Weight Loss - how to measure body fat

There will come a point in your weight loss program where the bathroom scale will become misleading. People often do not realize that when following a safe weight loss program, they will notice a drop in their weight, but then a slight increase after that. This is because as your body tones up and you start putting on more muscle, your body weight will then increase. This is because muscle weighs more than fat and as your body tones up your weight will increase.

How to measure your body fat?

There are three ways to measure your body fat

1. Body fat measure calipers.

This is what most professionals use and involves pinching your fat/ skin in several places around your body and then measuring how much you have pinched using the caliper. If you are planning on using this, then the best one would be the Accumeasure Calipers. Its important to follow the product instructions for measuring your own body fat.

It basically involves you pinching your skin and then using the caliper and a specially provided chart to measure your body fat. Its that simple!

2. Home body Fat Scales

This is the easiest way of measuring your body fat, however, they are not as accurate as the calipers. To improve the accuracy of these scales, you should

Not eat or drink for at least 4 hrs before.

Do not exercise for 12 hrs prior to taking the test

3. Hydrostatic

This is the most accurate way of measuring the body fat, but unfortunately it also is the least practical one! This method is what the experts use to measure the body fat accurately. It, unfortunately, requires a hydrostatic weighing tank, which is not readily available to most people. As this is not a practical way of measuring your body fat, we will not be explaining this method in any more detail.

Children & Obesity

In simple terms, obesity is caused when the body stores excessive calories. Obesity in civilized countries is reaching epidemic proportions. What is worrying is that the children too are now more obese than ever before in the history of man kind!

Child Obesity and Weight Loss

Calories and Weight Loss

Weight loss depends on the amount of calorie intake. Calories are used by the body to perform its day-to-day functions. However, when the calories taken in is greater than the energy burnt, then the excess calories are stored as fat. The most common reasons for excessive consumption of calories are:

Psychological
Emotional
Lack of knowledge
Habit

calories and weight loss

Weight loss plans

There are a number of VERY dangerous diet plans used to target weight loss. A dangerous, or misleading, diet is one which provides "rapid" result. Remember, in order for a diet to be effective and safe, your body needs time to adjust to the change in your lifestyle. This is because rapid dieting will almost always have health consequences, and in fact research has also shown that as soon as your body adjusts to the diet, you will start to put on weight at even a higher rate than before.

Weight loss diet

Weight Loss plans to be avoided

For legal reasons we are unable to actually name dangerous or misleading weight loss diets, however, the following is a list which should help you identify these diets for yourself.

Any diet that cuts out any essential food groups (Specially carbohydrates!)
Any diet that promises or guarantees fast result
Any diet that involves you drinking only liquid food.
Any diet that involves you buying processed and ready made "food substitutes".

Weight loss diets

Diet

The food you eat is the single most important factor to the weight loss programs as a whole. Weight loss is only achieved through a healthy diet.

Weight loss diet and health

Exercise

Exercise is vital not only to a safe weight loss plan, but, is also crucial to the general operation and well being of the human body.

Weight loss exercise

Measuring Body Fat

Measuring the Body Fat is a much more accurate way of measuring how your weight loss program is going than using a bathroom scale. The bathroom scales are highly misleading!

Measure Body Fat

Swimming

Swimming is a VERY effective and safe way of burning calories. Its one of the safest ways of exercising as you do not put any excessive force on the joints.

Swimming

Walking

Walking is one of the safest form of exercise as you burn those calories without excessive wear and tear on the joints.

Walking

Pilates and Yoga

Pilates and Yoga are important to any weight loss program as they both encourage good body posture and alignment.

Pilates