adminHello gentle readers. I hope I find you all well and enjoying the cool rainy weather. . . But that should not keep you in the blankets!!!! Over the years our understanding of weight has changed drastically and technology has allowed us to get a better understanding of how weight affects our body and organs.
It’s not your total weight but the characteristics of that weight—how much is fat and where it’s deposited—that matters most.
Surprised? As with total cholesterol, total weight is just one general assessment of your health. Yes, people who are trying to lose weight are more likely to succeed if they weigh themselves often.
But seeing numbers that are within a healthy BMI range may actually disguise your heart disease risk. Keep them in perspective. It is important to measure your body fat. For a quick estimate of this key factor, wrap a cloth measuring tape around your naked waist just above your belly button. If your weight is fairly normal but the number you see above your navel is 35 inches or more (40+ inches for men), you may have NWO. For a more exact reading, ask your doctor (or health club) to measure your body fat. If it’s higher than 30 percent (20 percent for men), you likely have NWO.
Experts have long known that fat, active people can be healthier than their skinny, inactive counterparts. “Normal-weight persons who are sedentary and unfit are at much higher risk for mortality than obese persons who are active and fit,” For example, despite their ripples of fat, super-sized Sumo wrestlers probably have a better metabolic profile than some of their slim, sedentary spectators, Bell said.
That’s because the wrestlers’ fat is primarily stored under the skin, not streaking throughout their vital organs and muscles. The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “Even if you don’t see it on your bathroom scale, caloric restriction and physical exercise have an aggressive effect on visceral fat,”
Get a blood test. Ask your doctor to order a thorough blood analysis at your next physical. Warning signs of NWO include low HDL (total cholesterol and LDL may be normal), along with elevated triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Remember also it is vital to target belly fat. If you’re diagnosed with NWO, take aim at belly fat. Despite how entrenched it may seem, you can lose it.
The keys are: Avoid the white stuff (white bread, rice, pasta, and other refined carbohydrates). Add mono-unsaturated fats, which target belly fat, to your diet.
And do interval exercises to burn more fat and strength-training to build lean body mass. Just as you hop on the scale to keep tabs on your weight, do the same with your body fat. Have it measured periodically at your doctor’s office or health club. Or just observe the notches where your belt buckles.
Always remember to keep healthy and not aim to be skinny. It is hazardous to your internal organs and bone structures.
When it comes to being fit, experts say there is no short-cut. “If you just want to look thin, then maybe dieting is enough, but if you want to actually be healthy, then exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle.” Regardless of what the numbers (on the scale, on your clothes labels) say, it’s important to set goals that will not only make you “look good” but have you “feeling good” and that’s the truth!
Siba Guzha is a fitness trainer working at Body Focus Gym located at Meikles first floor, Mutare. Contact him at: Email: [email protected]; Cell: 0776886939/(020) 64712 ext 218
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