossible to lose weight naturally.

It is recommended for adults to drink about eighty ounces of water per day, or ten eight-ounce glasses. Those who engage in intense physical activity – such as regular exercise – should drink even more water than that. For aiding in weight loss in those who are overweight, one extra glass of water per day for each twenty-five pounds of excess weight is also recommended. In addition, water should be consumed steadily throughout the day – if the daily amount of water is consumed all at once, or if several hours go by without water intake, it will not have the desired effect.

At the start, when you start to drink additional water than you’re used to, you might find yourself regularly going to the restroom, however this really is merely a temporary inconvenience. Within 2-3 weeks your system should really adjust and you’ll be able to urinate less frequently.

Finally, it must be pointed out that there’s a definite difference between water and some other liquids which simply consist of water. Although beverages like soft drinks, coffee, tea and juices include water, they just don’t have the same impact as 100 % pure drinking water does for your body. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take pleasure in them, however they really should not be regarded as alternatives for the 8 glasses of water each day. Beer, for instance, is mainly water but in addition consists of alcohol, which actually dehydrates our bodies; sugary sodas, meanwhile, can cause our bodies to store body fat simply by stimulating the release of insulin into the bloodstream. Threrefore, simply by drinking additional natural water, you are able to significantly enhance your likelihood of being successful when ever starting a brand new weight-loss regimen.

For more information and free resources about losing body fat for good, then check out the free videos and resources available on Mark Carter’s site forlosing weight fast

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Feeling tired, hungry, and cranky most of the time is no laughing matter. Many of us do not eat properly which could cause us to have many of these symptoms and more. Have you ever wondered where the saying “It isn’t over until the fat lady sings” came from. What does this mean? Does this mean that obese people sing better than people with a normal body mass index or fat percentage. It is thought to be a reference to opera, so many performances of which seem to end with a set-piece aria by a well-built soprano, but its recent links are mainly with sport, so much so that some people think that is the origin. None the less recent studies have shown that having a BMI greater than 25 is not healthy and the quality of life goes down as your BMI goes up.

Coming from a person who once weighed 260 pounds, the grass is definitely greener on the other side. I once wore a size 24 and now slip into a slender size 2. Although my singing voice was not better 130 pounds heavier, there are many more enjoyable things I can now do. Instead of not being able to walk to the park with my 4 kids and falling asleep at 3 in the afternoon we all now run to the park and play on the slides together. I even challenge them on the swing from time to time. We have a new improved relationship.

Treating people with weight problems has always been a daunting challenge for physicians. The solution is not as simple as telling patients to consume less food and I am personally familiar with this scenario from both sides of the weight loss fence. To date, I have lost over 120 pounds participating in the weight loss program offered by the Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL). I believe so strongly in their philosophy and products that I incorporated my professional career into my weight loss endeavor. I serve as the Weight Loss Specialist at the Center for Medical Weight Loss on University Drive, in Pembroke Pines, Florida. In my opinion, obesity is a disease plaguing the majority of Americans and as such the symptoms need to be treated under the direction of physicians through an individually customized weight loss program.

As Americans we are constantly bombarded through the media to be thin and the rising costs of healthcare are through the roof as a result of our nation being overweight. There are numerous rewards and benefits afforded to people who maintain a healthy lifestyle including emotional stability, becoming medication free and statistically less prone to life shortening diseases. Each day, I am approached by our patients asking me, “What should my normal weight be?” I tell them that normal weight needs to be gauged on an individual basis. On average, a person’s weight routinely fluctuates between 10 and 15 pounds. This does not mean the patient can not be considered healthy; on the contrary, I advise patients to avoid being consumed with these numbers and understand that this weight variation should be considered a safe zone allowing leeway for other things to develop such as self-esteem, empowerment and positive thinking. There is a fine line between normal weight and being categorized as overweight and once a patient’s weight loss maintenance has begun, I do not like to see them gain more than five pounds from their goal weight. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of overweight is, “the property of excessive fatness”. The term obese is classified as, “excessively fat”, or a “weighty man”. In the world of medicine we categorize a patient’s weight by determining their body mass index (BMI). The BMI provides the physician a definitive number which is used to calculate the percentage of body fat a person possesses. For example, a person between 20-25 is considered within the normal weight range. An individual scoring within 25-30 is categorized as overweight and those scoring between 30-40 are considered obese. Individuals scoring greater than 40 are categorized as morbidly obese and potentially 100 pounds overweight. Who is to say that a person within the normal range does not have 10-15 pounds more than the individual who’s BMI is closer to 20?

From a health standpoint the physicians at CMWL feel that it makes more sense to define obesity in terms of fat percentage and not solely by measuring weight or BMI. A normal fat percentage can range anywhere from 20-30% for women and 18-25% for men. Our practice also has proprietary equipment that provides us with a full body composition analysis which can be used to determine a patient’s fat percentage, resting metabolic rate and daily caloric count. This means that all of us are afforded some room to grow. According to Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser, “there may not be many benefits associated with carrying a little extra weight; however, being too thin can be extremely dangerous.” For example, a BMI less than 20 is categorized too thin. Gelwasser analyzes every patient with a battery of tests to insure that there are no signs of anorexia, bulimia or malnutrition. At CMWL, we always perform a comprehensive blood screening to determine whether or not there are any underlying medical conditions contributing to low body weight. . These results are needed to drop body fat to its lowest possible percentage while maintaining muscle mass and water percentage. Throughout history, society has embraced full figured women and it was considered fashionable to have love handles. However, in today’s America I prefer to slip on my skinny jeans.

Gabriela Rosenthal, the writer, is a weight reduction specialist with The Center for Medical weight reduction at University Drive. She has personally dropped more than a hundred thirty pounds and realized the battle a lot of people fight with weight reduction. For more information, check out www.cmwl.org

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