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Give Your Family a Health Makeover

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:14:18 PDT

Give Your Family a Health Makeover
Have you ever wished that ketchup were considered a vegetable? It would ease so much parental guilt.

The issue of family nutrition is ripe for guilt. The choices we as parents make have a direct effect on the health of each member of our family. Yet our daily life routine can make it difficult to create healthy mealtimes and habits. Still, until our kids reach a certain age, we are responsible for helping them make the choices that will guide them through adulthood.

Here are fourteen tips for giving your family a health makeover.

1. Do a Body Mass Index (BMI) check.
Is everyone in your family at an optimal weight? Find out by using a BMI calculator (which you can find by doing a simple Google search for �??BMI Calculator.�??) Enter each person�??s height and weight. Take a minute to talk about healthy weight and height and all the benefits of living a healthy life, from improved energy to the decreased likelihood of certain diseases. Make a plan together to help everyone get to his or her optimal weight in the months to come. There are lots of support networks and diets online that can help you achieve this end, for people of ages.

2. Write down your goals.
As a family, write down what each person pledges to do in the coming weeks and months to become a healthier person. It�??s best to start with one or two specific goals. If you choose too many things at first, you are more likely to become overwhelmed and quit. Small changes can lead to big differences in your life.

3. Make your health goals into a family game.
Talk about the healthy choices each person made each day. Reward these choices on a daily or weekly basis.

4. Cut down on soft drinks.
Replace one or two sugary soft drinks or energy drinks each day with water. You can add a splash of lemon or lime juice if it helps make plain water more palatable at first. Once you start drinking a lot of water, you will begin to crave it, and you will no longer feel like the sugary drinks do much to quench your thirst.
5. Drink more water.
A good rule of thumb is to drink one-half ounce of water for every pound of body weight. Calculate out how much water each person in your family should be drinking each day. Once you are hydrated, you may find that you sleep better and are better able to keep your moods on an even keel, too.

6. Eat breakfast together.
Enjoying a family mealtime is a great way to stay emotionally connected. Start your day with the family by eating a nutritious breakfast. Make sure to include some form of lean protein to help you maximize your energy.

7. Exercise together.
Think of ways you can combine family togetherness with exercise. Take a walk together in the evenings, and go sledding or bicycling on the weekend.

8. Is there anywhere you can walk instead of drive as a family? Or consider taking your bikes.

9. Subscribe to healthy living magazines and encourage everyone to read about the latest research on how nutrition affects our lives, and stay motivated to exercise and live a healthy, fit life. A good fitness magazine can be tremendously motivating.

10. Cut down on your television.
If you do watch TV, watch it together as a family and use the programming as spark for family conversations.

11. Turn off the TV when you eat breakfast or dinner together.
Without the accompaniment of TV or radio, you�??ll be more aware of what you are eating, and how much you are eating. Plus, you�??ll be able to more closely bond with your family during the meal. Start each meal with a ritual conversation starter. �??What was the best thing about your day?�?? is a great one.

12. In addition to TV time, try limiting video games and computer time, too.
Plan a family game night with a favorite board game. Do household chores together. Join an organized sports league.
13. Make healthy alternatives readily available.
Set a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, as well as bowl of carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas and raw broccoli.

14. Go easy on yourself.
Remember that the example you set will be followed by your children. One of the most important methods for creating a healthy family is to make your health and fitness a priority by staying active and making nutritious food choices, and they likely will, too. ***

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By Jamie Jefferson
Jamie Jefferson is a frequent contributor to Momscape.com, where you can find diet reviews and special promotional coupons on the most popular weight loss programs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson

Lose Weight While Sleeping With the Sleep Diet

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:10:38 PDT

Lose Weight While Sleeping With the Sleep Diet
The secret for a perfect weight may be in a good night�??s sleep and a specific meal schedule, according to the sleep diet creators. The effects of proper sleeping may show up soon if certain meal times are respected according to your sleep program. The sleep diet is based on the control of hormones which may play a role in losing weight, according to specialists. While you are sleeping, three hormones have an intense activity.

The raising hormone regenerates muscles and burns fats, the testosterone helps rebuild tissues, and leptine rejects the hunger sensation during nighttime. These hormones help burn fat if the a certain diet is followed during daytime and the sleep schedule is appropriate, according to the diet�??s creators.

The menu presented below is for people with a normal sleep schedule. It is essential to stick to the recommended mealtimes and skip no meal. Snacks are not allowed, but drinks are permitted in large amounts. Breakfast should be taken between 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. and should include glucides like bread with jam or honey. Dieters may also have coffee, juice, or tea. They should avoid milk, meat, eggs, and pressed cheese. Breakfast will increase the levels of insulin, but the body will be full of energy for the rest of the day. Take a five hours break between breakfast and lunch.

For lunch, dieters may consume as much food as they want to. They should eat proteins along with glucides. For instance, pasta with vegetables, fish with rice, meat with potatoes, and even dessert are allowed. Dinner should come at five hours after lunch. During this period, you may drink unsweetened tea, coffee, or water.

Glucides are not allowed for dinner. Thus, dieters should not consume cereals, pasta, sweet fruits, juices, potatoes, or corn. However, they can eat meat, fish, yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, vegetables, or salad. The body will not produce insulin and will start burning fats. ***

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By Vicky Lynum
To read the rest of this article, go to Project Weight Loss, an online weight loss community featuring calorie counter, carbs counter, BMI calculator, diet planner, workout planner and other weight loss tools.
For free weight loss tools and diets, visit Project Weight Loss a growing weight loss community featuring BMI calculator, calorie counter, carbs counter, diet planner, workout planner, and many other weight loss tools. Visit Project Weight Loss and start losing weight today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicky_Lynum

Lose Weight While Catching Tan - the Benefits of Sun Exposure

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:08:35 PDT

Lose Weight While Catching Tan - the Benefits of Sun Exposure
Sun exposure may lead to weight loss because the ultraviolets stimulate the secretion of a hormone of the pineal gland. This hormone burns the fats under the skin. The hormone`s effect is benefic if dieters follow a certain �??beach�?? program during the summer, according to recent studies.

The efficiency of this program also depends on the diet that dieters follow, and the hours of sleep. The ultraviolets should be avoided in the first seventy or eighty minutes after sunrise. The ultraviolets during this period may have unwanted effects, such as gaining weight, for sixty-five percent of the women and seventy percent of the men. Dieters should not consume sweet beverages during the first three hours after sunrise.

These beverages contain artificial sweeteners that may lower the level of certain hormones. Dieters should avoid mineral water when they are at the beach and do not expose to the sun for more than an hour per day. It is not recommended to go to the beach between 11:30a.m and 3:30p.m.

Always consume water each time you feel thirsty and you`re at the beach and sleep between thirty minutes and an hour and half after beach. Do not consume sweet, distilled beverages within one hour before going to sleep.

Easy workout or sports are required before each session of sun exposure. In the evening, it`s good to go to the beach at around 6.00 p.m. and until sunset, and try to fall asleep on a comfortable support. The soft, comfortable sensations stimulates certain substances that enhance the ultraviolet`s effect.

To read the rest of this article, go to Project Weight Loss, an online weight loss community featuring calorie counter, carbs counter, BMI calculator, diet planner, workout planner and other weight loss tools. ***

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By Vicky Lynum
(c) Project Weight Loss 2007. All rights reserved.
For free weight loss tools and diets, visit Project Weight Loss a growing weight loss community featuring BMI calculator, calorie counter, carbs counter, diet planner, workout planner, and many other weight loss tools. Visit Project Weight Loss and start losing weight today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicky_Lynum

Count Your Chances �?? Obesity Calculator

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:05:33 PDT

Count Your Chances �?? Obesity Calculator
It is necessary to know how overweight and obesity are defined and measured. An introduction to these things helps us understand and find our place in the chances for obesity. Calculating your chances for obesity may take a lot of patience. It is good though that our helpful health providers have devised a way for patients to determine their weight condition easily. An obesity calculator makes the process of weight measurement comprehensible and convenient to use.
The obesity calculator doesn�??t actually need a special calculating device in order to use. There is a lot of free obesity calculator software in the internet, available usually in health and wellness web sites. Just a few clicks and you got your BMI. But did you know that you can compute for your BMI on your own?

The body mass index or the BMI obesity calculator is a special formula designed to measure the amount of body fat in a person�??s body. Since not all overweight people are fat people (for example body-builders), being informed of your exact BMI and the related changes in your body allows you to know as early if you are obese. And if you�??re not, wouldn�??t it feel good to know you�??re not obese even it seems you are? Even thin people also get the advantage of knowing the balance between their lean muscles and fats. The method is fairly easy.

The BMI calculates based on the standard relationship between height and weight. Though it doesn�??t measure the exact percentage of fat in your body, it does measure the (right) proportion of your fat and muscles. And since it is not gender-specific and effective as well as easy to use, it is the choice-measurement used by most obesity researchers and other health professionals.

Though, you don�??t need to be an expert at all. You�??re already on your way to having your obesity calculator once you know your math. The BMI is computed by dividing a person�??s weight (in kilograms) by his height (in meters) squared. In figures: weight (kg) / height squared (m²). If you want to use pounds and inches, just multiply your weight (lbs.) by 700, then divide the result by your height (in.), and then divide that again by your height in inches. A BMI that is less than 18.5 is considered underweight. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered normal-weight. A BMI of 25- 29.9 is considered overweight.

In essence, you will be able to have a personal conviction with your weight- health once you become knowledgeable of what goes on with of your BMI as you follow through with its development. �?? It�??s having a personal obesity calculator onwards to giving you either relief, or attention. ***

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By Milos Pesic
Milos Pesic is an expert in the field of Weight Loss and Obesity and runs a highly popular and comprehensive Obesity web site. For more articles and resources on Obesity and Weight Loss related topics, symptoms and treatments visit his site at:
=>http://obesity.need-to-know.net/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

Why You Should Use A Body Mass Index BMI Calculator

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:03:18 PDT

Why You Should Use A Body Mass Index BMI Calculator
Body mass index is defined as the individuals body weight divided by their height in inches. It is a measure of obesity (or non-obesity). BMI is not a diagnostic tool, it is an indicator of weight status. It is a better indicator of excess body fat than body weight measurement alone, which is why medical professionals rely on the universal body mass index scale when evaluating patients health.

The Body Mass Index is generally used as a means of correlation between groups related by general mass and can serve as a vague means of estimating adiposity. This is just one of many factors related to developing a chronic disease (such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes). As a measure, it became popular during the early 1950s and 60s as obesity started to become a discernible issue in prosperous Western society.

Obesity has become increasingly prevalent in the United States and in Europe over the past several decades. Obesity has been linked to the increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and other health problems. About 14% of cancer related deaths are due to obesity in men over 50 years of age. BMI for adults fall into one of these categories, normal, overweight, obese, or underweight. The only disadvantage of using the Body Mass Index is the difficulty in interpreting the units to actual weight (in pounds) that must be lost.

A BMI nearing 15 is usually used as an indicator for starvation and the health risks involved such as anorexia nervosa. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or if their weight is 20% greater the average person in their age and gender. Extreme obesity is a BMI of 40 or more which is found in 2% of men and 4% of women in the US.

In the United States, it is also used as a measure of being underweight from suffering with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, BMI categories do not take into account many factors such as frame size and muscularity.

In fact, some argue that the error in the BMI is significant and so pervasive that it is not generally useful in evaluation of health. For instance, professional football players who bulk up could be considered obese but are in very good shape and the scale might not reflect their overall health.

If your body mass index is 30 or higher it is recommended that you seek help with progressive weight loss through diet combined with regular exercise such as walking daily.

While the technique for calculating body mass index is the same as in adults, the results are measured differently in children because they are still growing. ***

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By Brad Gibala
Brad writes about health issues. If you are concerned about your health be sure to check out a free bmi calculator to figure out what your body mass index is from OnlineCalculating.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Gibala

How To Determine Your Ideal Body Weight

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:59:58 PDT

How To Determine Your Ideal Body Weight
Use the body mass index (BMI) to calculate your ideal healthy body weight. The BMI calculator is a method used to determine whether you are currently underweight, overweight or obese. This test works for all age groups, genders and body types.

Here's how it works. Take your weight in pounds and divide by your height in inches squared.
Weight in pounds / (Height in inches) x (Height in inches)
Multiply this figure by 703 to calculate BMI

Here's the scale to measure your results:
-BMI below 20 is considered underweight
-BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight
-BMI over 30 is considered obese

Example
Let's take a 220 pound male who's 6 feet 2 inches tall and calculate his BMI.
6 feet two inches = 72 inches
72 x 72 =5184
220/5184 = 0.0424
0.0424 x 703 = 29

By looking at the BMI scale, we can see that the subject of our example is overweight.

The BMI calculator is just a way for you to confirm, through objective means, that you need to lose some pounds. How many pounds should you shed? That's entirely up to you. You know your tendencies and you know what makes you feel comfortable. Use the BMI index to get a general idea of where you need to go. Set up an ideal scenario where you lose a certain amount of pounds. Be reasonable with your weight loss plans. Set goals that you know you can achieve.

Analyze your eating habits. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Enable good behavior and try to limit unhealthy tendencies. If you eat lots of fruits and veggies or cook complete meals, these are things that you can build on. If you overeat, miss meals or snack too much, then these are habits that'll require adjustment. Discover the reasoning behind your personal eating habits. Do you overeat when you get emotional, bored, lonely or stressed? When you find out what's driving your behavior, you'll be better prepared to adjust your habits.

Think about past diets or weight loss plans that you have experienced. What was successful about your previous efforts? What aspects of your previous weight loss attempts were unsuccessful? If you need a diet solution that'll allow you to be flexible, consider the UnDiet weight control system. UnDiet is a system of supplements designed to improve your metabolic rate and control bouts of hunger. UnDiet is an effective, convenient and unrestrictive way to jumpstart a long-term weight loss strategy.

Once you've identified your strengths, weaknesses and ideal body weight, you can then begin to craft a strategy for long-term weight loss. This strategy will be based on healthy eating and exercise. Just make sure that you can find the right balance between calorie intake and calorie burning. ***

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By Chris Stout
Chris Stout, after experiencing his own dietary frustrations, has become an expert on weight loss as well as other health related topics. Chris offers helpful advice and useful tips regarding dietary problems and weight loss in his articles for Medgen. You can find more great information and products for weight loss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Stout

Weight Loss Using BMI And BMR

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:56:44 PDT

Weight Loss Using BMI And BMR
Weight Loss seems almost impossibly complicated for us normal people. We struggle with this program and that, never understanding what's going on and being made to feel guilty if we don't look like a TV celebrity. It's really quite simple...we gain when we take in more calories than we use up...we lose when we take in less. The trick is in knowing how much we should weigh, the number of calories we need and how to balance our diet to get those calories in a healthy way. Fortunately, BMI and BMR can help us know what we need to get to the right weight.

BMI-Body Mass Index: The BMI can give us an approximation of what we should weigh, based, primarily on our height. All you need to do is plug your height and weight into an online Calculator (see BMI Calculator link below) to find out if you're underweight, normal, overweight or obese. Then work the weight numbers backwards to find out what "normal" is for your height. Now, I strongly believe the person who invented this was anorexic, so, don't be surprised at how light "normal" is. I said it was an approximation! There are wide variations in healthy weight among humans of the same height, like sex and frame size. Another common variation is, as we get older, we can afford to be a little more, shall we say, fluffy. The point is, you now have a way to figure out how much you should weigh based on something more objective than the TV.

BMR-Basal Metabolic Rate: Your BMR is basically, the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. Like the BMI, it's an approximation. If you're an athlete, for instance, you'll need many more calories...couch potatoes need less, but then, couch potatoes don't read this far into a health article. To get your BMR, simply enter your sex, age and weight into a Calculator (see BMR Calorie Burning Calculator below). The number you get out is the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Using The BMI And BMR For Weight Loss: Now, here's where BMI and BMR can be powerful weight loss tools. The BMI Calculator page instructs you how to adjust the BMI for the two most common variations...sex and frame size. Once you've taken the BMI normal weight and adjusted it for sex and frame size, you have your "goal" weight. Instead of your current weight, enter this "goal" along with your sex and age into the BMR Calorie Burning Calculator. The new number of calories are the daily amount you need to slowly lose weight down to your goal and maintain it (optimum calories). Of course, check all of this with your doctor before making any changes because certain medical conditions require special consideration. Still, with BMR and BMI, it's pretty easy to know where the goal line is...the final step is how to get to the goal line.

Fat, Protein, Carbs, Fiber, Water: Once you know your optimum calories, it's simply a matter of balancing your daily food intake to add up to that total. There are so many different ideas of how to do that, I'm only going to glance over it in this article. In the near future I'll be publishing articles to cover different dietary balance styles for different circumstances. The new USDA Food Pyramid can give you good ideas on balancing your fats, proteins, carbs, fiber and water. If you make sure to keep your diet balanced and keep the daily calories near your optimum, you should slowly and comfortably lose weight until you reach your goal. As an added plus, once you get to the goal, you don't have to change a thing...you've been doing the right thing all along. ***

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By Glen D. Williams
Glen Williams is founder and CEO of EHF, Inc. and Webmaster for http://www.e-health-fitness.com. He has done extensive research on personal and family health and fitness issues and has been helping and advising people on health since 1987.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glen_D._Williams

Is it Possible to Lose Weight Fast?

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:08:00 PDT

Is it Possible to Lose Weight Fast?
Want to slim down fast? While there are many things you can do to shed pounds, losing weight to quickly, like any sudden change to your body, can be dangerous. While fad diets, diets pills, and fasting may indeed induce rapid weight loss, these methods can cause you to lose muscles and may also injure your heart and other organs fairly quickly. The best solution? Don't go overnight miracle. It's been hilarious when people talk wildly about how they're on a diet. In reality, we're all on diets. If you eat, you're on some kind of diet. Obviously folks of diets plans they most likely want to talk about the aid in dropping a few pounds.

They want a diet plan that allows them to lose weight quickly, and not have to put much effort fourth. Well, it's a great idea and good luck with that! If you really intend to get the weight off and keep it that way, you might have to put some elbow grease into the process. A successful weight loss strategy based on reducing calorie intake and increasing activity can be adjusted to maintain your desired weight once you reach it. In addition, weight training, no matter what your age, prevents muscle atrophy and can help stave off osteoporosisis.

Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories, through exercise and your daily activities, than you take in. Exercise alone won't make you lose weight if you're still taking in more calories that you burn. Therefore you should exercise harder and eat more protein dense, clean foods; making your calories burned not too far off from your calories taken in well raise your metabolism and allow you to burn fat effortlessly.

Losing weight fast is not an easy as you think. The most effective way to lose weight is to diet and exercise. I've even tried weight loss with hypnosis for a while with pretty good results. Making good decisions about what you eat and how much you eat will go a long way in losing weight. Having an exercise routine that you can keep up with will ensure that you keep the weight off. Remember, you can lose weight either by decreasing your calorie intake or increasing the number of calories you burn. Any strategy should include both, but if you want to lose weight fast, exercise is essential. You need to consult on your doctor if you want to use a diet pills in order to lose weight fast because this kind too dangerous decision.

My wife and teenage daughter is an example and they are both on diet plans that will apparently help them shed body fat. These are eating plans that they both invented on their own. Even though my wife's is literally practical, since she sticks to a low-fat, low-sugar meal plan consisting of small portions at a time; my daughter's is not so realistic. She has cut fast food and sugary desserts out of her daily food consumption, but she eats too large of portions. Losing weight goal quickly is a terrible idea. She incorporates way too many carbs and condiments into her meals. It's like she can't eat without ketchup, pickle relish, mayonnaise and salad dressing. Oh, and let's not forget bread. She has white bread with every meal. I keep on telling her that condiments are not good for the body because it loaded with sugar and sodium. And the bread consists of bad carbs, which will break down into sugar and most likely get stored as fat. And she hasn't listen to me and no progress happened to her in losing her weight. In order to successfully lose weight quickly you have to adopt a healthy diet, consisting of smaller portions.

Several people look for diets that will help them lose weight fast. The truth it is that there is no diet out there that will help you lose weight fast. The goal is too lose weight fast, not just weight in general, if you are doing in strength training during your weight loss, you might actually see an initial gain in weight. Don't worry you have probably lost fat and gained muscle, which is denser than fat and it much healthier. The reality is that most people will fail if trying to follow these diets because they are not based on realistic and practical methods.

One day when I wake up I found out that vigorous exercise routine in hopes that will help you lose weight fast is not a good idea. If you are seriously overweight or not in very good shape, there is a very good chance that you will overdo it physically. Generally, you want to - with a combination of calorie reduction and increased activity - reduce and burn a certain number of calories a day, causing a net loss of calories so your body is forced to use its own stores of fat. How much aerobic exercise you need to perform depends on what you eat, how fast you'd like to lose weight, and how much muscle you gain. With regard to weights, men and women differ on their goals with weight training. Women, don't worry, no amount of weight training will make you as bulky as a man; women just don't have enough testosterone to build large muscles. Just like diet, having a realistic exercise plan that you can follow every day for the rest of your life is the only way to lose weight and keep it off for good.

On the other, hand quick fixes of surgical procedures are very risky so you must ask yourself if you are willing to die to be skinny. And drastic measures such as gastric bypass surgery or the lap band surgery should be thought out for months before you seriously consider doing it. "Quick fix" is not healthy! if you're striving to lose weight quickly and many of them pull water from your muscles and organs so that it appears you've lost weight. It's common sense that this is NOT HEALTHY. The best way to lose weight quickly is still through healthy dieting and regular exercise.

No matter what the magazine article says, spot improving is a myth! When your body burns fat, it takes it from all over your body, even if all you do are crunches. Remember your body needs 'fuel' just like a car needs 'fuel'. Your body needs the 'right' kinds of food to lose weight effectively. Crizza weight loss with hypnosis ***

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by Crizza Reyes

Hoodia Gordonii Products for Weight Reduction

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:04:14 PDT

Hoodia Gordonii Products for Weight Reduction
Hoodia is found in southern regions of Africa and a member of the cactus plant family. Over the last couple of years, Hoodia has overtly been used in the weight loss market and has gained huge popularity as a dieting supplement. If you are in search of correct information on Hoodia products, you must have come across much contradictory and misinformation on the internet about Hoodia.

The CBS and even 60 minutes broadcast program on using Hoodia as an "appetite suppressant" has spread mayhem like wildfire across the globe the amazing effect of this plant as a weight reduction agent. Because of this quick popularity that Hoodia has achieved one can very easily now find different brands of Hoodia products showing up everyday. Various in depth research suggest Hoodia products are very effective for reducing weight.

One who intends to purchase hoodia products s/he has to consider many important factors prior to the purchase to become a smart buyer. One has to make sure that s/he is getting real Hoodia so one can enjoy the weight loss benefits and not squander the money around. The Hoodia product comparison chart is compiled with the best priced Hoodia at the top and the cheap priced product at the bottom. It is essential to consider that although price is important, testing and other factors are equally important points prior to the purchase of Hoodia.

The Desert Burn Hoodia brand we found for random independent testing has received most certification so far. Both the Desert Burn Hoodia and Hoodoba Pure passed Alkemist Pharmaceuticals independent test of authenticity. The certification and testing are important factors to establish the authenticity of different brands of Hoodia products. Now a lot of Hoodia consumers are also vocal on being able to return Hoodia Products if they don't work for them. The three big Hoodia product companies that assure the best return policies were Hoodia 750, with a 200% Guarantee and both Optimum Hoodia and Hoodia XR are the only two brands available in the market to allow return of opened bottles.***

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by Wouter Van Dyck
Wouter Van Dyck wrote many articles about different weight loss plans. He has experienced dozens of programs himself over the years but finally found a solution. You can read more about losing weight and more reviews of hoodia diet pills by visiting the Hoodia diet pills review website: http://www.hoodiadietpillsreview.com where you can receive your FREE Diet and Health E-book.

Can Hoodia xpf Diet Pills Really Help Me Lose Weight?

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:01:08 PDT

Can Hoodia xpf Diet Pills Really Help Me Lose Weight?
When the question of weight-loss arises, people always favor awkward methods. People don't want to learn ?Dietary Fundamentals'; they don't want to pursue healthy food habits. In fact many of you are still looking for overnight results. And that is the reason for hundreds of diet-pills and weight loss supplements on the market. The latest arrival on the Weight Loss circuit is an unbeatable African luscious product known as Hoodia Gordonii.

How does Hoodia Diet Pill Breaking Barrier?For decades, the diet pill industry has been an all-natural appetite suppressant with no side effects other than the intended weight loss. However many diet pills became very popular within a shot span of time. While many of these worked, they often came with a heavy list of side effects. After a preliminary flurry of sales and excitement, most were dumped off due to dangers associated with its use, and some were even debarred from selling. Hoodia diet pills were launched in the U.S. market in early 2004; Hoodia Gordonii product has been steadily penetrating the market as a powerful appetite reducer that can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly boosted through a wide coverage by media giants ABC News and BBC News.

According to Phytopharm, the company that holds the patent on the process to extract ?P57' an active ingredient from hoodia, human subjects taking hoodia roots reduced their calorie intake by as much as 2k calories a day. So figures are impressive, and so far the overall results are satisfactory.

Is Hoodia Safe?Since major News desks like ABC News and BBC News endorse Hoodia diet pill, scammers found it's extremely easy to sell junks in the name of Hoodia. Many hoodia supplements available on the market actually do not have Hoodia Gordonii. Some even contains dangerous chemicals. Obviously it's hard to tell which Company sells genuine products and who don't. However before rushing to purchase a Hoodia product, consult your doctor, check the product certificate and take guidance from your colleague who has already used the product. Be alert, don't allow you to be cheated. Hoodia is a very expensive plant. So it's virtually impossible to sell Hoodia at a peanut price.

For more information visit: When the question of weight-loss arises, people always favor awkward methods. People don't want to learn ?Dietary Fundamentals'; they don't want to pursue healthy food habits. In fact many of you are still looking for overnight results. And that is the reason for hundreds of diet-pills and weight loss supplements on the market. The latest arrival on the Weight Loss circuit is an unbeatable African luscious product known as Hoodia Gordonii.

How does Hoodia Diet Pill Breaking Barrier?For decades, the diet pill industry has been an all-natural appetite suppressant with no side effects other than the intended weight loss. However many diet pills became very popular within a shot span of time. While many of these worked, they often came with a heavy list of side effects. After a preliminary flurry of sales and excitement, most were dumped off due to dangers associated with its use, and some were even debarred from selling. Hoodia diet pills were launched in the U.S. market in early 2004; Hoodia Gordonii product has been steadily penetrating the market as a powerful appetite reducer that can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly boosted through a wide coverage by media giants ABC News and BBC News.

According to Phytopharm, the company that holds the patent on the process to extract ?P57' an active ingredient from hoodia, human subjects taking hoodia roots reduced their calorie intake by as much as 2k calories a day. So figures are impressive, and so far the overall results are satisfactory.

Is Hoodia Safe?Since major News desks like ABC News and BBC News endorse Hoodia diet pill, scammers found it's extremely easy to sell junks in the name of Hoodia. Many hoodia supplements available on the market actually do not have Hoodia Gordonii. Some even contains dangerous chemicals. Obviously it's hard to tell which Company sells genuine products and who don't. However before rushing to purchase a Hoodia product, consult your doctor, check the product certificate and take guidance from your colleague who has already used the product. Be alert, don't allow you to be cheated. Hoodia is a very expensive plant. So it's virtually impossible to sell Hoodia at a peanut price.***

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by Urs Fehr
For more information visit: Hoodia xpf Gordonii Plus
Urs Fehr is an online product reviewer. Their latest review, Hoodia Gordonii Plus is now available.

Rapid Weight Loss Diet Plan - 5 Tips for Your Weekly Weight Loss Diet Plan

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:58:23 PDT

Rapid Weight Loss Diet Plan - 5 Tips for Your Weekly Weight Loss Diet Plan
Whether you are following a rapid weight loss diet plan or trying to lose weight slowly, you are facing a life style change that is totally based on how your work week goes. Usually most work weeks are filled with long commutes, long hours and perhaps social outings that seem to deliberately throw us off from our plans. If you need to loose weight quickly, then you need to be near perfect in executing your weight loss plan.

Here are five tips you help you be most effective in losing weight. These should be part of your weekly routine. Please note these tips require some thought and it is suggested you execute some of these items on your day off. Create your weekly menu On a rapid weight loss diet plan, your success or failure is solely based on what you eat and what you don�??t eat. So, you should create a menu. The menu should serve as a guide to every meal you will eat during the week. I suggest you buy a spiral note book or composition book and date the menus you create. This way you can take notes and review past menus. Keep the menu with you during the week and mark down if you ate what you planned. Also make notes of when you cheated.

Create your shopping list and go shopping After you create your menu, you need to look at the meals you have planned and make a shopping list. Your shopping list should be very simple with only the items that support your menu. Identify Possible Cheat Days for the upcoming week No matter how hard you try to lose weight you will always be in a situation where you may be tempted to over eat. This includes social outings with co-workers or friends. Identifying these days will help you over come them.

Prepare your meals ahead of time. Preparing your meals ahead of time provides the following: you are making a commitment to eat that meal and you are ensuring yourself you are going to eat a meal that is helping you reach your weight loss goals. Review your week Always review the week to see how successful you where with your weekly menu. You�??ll be able to see what you worked and didn�??t work. Simply, take a look at your menu and then review the meals you ate. If you took good notes, then you�??ll be able to use the review process as a learning experience to fine tune your rapid weight loss diet. Why do some people lose weight and stay thin all the time? ***

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by John Purfield
For more free tips on weight loss, we have created a free report "5 Things You Can Do Right Away to Start Getting in Shape (Even if you are busy!)" Get The Report: http://addfitness.com/newsletter.asp

What is the Surest and Simplest Way to Lose Weight?

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:54:41 PDT

What is the Surest and Simplest Way to Lose Weight?
You was downright obsessed with your weight for a long time. And like most dieters, you tried everything - low calorie, starvation, the liquid fasts, ephedra, Atkins, South Beach...you name it, you've probably tried it. Every body knows that those extra pounds spell illness. 10% of your daily caloric intake is used to process foods in your body. It is more about staying fit and remaining healthy to ensure a long, disease free life. Don't confuse WEIGHT loss with FAT loss! You just have to choose the right foods, make exercise a part of your lifestyle and to have a positive attitude. And keep in mind that ALL you eating should be a pleasure.

Tips and recommendations for an easy and successful weight loss method that is largely ignored by the vast majority of people... - Set a goal. Figure out how fast you can do it, then create a plan to increase your vitality. Incorporating exercise and good nutrition into your daily routine. - Don�??t make too many changes at once. Start with small changes. Check your weight before you start your diet and keep checking for changes but do not expect a radical change immediately, it might be one or two weeks before you notice some change.

However it is crucial that you continue to monitor your weight. - Start your day with a glass of water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and and fitter. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all. - Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. - Learn about the nutrients contained in the foods you eat. Provide the body with all the essential nutrients for a long and healthful life. - Eat small portions, about 5 or 6 times each day�?� Don�??t skip breakfast and Don�??t eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed. This helps keep your metabolic rate high, and helps you lose weight naturally. - Avoid wasting calories on alcoholic beverages.

The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. - Lose or gain weight because you want to and not to please others. - Don�??t expect immediate results�?� Your results will come in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in. - Avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white sugar. Each time you consume something sweet understand that it is going to add on somewhere. - Go easy on salt, as too much salt is one of the causes of obesity. Make it a point to really cut down on salt. - Choose fruits, vegetables or whole-grain products. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can. - Challenge yourself to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Try to eat your vegetables raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. - Exercise is the best way to keep obesity, hypertension and all those lifestyle-related disorders under control.

Exercise and positive attitude are the only things you need to lose fat permanently�?� In order to stay fit you need exercise and in order to exercise you need to be fit. - Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. And try to get somebody to exercise along with you. One of the advantages of getting a committed person t exercise with you is that it keeps you going. - You must to learn: WHAT to eat, WHEN to eat it, HOW to manipulate your calories so that you're constantly losing weight. - Celebrate each small success and keep in mind every small step in the right direction is bringing you closer mand closer to your main target.

The rule to be followed is slow and steady wins the race. Below I have included a table of the various exercises and the number of calories that can be burnt with each exercise. Choose what you can do best and try to do whatever you wish to do for at least twenty minutes.
· Aerobics ==> 200-250 calories
· Bicycling, Stationary ==> 250-300 calories
· Bicycling, Actual ==> 300-400 calories
· Running, 5-6 mph ==> 300-350 calories
· Stair climber ==> 200-250 calories
· Swimming laps ==> 350 calories
· Walking briskly ==> 150-180 calories Eat intelligently.
The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence while beasts are driven by instinct. Don�??t just eat something because you feel like eating it. Don't think diet, just eat and lose weight! And Think Like a Winner! ***

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by Anne-Marie RONSEN
The article offered here is submitted as information only and not to be used for the treatment of injury or disease. If you have an injury or think you may have a disease of any type see your healthcare professional immediately.

BMI Calculator | 10 Points for Your Best Answer?

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:32:35 PDT

10 Points for Your Best Answer?
Ok, i have a question i think i might have asthma how would the docter check me for that? Like what kind of test would the o and how do them?

Your Answer Questions and Comments:

BMI Calculator by Exclaim
My doctor had me blow into a tube with a meter on it.
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BMI Calculator by �?�Nicole
He will check your breathing & ask you questions like if you run out of breath fast. Hope you get better =)
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BMI Calculator by Amanda Leigh
There is not test for it honestly. i have never had asthma before but recently 2 years ago when i was 19 i started having shortness of breath and wheezing. I went to the doctor and she told me that I had asthma, after listening to my lungs, and prescribed me an inhaler. since then i use it when i have difficulty breathing and most of the time it works really well. it makes me a little jumpy, but other than that it helps.
The person that answered with the breathing into the tube thing, isnt to test for asthma, its to test how much your oxygen intake is. they also can put this little reader on the tip of your finger to test it as well. the doctor just has to listen to your lungs and can make a diagnosis from there. good luck. hope you feel better.
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BMI Calculator by Dang-God Didnt say Lifes rated R
ull have to blow into something to see if u test positive- good thing its not a Breathalyzer
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BMI Calculator by candy697...
They have tests where they make you breath into machines and the levels of oxygen pressure that you have will tell the doctor if you have asthma or not.
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BMI Calculator by veroncci
The doctor would use a stethescope and listen to your breathing. Usually after vigourous activity. They will most likely give you an inhailor.
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BMI Calculator by tbteddy6...
He will have you breath into a tube to test how strong you can breath, listen to your lungs..etc...
Pick me for the best answer, please, pretty please....I'll be your best friend...
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BMI Calculator by �?�FobxoPe...
They have this test on a computer and make you blow into this thing and they can determine if you have asthma that way. That's how they found out I have asthma
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BMI Calculator by Karmel
You would do a series of breathing test, check you heart rate and you pulse.. May take chest xrays also...
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BMI Calculator by suhailka...
He will ask about your daily life routines and ask if you had difficulty breathing at any time and then prescribe your treatment based on that..
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BMI Calculator by kingspad...
They wouldn't check you for it. They would see if you had any symptoms. Like if you have trouble breathing when you run or if you play sports
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BMI Calculator by Amy+Josh...
breathing treatments are a big one
maybe a culture
my brother found out bc one night he woke up and couldnt breathe and was blue
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BMI Calculator by these_gr...
i have asthma. my doctors did x rays of my lungs and had me do breathing tests with this tube. they also had me do a stress test which is basically putting you on a treadmill connected to a bunch or wires.
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BMI Calculator by IceSCREA...
they would have you breath deeply into a tube-like thing, with markings on the side. it's not that bad. and 'tube' is over exaggerating. its less than 8 in long, and has about a 3 in diameter. there's a little thing on one end, so that when you breath into it/blow into it, they measure how far it goes.
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BMI Calculator by vicky
The problem with diagnosing asthma is most of the time patients do not have obvious asthma symptoms when they arrive at the doctor�??s office. For instance, you may have coughed and wheezed for a week, and by the time you see your doctor, you have no symptoms at all. Then suddenly, when you least expect it, you might have asthma attack symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. Sometimes allergies to seasonal pollen or weather changes can trigger asthma attack symptoms. Other times, a viral infection such as cold or flu can trigger asthma attack symptoms. Smoking with asthma can worsen asthma symptoms, as can sinusitis and asthma. Even exercise or sudden stress or allergies to aspirin or other medications can cause asthma attack symptoms.

If you have asthma, you may go for weeks to months without having any asthma symptoms. That makes diagnosing asthma even more difficult -- unless you do some homework, figure out your asthma triggers and causes of asthma, and help your doctor make an accurate asthma diagnosis. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, you can learn to recognize and treat your asthma symptoms with the right asthma medications so asthma does not interrupt your busy life.

Diagnosing Asthma and Your Doctor
Your doctor or asthma specialist plays the first and most significant role in helping you get control of your asthma. Not only does your doctor serve as the one who can accurately diagnose and prescribe treatment for your asthma, your doctor may become a close, dependable friend who can give you asthma support when your asthma concerns turn into ongoing worries and anxieties.

Not sure which type of doctor is right for you? See WebMD's Asthma Specialists.

At the initial examination, your doctor will obtain a detailed medical history, including any information on asthma symptoms, how you feel, known asthma and allergy triggers, your activity level and diet, your home and work environment, and family history. During this evaluation, it is important that you talk openly with your doctor about your asthma symptoms and triggers. Some questions you might consider beforehand include:

1. Can you describe your asthma symptoms?

(Check the following asthma signs and symptoms that apply to you)
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing, possibly triggered by allergies, a cold, sinus infection, or bronchitis
- Frequent cough
- Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out
- Rapid breathing
- Chest pain or pressure
- Difficulty talking
- Feelings of anxiety or panic

Diagnosing Asthma and Your Doctor continued...
-Pale, sweaty face
-Blue lips or fingernails

2. When do you experience these asthma symptoms?

- All the time; unpredictable
- Only with exercise
- At nighttime
- Early morning hours while sleeping
- During pollen season
- When you feel stressed or anxious
- When you smell smoke
- When you smell fragrance
- When you�??re around dogs or cats
- When you�??re in air-conditioning or breathe cold air
- When you laugh or sing
- Associated with allergies, a sinus infection, or postnasal drip
- Associated with heartburn or GERD
- When you take aspirin, other anti-inflammatory painkillers, or other medication

3. Do you have a family history of asthma or allergy?

4. Do you get bronchitis frequently?

5. Have you been diagnosed with asthma previously?

Diagnosing Asthma and Asthma Tests
After talking with you about your asthma symptoms and possible asthma triggers, your doctor will do a physical examination, laboratory testing, and other possible asthma tests. This will allow you to have a firm understanding of your breathing problems and will be the basis for the suggested plan of asthma treatment.

For more detail, see WebMD�??s article Asthma Tests.
Your doctor may use one or more of the following asthma tests in diagnosing asthma. These tests are used to assess your breathing and to monitor the effectiveness of asthma treatment.

Spirometry -- a pulmonary function test that measures how much air you can exhale. This asthma test confirms the presence of airway obstruction that improves with treatment, which is very characteristic of asthma, and can accurately measure the degree of lung function impairment. This test can also monitor your response to asthma medications and is recommended for adults and children over age 5.

For more information, see WebMD's Pulmonary Function Tests.

Peak Flow Testing �?? a self-assessment you can do at home to evaluate lung function. The peak flow rate (PEFR) provides a reliable objective measure of airway function. Your doctor will go over how to use a peak flow meter, which involves taking a deep breath and blowing out as hard as you can. Peak flow is the highest airflow velocity that you can achieve. When done accurately, a drop in the peak flow measurement reflects an obstruction in your airways. While peak flow is less accurate than office spirometry for monitoring of lung function, peak flow monitoring at home can help you manage your symptoms at home and help indicate when an asthma attack may be approaching.

For more information, see WebMD�??s Using a Peak Flow Meter.

Chest X-Ray �?? while not routinely required, if there are symptoms that may be caused by another condition such as pneumonia, your doctor may want to do a chest X-ray. Or, if your asthma treatment is not working as well as it should, a chest X-ray may help to clarify the problem.

Diagnosing Asthma Accurately
In diagnosing asthma, your doctor may order other asthma tests, including a methacholine challenge test. Methacholine is an agent that, when inhaled, causes airways to spasm and narrow if asthma is present. For more information, see WebMD's Pulmonary Function Tests.

Not everyone needs every asthma test. Trust your doctor to decide which set of asthma tests is best in your case to ensure no other medical problems are present. This can help you avoid extra testing that may add little to your diagnosis and only increases the number of tests and expense. If you still do not feel comfortable with the asthma diagnosis, talk to your doctor to see if more testing is necessary. Or, get a second opinion until you have peace of mind that the asthma or breathing problem has been diagnosed correctly. Then, proper asthma treatments can begin.

Getting back in control of your asthma depends on an accurate asthma diagnosis and asthma support. Once asthma is properly diagnosed, your doctor can prescribe the most effective asthma treatments, including an asthma inhaler and inhaled steroids that can relieve your breathing problems and help with prevention of asthma symptoms.

Be Ready to Ask Questions
If you�??re unsure what to ask your doctor at your appointment, we�??ve provided some suggested questions for your visit with the asthma specialist
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BMI Calculator by :D
He would make you breathe into a machine connected to a computer with a picture on it like a birthday cake with candles and you would have to blow into like a tube and depending on how hard and long you can blow that candle on the "cake" will go out and that way the docter can tell if you have asthma
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BMI Calculator by Stine
Take note of why you think you have asthma, and when/where the symptoms occur. Do you wheeze when you exercise? When you're around certain allergens (plants, animals, dust, etc)? Does breathing become difficult?

Then talk to your doctor, telling him/her these things. S/he will check your breathing and ask some questions, and then come up with a treatment option (usually some sort of inhaler). If you don't have a regular doctor, go to the emergency room the next time you have a severe episode that you think is related to having asthma.
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BMI Calculator by tina
they are going to do a lung function test..
mostly just breathing to see if you are wheezing or not...
there's is nothing major or nothing painful about the test
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BMI Calculator by iLoVeAnI...
Oh well I am 12 years old and i had an asthma test and i had to blow into this tube and its not that bad! and they look at ur resaults and that tells rather u have asthma or not! they wont hurt you in anyway! i promis!
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BMI Calculator by Cherry Mic
he just will ask you some questions about what its like when you are running and stuff like that and they might have you take this thing how to check how strong your breathe is like weak or stuff but no pins or needles :O) also they may try and make you have an asthma attack (but not a horribly bad one)
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BMI Calculator by Smartgir...
he'll use stethascope to check your heartbeat, he'll make you breathe while he does it,then he'll go back into the office, consult with other doctors about the results. if it is positive, he'll give you an inhaler, if not, you leave happily.
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BMI Calculator by eyebtire...
they have you blow into an air flow meter a number of times to determine your pressure output, they listen to your lung as you breath to see if there is any wheezing or rattle. that's pretty much it for the tests. if your flow is below a certain pressure for your age they'll usually try some breathing treatments or just prescribe some qvar and albuterol inhalers. you'll probably have to go to a class on asthma, too.
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BMI Calculator by nonsensi...
they listen to your breathing, then measure your peek flow, how much air your lungs can hold they then compare this with what your peek flow should be by checking your age weight and height if it is alot below what it should be for example mine should be 600 and is only 370 (i have asthma) and if it is they prescribe you with inhalers and ask you to get regular check ups where they repeat these tests if the asthma gets worse they then give you pills aswell, if you think you have asthma you should get it checked out soon
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BMI Calculator by Spacecat
Make sure you go to the right kind of doctor.
That would be a pulmonary medicine doctor.
There are a few accurate breathing tests that are painless and can diagnose your respiratory problem accurately.
And if you smoke, quit.
Good luck, sweetie.
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BMI Calculator by Kristine V
not so sure... but i think they will ask you first about what you feel and encountered. then, they will also ask your family background about asthma... when i accompanied my cousin to the doctor, it happened that she has asthma too...
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BMI Calculator by Irene C
Your doctor will probably order a test called pulmonary function test during which you will blow into tube. The device will measure how much volume you can blow.
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BMI Calculator by teacher4...
you will take breathing analyzer test you blow into a tube and it measures your air flow also they will x ray your chest and listen to your lungs. it will be better to determine if you have asthma when you are being seen during an asthma attack
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BMI Calculator by lisa w
There are several test that the doctor should do. He should have you blow into a peak flow meter. that measures how much air your lungs are exhailing. he should also listen to your breath sounds. this is to see if you are moving air correctly, wheezing or have rattles in you breath sounds. Also he should do a PFT test. this is a pulonary function test. This measures several things in your breathing. Also, a chest x- might be ordered. And he should ask you about your activities or what you are doing when it triggers these attacks.
You should go to a pulmonologist. In some areas there are medical offices that only see people with allergies and asthma.
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BMI Calculator by !!Just Peachy!!
How to Tell if You Have Asthma

Have you, or someone you know, been diagnosed with asthma? If so, you probably have lots of questions.
You may wonder, for example, just what asthma is. The medical definition of asthma is simple, but the condition itself is quite complex.

Doctors define asthma as a "chronic inflammatory disease of the airway" that causes the following symptoms:
Chronic (regular) cough.
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
A feeling of tightness in the chest
If you suspect you might have asthma, your doctor will evaluate your medical history and your family's and also perform lung-function tests. Additionally, he or she may prescribe medications that can conclusively determine whether or not you have asthma.

Being Diagnosed - Knowing for Sure if You've Got Asthma
Symptoms of asthma come and go; you may experience some of them and yet not know for certain whether you've got asthma or not. For example, you might experience trouble breathing with exercise or get more 'chest' infections than other people do.

Persistent cough is a common sign of lung disease. Coughing is a major feature of asthma, especially in children. If your infant or child coughs to the point of vomiting, discuss the possibility of asthma with your doctor. There are reasons other than asthma for a long-term cough, like whooping cough and postnasal drip.

Only a doctor can diagnose asthma. Conditions such as pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have to be ruled out before your doctor can be certain that you have asthma.

It is important to talk to your doctor about all of your concerns and to ask lots of questions. Something that you may not think is relevant may be useful in pinpointing the problem. Use the checklist found at the end of the booklet called 'Diagnosis' to help you prepare for a discussion with your doctor.

Depending on your circumstances, your doctor will evaluate some or all of the following:

Your medical history
Your family history
What your symptoms are, how frequently they occur and whether they improve with medication
Whether you have allergies
What your individual triggers are (that is, what things or situations tend to lead to your experiencing asthma symptoms)
Your lung function, using tests like peak flow monitoring and spirometry to determine how quickly you can expel air

You are more likely to have asthma if you have a parent or close relative with allergies and/or asthma. Your chance of having asthma is also increased if you have a history of:

Wheezing, even though you did not have a cold
Inflammation in the nose, called allergic rhinitis
Eczema, an allergic skin condition
Associated Conditions
Asthma & Allergies
Many people with asthma also have allergies, and your doctor may refer you to an allergist if you are experiencing asthma symptoms. However, just as not everyone who has allergies develops asthma, not everyone who has asthma has allergies. Researchers are still trying to determine the exact relationship between the two.

No one is born with an allergy, but you can have a genetic tendency to develop one. If both your parents have allergies, you will have a 75% chance of also developing them.

Asthma and allergies are related, but they are not the same thing. An allergy is a reaction to a substance that is usually harmless. These substances (allergens) can be inhaled, injected, swallowed, or touched. Being exposed to an allergen may cause irritation and swelling in specific areas of the body, such as the nose, eyes, lungs, and skin. Allergens like pollen, mould, animal dander and dust mites can make asthma symptoms worse by increasing the inflammation in the airways and making them more sensitive. The best way to find out if you are allergic to something is to have an allergy assessment done.

Rhinitis & Sinusitis
Rhinitis and sinusitis are different but related conditions, that often make asthma symptoms worse.

Rhinitis is when the lining of the nose becomes inflamed and it usually occurs after exposure to an aeroallergen such ragweed. Sinusitis is when the lining of the sinus cavities become inflamed and infected and this generally happens after a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.

If you have asthma and also develop rhinitis or sinusitis, your doctor may recommend nasal corticosteroid sprays or other treatments in addition to your regular asthma medication. By managing your sinusitis or rhinitis, your asthma will be better controlled.

To find out more about the differences between sinusitis, rhinitis, the common cold and the flu, as well as detailed prevention and treatment options, see our 'Comparison Chart'.

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD is short form for gastro esophageal reflux disease or acid reflux.

In most people, GERD is simply ordinary heartburn. Acid reflux can cause asthma symptoms, particularly coughing, when stomach acid travels up the esophagus and irritates the airways of the lungs.

If you do not respond to conventional asthma treatments, or if your asthma symptoms appear to be associated with heartburn, ask your doctor to have you checked for acid reflux.

Talk to Your Doctor
As you have learned, asthma affects different people in different ways, and its symptoms can vary over time. That's why it's so important to work closely with your doctor or an asthma educator to determine the medications and management strategies that are right for you.
Source(s):
http://www.asthma.ca/adults/about/howToT...
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BMI Calculator by teenwitc...
A Top Contributor is someone who is knowledgeable in a particular category.
i have asthma and I'm pretty sure all they need is your oxygen levels and to listen to your lungs
i was diagnosed at like 2 years old so i don't remember how they did it but now all they need to do is listen to see if I'm wheezing

why do you think you have asthma? is it hard to breathe or do you have rattling in your chest? if you can answer that then i could maybe help you more
thanks Melly
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BMI Calculator by melissa
breathing and a stethescope.
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BMI Calculator by John Jones, the Florida Gyn
A Top Contributor is someone who is knowledgeable in a particular category.
Basically, there is a respiratory therapy test designed to evaluate your lung capacity. As described by others in this forum, you'll basically have to breath in and then blow hard into some sort of device that will eventually allow the respiratory therapist to determine if your lung capacity and/or breathing is impaired.

Sorry to not be solid on describing the whole scene, but I'm a gynecologist. I don't have to deal with diagnosing asthma for the most part.
John Jones, M.D.
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BMI Calculator by phil
There are differences in asthma which can be brought on by a multitude of things (anxiety =nerves =panic) the list is endless But if you have asthma your guaranteed your doc will give you a ********.To make sure your pipes are in order:)
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BMI Calculator by shybytch
Alright I do have asthma, believe it or not there are different types of asthma. I have exercise induced asthma, this means if I over exert myself I could start to cough uncontrollably. To determine whether or not you actually have asthma I had to blow into a peak flow meter. This determines how much lung capacity you have. Then they ask a serious of questions, like do you have shortness of breath,or a dry constant cough.

A lot of people have a cough only; they don't even wheeze. They don't realize that's a symptom of asthma. And of course, wheezing is the classic symptom.
Source(s):
Triggers for an asthma attack include:
Cold weather
Pollen
Drugs
Food additives
Exercise
Pollutants from cars
http://wcco.com/health/Screening.For.Ast...
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BMI Calculator by John R
They have a device which measures how much lung capacity your lungs have when you exhale is one way they check you out, they also will take either a x-ray or MRI of your chest to see if you have damaged parts inside your lungs. There are other tests they can do, but I can't recall them.
A doctor will be able to explain them to you before they do any of them. If you think you have it, then by all means go to the doctor and get yourself checked out, all the tests they will do to find out are mostly painless in nature so you have no fear on that point. You need to find out as soon as you can, it is easier to treat the sooner they find out if you have it or not.
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BMI Calculator by willow-t...
YOu have to inhale into a tube and a machine measures your lung capacity. YOu will be asked to take a deep breath and blow as hard and fast as you can. It's painless. They will also want to do a RAST test to see what you are allergic too..because asthma is all about allergies. Good luck to you.
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Lady in Weighting

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:22:20 PDT

Lady in Weighting
The Biggest Loser was on last night and once again it got me thinking about the ups and downs of my own journey through weight gain and loss. I really wanted to go on the show when it first started a few years ago. I would probably have had a chance back then, but having babies prevented me from entering, and now I don't think I'd make the cut (in a good way).

When I was a kid I was a little on the chubby side. Through jr. and sr. high I outgrew my baby fat, but in my mind I still saw myself as "fat". Toward the end of high school and those first couple of years (while I was working at the airport) I might have bordered on skinny (around 120lbs)... but never felt that way then. I always remember viewing myself as heavy, even at my thinnest.

My life went through alot of changes, I graduated high school and went to work for an airline (did a little traveling), and I followed God's leading broke up with my boyfriend of almost three years. With him out of the picture my whole life plan was gone. I had assumed that I would be marrying him and become a wife and mother. I had to come up with a new plan and ended up going back to school which was a big adjustment for a "sheltered" homeschooler. With all these changes came weight gain. Not intentional, and I think it was somewhat gradual. Maybe I let myself go after the breakup... maybe it was the freshmen fifteen... maybe I just got caught up in enjoying life and food a little too much.

Around the time I got engaged (this was also about the time I started on the pill) I weighed 165lbs. I was feeling pretty good about myself not because of my appearance or weight but because I was in a good relationship with a guy who thought (and still does) that I was beautiful. Shortly after we were married I got a job at an airline call center and day after day I sat in a booth like a veal. I believe that it was primarily a combination of the pill and my job that lead to another 60lbs of weight gain. At my heaviest I weighed over 220lbs - about 100lbs heavier then my highschool weight. I think what really shook me up besides figuring out that I'd gained 100lbs was when I realized that I wasn't just "overweight" anymore... according to the BMI calculator online "I was morbidly obese". Ew.... how horrible those words sounded. Morbid... morbidly... obese... couldn't they change the name to something less awful?

I quit my job at the call center and went to work for my inlaws' counseling center where my husband works (I also went off of the pill around this time). He and I counted calories for awhile. We saw some results doing that. But we knew that our problem wasn't just with calories - it was our motives behind our eating habits.

We found The Lord's Table - an online ministry to help people with all kinds of eating disorders/issues. Together we went through the course and learned to change our eating habits and to turn to Christ instead of food for comfort during times when we were tired, hurt, angry, bored. What a blessing it was to not only go through the program together and see results but to grow in our relationships with God together. It was a good time of growth for us. I lost somewhere around 30lbs while going through the Lords Table course.

Some time went by and I gained a few pounds back. I got pregnant and did not feel that I should follow the eating plan while maintaining a healthy pregnancy. I had a little trouble with my blood sugar levels toward the beginning of the second trimester but after I began watching my sugar intake things were fine. It was hard after losing weight to watch my body expand again so soon and it did expand! But I gained a healthy 30-35lbs during the pregnancy and was pleased that I only passed my previous weight by a few pounds. What was supposed to have been a natural hospital birth turned into multiple hospital interventions and ultimately a cesarean. Despite the rough start I did breastfeed Nate for 13-14mos which helped take the weight off and then some. By the time I got pregnant with baby number two (surprise!) I was excited to be back down to my pre-married weight of 165lbs.

Again with baby number two I gained a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy (40 or so this time). I was alot more comfortable with my body this pregnancy, enough that I had maternity pictures taken in the 7-8mos of pregnancy! What a blessing to have some pictures to remember that special time when God was using my body to nourish and grow my son inside of me! This time I was pleased that my full-term weight only exceeded my pre-Nate weight by a couple of pounds. After a wonderful homebirth I once again began breastfeeding. And thankfully the weight came off again. Our Little Joe is almost a year and I'm still nursing him. I have been hovering at 165 again for awhile now.

I don't think I'll ever be "skinny" again. I'll probably always struggle with food and overeating. But I've made alot of changes and have an awareness of my weakness to food and that alone is a huge help. I am hoping with summertime around the corner (I hope!) that we'll be able to get more active outside and I can drop a few more pounds. Ultimately my goal is to get my weight into the "normal" range and not be overweight anymore (which is about 20 more lbs). But for now, I am happy to making healthier choices in my eating and knowing that I'll be a better wife and mom because of them. I did have a very exciting discovery recently. I went and did the BMI test online again. This time I found that I was no longer obese at all!

So... for those of you who watch The Biggest Loser.... when I started my weight loss journey I weighed 220lbs. Over the past couple of years I have lost 55lbs. Which brings my total percentage of weightloss to: 25%!! That puts me above the yellow line and a few of the contestants on the show!

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comments:
Amanda said...
your blog about breastfeeding definitely didn't offend me...and i completely agree! also, enjoyed this post on biggest loser...i have to admit, i watch it often...and it always makes me think about my own journey in weight loss land...a journey that continues to this day! thanks for sharing your "journey"...and by the way, funny that you stumbled across my blog, we actually don't live far from one another if you are in avon as your profile said. i am in bburg...and we "haunt" avon all the time for our shopping, etc.

Amanda said...
i would love to hear more about the playgroup...i'm not on facebook or myspace. i just found the yahoogroup and am so excited about it...always fun to find other westside moms...especially since we go to church on the northside, meaning most of our friends aren't nearby. i had heard about chick-fil-a...just haven't made it there on a wed. yet!

Leeann said...
You are fabulous! I actually sat here last night figuring out my percentage after watching it too! Sadly, I would have been below the yellow line. :( But, I am proud of my 30 lbs lost and have hopes that the remaining 45 will come off as well!

JAN said...
Good for you! I've always struggled with my weight too. So often we think our weight determines whether we are lovable or not. Accepting yourself as you are is half the battle. I think you are beautiful on the outside and the inside! ***

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source: http://wanibug.blogspot.com/2008/03/lady-in-weighting.html

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Re- Evaluate
I am in a hump. Just have to really push to make the weight drop each week now. It's frustrating. I think that the time has come for me to re-evaluate what I am doing and not doing and then make some changes.

I also found a BMI calculator. My target weight when I started in October was 160. I never thought it would be possible quite honestly - I was 207 for god sake. That is a shit ton of weight to lose. Right? Now that I am here, a mere 9 pounds away, I realize that I was stronger than I thought. I also realize that 160 still shows me as being overweight. I need to be down to at least 155 to be in my healthy zone. So, now, I have not 9 pounds to lose but 14. And since I am heading down...I decided that I am shooting for 150. So new goal listed as of today, 19 pounds to my dream weight. I CAN DO THIS!!! Re-Evaluate.

I need to up my aerobic exercise and I think, I need to take the final step and get rid of all dairy. Right now, I do cheese a couple times per week. *sigh* This is going to be the hard part. LOL! I love cheese but I love my health more. Re-Evaluate. Breathe.

I also need to dig in my heels with the running program. I am doing the couch to 5k workout. It's boring me to tears. I need to either move myself outside and off my treadmill or I need to speed things up. Something has to give. *sigh* Re-Evaluate.

So there you have it. I know what I need to do. My new goals are in sight. It's not that far away. I will do this. Ciao. ***

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by Queenie

General Mobile GM500: Mobile Phone on your Wrist

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:12:45 PDT

General Mobile GM500: Mobile Phone on your Wrist
For some time we were surprised by all kinds of people hurriedly rushing through the street or into the tube, while apparently deeply involved in conversation with themselves. Were they all crazy? Not at all. They were just using headsets or hands free devices to talk to their friends, instead of keeping the mobile held against their ear. The GM500 might cause the same amount of confusion: a mobile phone in a wrist watch, that General Mobile recently introduced at the CeBIT.

The watch mobile only measures 5.81 x 4.42 x 1.64 centimetres, but offers nearly all the functions of a grown up model. A video player, MP3 player, slots for USB and Bluetooth, as well as 128MB of internal memory are all on board. The GM500 is controlled over a small OLED touch screen. According to the manufacturer the built in battery has power for up 120 minutes of conversation and 80 hours in standby. Some great additional features: a menstruation calculator and a BMI calculator.

Though we still don�??t know when people will be able to phone with their watch in the UK and how much it will cost. ***

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by Steven
source: ews.idealo.co.uk/news/864/general-mobile-gm500-mobile-phone-on-your-wrist.html
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BMI remains a mystery to most

While it is gaining in popularity among scientists, health professionals and fitness experts, the term "Body Mass Index" remains obscure to many Americans.

One reason might be that finding your BMI requires solving a math problem.
To find your BMI, you must know your height and weight and plug them into a formula, which then arrives at a number that can range from the teens to more than 30. Another reason someone might not want to find his BMI is that the number could reveal that he or she is one of the estimated two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or, worse yet, obese. Yet knowledge is power, and in this case knowing your BMI might be the impetus you need to start down the road toward better health.

To calculate your BMI, you would divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. You would then divide that result by your height in inches again. Then that result is multiplied by 703. If you guessed the BMI formula was invented by people who routinely wear lab coats, you would be right. In fact, the BMI concept was proposed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and The World Health Organization as a method for defining obesity. It you have access to the Internet, it is unnecessary to do the math yourself. You can find a BMI calculator at the NIH Web site (www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/).

To find your BMI, you must know your height and weight and plug them into a formula, which then arrives at a number that can range from the teens to more than 30.

According to the NIH, your BMI score means the following:

Underweight: below 18.5.
Normal: 18.5 to 24.9.
Overweight: 25 to 29.9.
Obese: 30 and above.

For many reasons, knowing your BMI is important for your health. If your BMI is too high, you are at greater risk than people with a normal BMI to die prematurely from chronic health problems. Examples are high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, and breast, prostrate and colon cancer, the NIH says.

The health problems that arise from being overweight are the No. 2 cause of preventable death in the United States, following only smoking. Knowing your BMI is not just for adults. To combat the rising rate of obesity in children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has also published BMI charts for children (http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx).

Millions of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the CDC and NIH. This serious health epidemic has doubled in adults since 1980 and tripled in children and teenagers, according to federal statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Survey.
It might be past time for you to calculate your BMI.

SELF HARM
A study of 41 adolescents conducted by researchers from the University of Washington appears to shed light on the self-harming behavior of some teenage girls, linking it to the level of serotonin in the adolescents' blood and mother-daughter interaction. The paper, co-authored by Sheila Crowell, a doctoral student at UW, appears in the February issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

A combination of negative mother-daughter relationships and low blood levels of serotonin, an important brain chemical for mood stability, appears to be dangerous for adolescent girls, leaving them vulnerable to engage in self-harming behaviors such as cutting themselves. The UW research indicates that these factors in combination account for 64 percent of the difference among adolescents, primarily girls, who engage in self-harming behaviors and those who do not.

A combination of negative mother-daughter relationships and low blood levels of serotonin, an important brain chemical for mood stability, appears to be dangerous for adolescent girls. To understand this relationship, the UW researchers recruited 20 adolescents with a history of self-harming behavior and 21 adolescents of the same relative age who did not harm themselves.

Study participants were considered self-injuring if they had harmed themselves three or more times in the previous six months or five or more times in their lifetimes. The average age of the participants was 15. "Girls who engage in self-harm are at high risk for attempting suicide, and some of them are dying," said Theodore Beauchaine, a UW associate professor of psychology and co-author of the study.

Before puberty, boys and girls are equally likely to develop depressive disorders. By age 15, however, girls are twice as likely as boys to have experienced a major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Mental health experts believe there are many causes of depression. It likely results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental and psychological factors. However, low serotonin levels are believed to be the cause of many cases of mild to severe depression, which can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, apathy, fear, feelings of worthlessness, insomnia and fatigue.

The most concrete evidence for the connection between serotonin and depression is the decreased concentrations of serotonin found in the brain fluid, spinal fluid and brain tissues of depressed people. Beauchaine said the UW found the link between the level of mother-daughter conflict and self-harming behavior was not strong.

There was a stronger link between serotonin levels and self-harming behavior. But when mother-daughter conflict and low serotonin levels were considered together, the relationship to self-harming behaviors was very strong. "Most people think in terms of biology or environment rather than biology and environment working together," Beauchaine said.

"Having a low level of serotonin is a biological vulnerability for self-harming behavior and that vulnerability increases remarkably when it is paired with maternal conflict."

Smoking Study
Smoking has long been accepted as a contributing factor in lung disease.

But now researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have shown that genes also play a significant role in the development of chronic respiratory disease. A long-term study of more than 40,000 Swedish twins goes a long way toward uncovering the extent that behavior, environment and genes each influence the development of chronic lung ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

The research was printed in the March 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a journal of the American Thoracic Society. "Smoking behavior has a known genetic component and smoking is a primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis," writes Dr. Jenny Hallberg of the Department of Public Health Sciences at Karolinska Institutet. Hallberg's team found that heredity accounted for 40 percent of the risk for chronic bronchitis. But its study found that 14 percent of the genetic risk was linked to a genetic predisposition to smoke, whether or not the individual actually smoked tobacco.

The researchers sifted through data from the Screening Across Life Span Twin study in Sweden, which surveyed all known living twins in Sweden born in 1958 or earlier. The survey included questions on subjects of interest to the study:

Smoking history.

A checklist of common diseases.
Questions designed specifically to discover whether participants had chronic bronchitis.

- Whether the twins shared 100 or 50 percent of their genetic material, which is known as zygosity. "(This) study on the population-based Swedish Twin Registry, showing a genetic effect for the development of chronic bronchitis that does not differ by sex is the first to our knowledge to quantify heritability of the disease," Hallberg said.
Hallberg said that the finding should not be interpreted to mean that smoking has no effect on chronic bronchitis. "Although there was some genetic interplay, it is safe to say that smoking itself, and not the genes that predispose one to smoking, is a larger risk factor in developing chronic bronchitis ... than genetic predisposition," said Hallberg.***

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Posted By Ven Griva
source: www.northernnews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=939646

Calorie Calculator from the Mayo Clinic

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:08:23 PDT

Calorie Calculator from the Mayo Clinic
Remember the BMI Calculator I introduced you to a couple weeks ago? Well, now you can try out this nifty little calorie calculator, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic. Remember, no internet calculator is 100% perfect, and your results should be used for general information purposes only.

Simply input your height, weight, age, gender and level of activity per day, and the calculator will come up with the estimated amount of calories you need to MAINTAIN your current weight.

It�??s pretty neat, so go ahead and give it a try. Depending on certain circumstances (i.e., if you�??re pregnant, an athlete or have a metabolic disease, the calculator can potentially over or underestimate your results. Take it with a grain of salt, alright? ***

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source: http://www.rippedcorner.com/calorie-calculator-from-the-mayo-clinic/
image:
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Nutrition Plan #2, Coach Nancy

Hi Folks,
Here�??s Coach Nancy�??s nutrition plan. As I said in the last post, these plans are built specifically to the individuals here, there are many variables that you�??ll need to look into for your own plan. Figuring out the amount of calories you burn is a great starting point and Nancy has included a link to an easy online calorie calculator. Enjoy!

1. I take in 225-300 calories per hour and 16-24 oz of fluid2. I like to drink rather than eat, so I mix my 24oz bottle with an electrolyte drink (usually hydraplex=120cal) and then add omni carb (1/4c=105cal) which is basically the same as carbopro I think. Its maltodextrin which adds carbs/cal but no flavor or sweetness. I don�??t have to remind myself to drink �?? I do it all the time and the bottle should be gone in about 1 hour.
I have been doing some training with Accelerade this year so I will try that on the bike at Lake San Antonio and probably switch to hydraplex on the run (no protein)

3. I carry oatmeal cookies and lara bars, pre-broken into bite size pieces in my bento box and eat them as I desire.

4. I carry endurolytes and when it is warm (like on race day) I take them every 25 minutes (I set my watch to beep every 25 min). I take them less often on cooler days. When I take an endurolyte I try to access how I feel and adjust my eating/drinking/effort as needed.

5. I allow myself to snack at stops if I want to, potato chips, cookies, etc. but not very much and nothing I haven�??t tried before on race day.

6. I will carry Gu on the run just in case I need it but probably won�??t use it.

7. I have a recovery drink ready to drink as soon as I finish the workout. I like ProNRG best (Scott�??s drink) but I also use Endurox and used to use Slimfast (Costco brand) when I was drinking milk. Many people use Ensure as well. You basically want a meal replacement drink right away with some protein to help your muscles immediately start re-building.
The meal replacement drinks go down easy, are easy on the stomach and digestion and get a quick 200-300 calories in. Then within 30-45 minutes you should eat something (sandwich, bar,banana, etc but make sure you have some protein) or drink another recovery drink.

You can get away with less on the shorter training days, but as we get to 5 hours and more it�??s a good opportunity to try your race fueling. Also, the more you take in during the training, and immediately after, the faster you will recover to get out and train again the next day. It�??s not about surviving the day right now; it�??s about minimizing the fatigue/stress so you can train again the next day. This will also get your digestive system used to taking in fuel so on race day when it is essential in order to be out there all day, you will be used to it. ***

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It�??s important to calculate how many calories you have burned and how many you took in to see how far in deficit you are.
A good website to figure out the calories burned is
http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthency.do?hwid=calc001&sectionId=calc001-sec&contextId=tx4394&rop=MRN
source: ww.ironteam.net/2008/03/13/nutrition-plan-2-coach-nancy/

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You Knew I Had To Try It!

I�??m lazy. So I like to multi-task whenever possible. But two things I�??ve never been good at combining with other activities is reading books and doing that other thing I�??m supposed to do. What is it? Oh yeah, writing The Great American Romance Novel.

Like 98% or so of women, I want to lose weight and be healthier. For me, I know it�??s mostly exercise that I need to work on adding into my day. I sit in front of a computer all day, then come home and sit in front of one all night too. Makes for a fat butt and not much else. o, cruising one of favorite tech blogs this morning, I was reminded about some people who combine computer work with being on a treadmill. I read about this idea years and years ago, but didn�??t know how far it had gotten. Apparently far enough that you can buy desks that incorporate treadmills into them for $4000 or so. But many have cobbled their own together. Go check out these links:
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2008/03/add-a-desk-to-y.html
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints/story?id=3771802&page=1

You knew I had to try this, didn�??t you?
A stop at my local computer streadmill_web.JPGtore netted me a wireless keyboard and mouse to hook up to the computer. $40

Then off to the local home improvement store for a pre-finished bit of shelving (9�?�x36�?�) to lay over the handlebars of the treadmill. $6

And this is what I got �??>

Now, the blogs are aflutter whether walking on a treadmill while working really is useful in burning calories and overall weight loss. One camp eschews the notion, saying it�??s better to go out and work at a higher cardio pace for a longer time. The believers simply point out that a slow walk for several hours is better than sitting on your butt.

I happen to trust the math of it. One calorie calculator I found online says one hour of writing (for my weight) burns 100 calories, and walking at 2mph for the same 60 minutes burns about 264 calories. (2 mph IS slow, I know, but all the blogs and recommendations say that the average speed you can comfortably maintain and still use the computer is between 1 and 2 mph.) I happen to be blogging right now at 1.8mph according to my treadmill.

So do the math with me. 100 vs. 264. It seems like a no brainer to me. While not a substitute for good cardiovascular exercise, I have to think that (a) it�??s better than nothing and (b) every calorie burned helps.
I wonder if we can add the writing calories in on top of the walking? Nah, probably not.
Anyone willing to jump on their treadmill and join me? ***

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source: jtrader.com/?p=185

BMI Calculator for Adults

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:31:52 PST

BMI Calculator for Adults
Now for many of you fitness enthusiasts out there including myself, you will notice that your BMI actually falls into what is considered the obese range. I first stumbled upon this a few years back when BMI was getting a lot of press and thought to myself this really isn�??t accurate. What if you have a high amount of lean body mass?
For someone carrying more muscle mass than the �??average�?? adult they will judged as obese through this ranking system. Even worse, what if my health insurance gives me higher premiums or I�??m designated as a higher risk for obesity related ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, etc?

This was obviously very disheartening but fortunately a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity has shed some light on this conundrum. They clearly state that the BMI rankings has severe limitations in both sexes and doesn�??t accurately describe the relative obesity in severely obese subjects either.
Thankfully, a well respected journal has gone against the grain of popular medical opinion to bring these truths to light. If you feel you or your children have been diagnosed with a high BMI without just cause please present the following citation to them. After all, life is a never ending learning process and those of living the fitness lifestyle certainly are not AVERAGE.

The Body Mass Index Isn�??t As Accurate As You Think!

As you delve into the world of muscle building and fitness you often come across stark contrasts with current medical opinion. Those who tend to push the envelope on the competitive side as they ascend through to the professional ranks often look great, but epitomize what it means to be unhealthy. It�??s just the way it is. However, most of us exist somewhere in the mediocrity and do indeed live a healthy and fit lifestyle.

One tool the medical world has used to assess obesity is the Body Mass Index, or more commonly referred to as BMI. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention BMI is defined as �??a number calculated from a person�??s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people.

BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).1, 2 BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.�??

1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, MN, USA.
Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used measure to diagnose obesity. However, the accuracy of BMI in detecting excess body adiposity in the adult general population is largely unknown.Methods: A cross-sectional design of 13 601 subjects (age 20-79.9 years; 49% men) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to estimate body fat percent (BF%). We assessed the diagnostic performance of BMI using the World Health Organization reference standard for obesity of BF%>25% in men and>35% in women. We tested the correlation between BMI and both BF% and lean mass by sex and age groups adjusted for race.Results: BMI-defined obesity (>/=30 kg m(-2)) was present in 19.1% of men and 24.7% of women, while BF%-defined obesity was present in 43.9% of men and 52.3% of women. A BMI>/=30 had a high specificity (men=95%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 94-96 and women=99%, 95% CI, 98-100), but a poor sensitivity (men=36%, 95% CI, 35-37 and women=49%, 95% CI, 48-50) to detect BF%-defined obesity.

The diagnostic performance of BMI diminished as age increased. In men, BMI had a better correlation with lean mass than with BF%, while in women BMI correlated better with BF% than with lean mass. However, in the intermediate range of BMI (25-29.9 kg m(-2)), BMI failed to discriminate between BF% and lean mass in both sexes.Conclusions: The accuracy of BMI in diagnosing obesity is limited, particularly for individuals in the intermediate BMI ranges, in men and in the elderly. A BMI cutoff of>/=30 kg m(-2) has good specificity but misses more than half of people with excess fat. These results may help to explain the unexpected better survival in overweight/mild obese patients. ***

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source: http://blog.bodybuilding.com/deserusan/2008/02/21/the-body-mass-index-isnt-as-accurate-as-you-think/

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Obesity Increases the Prostate Cancer Death Risk

Obese men suffering from prostate cancer are two-and-a-half times more likely to die from it compared to normal-weight men, according to a recent study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
The study involved almost eight hundred middle-aged men who were recently diagnosed with prostate-cancer, and followed the subjects for ten years. Seventeen percent of the subjects were obese and six percent of them died of prostate-cancer.

The mortality risk from prostate cancer for obese men is not related to the treatment, or prostate cancer stage at the time of the study, said Dr. Alan Kristal, senior author of the study. The risk for obese men is of 2.6 times greater compared to healthy weight men, regardless of the cancer diagnostic profile.

The results of the study are not related to whether the patient is subjected to radiation treatment, radical prostatectomy, or androgen-deprivation therapy. It does not matter if the subject suffers from a high grade cancer, or low-grade, localized, distant, or regional cancer, says Kristal.

Particularly, men with regional or local prostate-cancer have a 3.6-time higher risk of metastasis, or cancer spreading to other organs, than patients with a healthy weight. Obesity was strongly connected with prostate cancer especially for men with regional disease, meaning cancer that has already started to spread to surrounding tissues, compared to those with early cancer.

Researchers believe that inflammation and steroid hormones are behind the connection between prostate-cancer and obesity. Obesity is considered a massive inflammatory condition, which modifies the levels of serum estrogens and increases factors that lead to cancer growth, according to Kristal.

The study`s results are the first strong evidence showing that losing weight can be benefic for men with prostate cancer, by reducing the risk of death from the disease, said the researchers. ***

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source: http://www.calorie-counter-bmi-calculator.com/2008/02/21/obesity-increases-the-prostate-cancer-death-risk/

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BMI Calculator | Time For A Change

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:23:43 PST

BMI Calculator | Time For A Change
As of today I need to start losing weight and start eating better. I had a baby 4 months ago and I need to lose the baby weight, plus a little more. According to the BMI calculator I am obese. So much for my self esteem. I weighed 192 before I gave birth, I am now 160. I thought that was bad. But Spring and summer is coming and I dont want to be hiding behind the baggy clothing.

I want to beable to wear some of my old tank tops and possibly pants. That would be nice. Its so hard to lose weight when the weather is crappy outside. Im stuck inside the house all day because we keep getting snow storms and then we get artic blasts. Not fun. Its actually kind of depressing. Im glad I came to the Slimfast website today. It gave me some inspiration. I might actually workout in a few mins now that the baby fell asleep.
Wish me luck! ***

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source: http://community.slim-fast.com/blogs/linkinparkslh/archive/2008/02/20/time-for-a-change.aspx

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Eating Right

I�??m officially slightly overweight according to BMI calculator. Lately, I�??ve been feeling I had put on weight but didn�??t realize how much until a week or so ago. Good news is I�??m back on moderate, organic and healthy eating. One of my challenge will be to avoid eating out. I enjoy trying different restaurants and that may have contributed to my gaining weight. Over the years I�??d forgotten how big entree portions are at restaurants in the US. In Singapore and Europe, the portions are one third that size. I�??ll just have to ask for smaller portions.

When I set my mind to achieve something, I conduct extensive research until I�??m absolutely satisfied with the findings. Lately, research on health and food has taken up a lot of my time. When looking at menus all I see now are calories. That was the dilemma when I went out for dinner with a friend over the weekend. I enjoyed the vegetables, though I kept wondering if they were organic or conventional. My friend thought I was obsessing. I did nibble on the �??chocolate attack�?? that she ordered for dessert.

Organic food is slightly more expensive than conventional food. In spite of that, I�??m happy knowing I�??m not consciously consuming food that contain chemical, insecticides or growth hormones. Today�??s beef recall is another example how unsafe conventional food may be. Though FDA has said the recall has remote chance of health impact, I�??m skeptical. Sunday�??s 60 Minutes episode of One Thousand Lives A Month emphasizes the need to follow one�??s own research and not completely rely on FDA. How or why trasylol is still being administered to patients is beyond my comprehension. More on that later.
My decision doesn�??t mean I think all conventional food is harmful. Maybe they are not. But, I�??m resolved to eating healthy. I�??m certainly satisfied that food in my refrigerator and pantry are organic. ***

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by: simplicity
source: http://simplyramblings.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/eating-right/

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I'm Just Overweight

While seeing if there was anything new of interest in the fitness section on the WW site, I used the BMI calculator to see where I'm at now. I did it once before but it was so long ago I didn't even remember what I started out at.
Apparently when I started I was at 41. Right now I'm at 30, which coincidently enough puts me right at the mark to be officially "overweight" instead of "obese". It's an unhappy word, and I am quite glad to have shed myself of it. Apparently I need to get down to 25 to be considered "healthy", definitely looking forward to that.

It's been a quiet day, I ate three times and had all my points. I'm feeling much more satisfied this evening because I had my usual enormous salad with supper, which was something I missed last night. I suppose technically I'm still eating a lot more food than 'normal' people, but after all this time I have come to be much more comfortable with that than I used to be; whatever I am doing is obviously working. It cannot be denied however that I still feel like there is something shameful about eating a lot of food.
Odd that I can be doing so well and have come so far and still feel like there are reasons to be ashamed of my eating habits. I wonder what it will take before I can let go of the guilt and shame I've carried my whole life. ***

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source: http://codelle.blogspot.com/2008/02/im-just-overweight.html

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The Importance Of Your BMI ?

Hello, Aaron Riddell here.
Thank you for your enquiry.
BMI (Body Mass Index) is an important indicator of your general health. I have prepared a website for your reference, just enter your details in the box to the right and I will provide you with a handy BMI calculator so you can quickly determine your BMI.

Your details will not be shared for use by any other party and you may discontinue contact with my service at anytime. ***

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source: http://whatsyourbmi.blogspot.com/2008/02/importance-of-your-bmi.html

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Medicine 2.0: Keeping Your Health Records Online

As a medical student I have some insight into how patients�?? records are stored at hospitals. I can tell you that sometimes it is very difficult to dig up a patient�??s medical history if he or she either does not remember, unable to answer, or simply does not have them.
There are several crucial pieces of information that a doctor might need before administering a drug or beginning a certain type of treatment and when no previous medical history is available then these doctors are kept in the dark and they are required to proceed with fingers crossed, hoping that their patient is not allergic to penicillin, for example.

Probably that was the initial thought behind a couple startup websites that let patients keep all their medical information (including treatment history, medications, X-rays, CT and MRI images, etc.) in one place; you probably guessed it: online. This information can be accessed with a login name and password from anywhere in the world and patients can also choose to share this information with any health care provider.
These sites are not simply virtual storage facilities, but they offer a wide variety of tools and services free of charge. Let us take a tour of these sites and see what they might have in store for patients.

Revolution Health Logo
I start with Revolution Health because its name applies best what is happening in Medicine 2.0 and also because this is my favorite out of the seven (unless Google Health surprises me). Revolution Health is a very neat, and clean website. It is well organized, and there are no annoying images or advertisements. All sites that are featured here have a news section and a long link section, so let us turn our attention to the right hand column on this site. Here you will find tools for finding a doctor near you, tools for finding drugs and treatments, and a Google Alert-type automated reminder that you can configure to your own needs.

The Symptom Checker on this site is just amazing! You click a couple check boxes that best describe your symptoms, and it gives you a list of possible conditions. It is quite detailed. I liked this one, and I can recommend it to you! The Know Your Risks tools lets you find out just how healthy are you, and what diseases you are most prone to based on your habits. If you need more tools, check out the Toolkit that has a BMI calculator, cigarette costs calculator, and my favorite: a calculator that tells you the number of calories you should eat based on your sex, BMI, and age. With Revolution Health you can also start your health portfolio, and keep all your medical records online!

Better Information. Better Health.
WebMD is already a brand that more and more people are familiar with, and I can tell you it is a no wonder why. It is also a well designed site, that offers many free tools for patients. It has a great video section with a huge number of medical condition related videos.
The medicine section has a great search option, and tells all that you need to know about a drug including all side-effects. It dedicates a whole section to women, men and children with dietary, fitness and sexual advice. WebMD has a lot of interesting blogs that you can sign up to. These are recategorized by blog topic or expert name. You may sign up with WebMD and start uploading your medical history also free of charge.

I was a little bit surprised by Microsoft entering the online health market, but when I came to think about it, it was a natural move by the software giant. If you do trust Microsoft on information safety go ahead sign in to Health Vault with you Live ID, and start uploading your documents today. The website promises a much better search tool than your regular link-based search engines such as Google, but it fails to provide the �??wow�?? it promises.

What is good about the site is that it is compatible with a few programs that clinicians are using in their practices, therefor your HealthVault can be both updated by you or your health care provider. These include: CapMed, MyselfHelp, Kriptyq, and more. Another feature I see potential in is that Health Vault supports a couple devices that patients might be using such as blood glucose monitors, peekflow meters, and everyone�??s favorite: Polar watches! In whole, I would give this site a 7 out of 10, because it features the same layout that all MSN or Hotmail users are familiar with, and because it is a great concept, though not yet fully developed.

According to TechCrunch Google is entering the online health record keeping business soon. When? Nobody has the answer to that questions, but with Google you will be able to:

- Build online health profiles that belong to you
- Download medical records from doctors and pharmacies
- Get personalized health guidance and relevant news
- Find qualified doctors and connect to time-saving services
- Share selected information with family or caregivers

Here is the latest on this one: Google is set to announce on Thursday that it will be using the Cleveland Clinic hospital in Cleveland, Ohio as the pilot site for its new personal health records initiative.There are several other website that allow you to store your medical history online, so I urge you to consider all before making your decision:

- iHealthRecord
- EMTAlert
- HealthRecordsOnline

I wonder if these are all compatible with one another.
Probably not! ***

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by tomography in web 2.0.
source: http://tomographyblog.com/2008/02/20/medicine-20-keeping-your-health-records-online/

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NHS Choices Offers Drinking Assessment Tool

NHS Choices has launched a new interactive tool, developed to help people assess their drinking behaviour and understand the government�??s daily allowance alcohol limits.
The drinking assessment tool is designed to enable users to calculate whether they are drinking too much, based on NHS advice, and provide them with clinically approved guidance on how to cut down or seek advice if they are concerned about their behaviour.

Provided in the form of an online survey and interactive quiz, the tool asks questions designed to gauge people�??s �??relationship with alcohol�??, it includes sections such as matching up units of alcohol with different drinks and a �??alcoholometer�?? for people to indicate how much they drink on a night out.

A NHS Choices spokesperson said: �??This interactive tool has been created with users in mind and is a valuable addition to the health resources being made available to the public by the NHS Choices. �??It puts patients in the driving seat by giving them exactly the sort of reliable and dependable information they need to take control of their health at the click of a mouse.�??

The drinking assessment tool follows the recent launch of a BMI calculator and Diabetes symptom checker on the website. The website, which was launched by the DH last June, is currently delivered by Dr Foster. The DH has an £80m procurement underway for the future running and development of the site, with six companies shortlisted to take over from this June. ***

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source: http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/3490/nhs_choices_offers_drinking_assessment_tool

BMI Calculator | I�??m Obese, You�??re Obese�?�

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:22:38 PST

I�??m Obese, You�??re Obese�?�

Obesity
I love all the news reports that we are continually assaulted with showing a nameless faceless person walking around with some extra junk in the trunk. America is facing an obesity epidemic!!! Listen, I know we as Americans are addicted to the junk food and we have a lot to learn from the rest of the world about calorie intake and exercise. I�??ve struggled with my weight for years. I lost 50 pounds in 2002 and have slowly put 30 of it back on. Last week some guys at work decided to form a group called the �??Fat Boyz�?? and work toward a goal of losing 5% of our body weight in six weeks and 10% in 18 weeks. Today was my first weigh in and I was down 4 pounds in a week. I�??m proud of that, and I hope to keep it going. I�??d like to lose about 20 pounds or so. But here�??s what really gets me irritated. The BMI, (Body Mass Index) appears to be the tool that everyone is using to determine one�??s relative health. You can calculate yours at sites like this.

You�??ll notice that there are only 2 considerations - height and weight. There�??s a disclaimer that if you�??re muscular or athletic it may not apply, blah, blah, blah. But there is another factor that just seems blatantly ignored. Where is the dropdown menu that asks you if you are an �??M�?? or an �??F�??? My wife and I are the same height. Apparently we are supposed to weigh the same. Jen has always maintained a healthy weight, but shortly after her pregnancy she was toward the higher end of the �??normal�?? range and felt like she needed to lose weight. When I lost my 50 pounds in 2002, I was still considered 2 pounds overweight, but was in a 32 inch belt and wearing medium T-shirts. To reach the lower end of the �??healthy�?? weight range I could have dropped another 43 pounds, at which point I think I would have needed to keep lead weights in my 24 inch jeans to keep from blowing away.

This group of guys trying to lose weight is even further evidence that the BMI calculator �??healthy�?? weight ranges applies to females and needs an adjustment to be applicable to males. With all work clothes on (I specify this because I am right on the border and a lack of clothing would change my status) 12 of the 13 guys in our contest weighed in classified as �??obese�?? for their height. If you were to look at the 13 of us I guarantee you would not classify more than 2 as obese. Listen, most of us could stand to lose a few pounds. But the next time you hear the sky is falling warnings about how 60% of the population is obese, take it with a grain of salt. We may not all be quite the tub o�?? lards we�??re labeled as. Maybe more like bowls of margarine. ***

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source: http://kcillini77.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/im-obese-youre-obese/
image: http://stb.msn.com/j/F1/F1D18CAD1BBFAFCC8F1F1ED181CCD85.standard.jpg
The keywords of BMI Calculator: Obesity Calculator, BMI Calculator for all, BMI Calculator classic and American BMI Calculator.

Fighting Obesity: The Role of Behavior, Biology and Bad Choices

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:17:13 PST

Fighting Obesity: The Role of Behavior, Biology and Bad Choices
If you�??re carrying around extra flab, the good news is that in times of famine you would have had a good chance of survival. That�??s because fat is energy and the body conveniently packs it away in cells called adipocytes so that a ready supply is always available. Of course, today, not only is there little chance of famine in the Western world, but food is everywhere. And since the body is hardwired to be thrifty, it keeps on doing what it does best�??storing all the extra calories that you consume.

The fat has nowhere to go but around your waist, on your hips, beneath your chin, on your arms�??wherever you have fat depots. Some people have many fat cells that are moderately packed with fat. Others have fewer fat cells that are stuffed to the brim. And, if the body runs out of closet space, it can create new fat cells to store the extra. Having too much fat, especially around the belly, is a liability in today�??s sedentary world and is associated with a variety of health risks.

Are You Fat?
When a person weighs more than what is considered average for their height and age, they are overweight. This is typically measured on a scale. But scale weight can be misleading because it does not assess body fat or how tall you are�??both of which can affect whether your weight is healthy or not. When a person has a significant amount of excess body fat, they are considered obese. This is best measured in a lab (the body fat scales you can buy in the store are not highly accurate). For research purposes, a simple equation that factors in both body weight and height is often used.

This is the body mass index (BMI). People with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Those with a BMI of 30 and above are considered obese. A woman who is 5-foot-5, for example, would be overweight if she weighs more than 150 pounds. She would be obese if she weighed more than 180 pounds. A man who is 5-foot-11 is considered overweight if he weighs over 179 pounds and obese if over 215 pounds. (The 25- to 30-pound range for each BMI category was determined because fat-related health risks were seen to increase at those increments.) You can calculate your BMI here. BMIs aren�??t a perfect measure of fatness, though. Fit people tend to have more muscle mass and they may weigh more even though they are quite lean. For example, a highly athletic man may seem overweight according to a BMI scale, when in fact he is a healthy weight.

No matter what a person�??s BMI is, fat people tend to fit into one of five categories:

The Staying-Fat are those who are overweight and know it, yet they either don�??t care or they have given up trying to fight it. The Yo-Yo�??ers are those people are overweight and who try and do lose weight, usually through dieting. But then they gain it back again�??often accruing more fat with each cycle of weight loss. The Finally-Not-Fat are those who diligently work at controlling their weight. Once they lose it, they manage to keep most of it off. These are known as successful losers or weight-loss maintainers. But even though they now may be thin�??or at least thinner�??they may always have a fat person�??s physiology. So, their responses to diet and exercise may be different than those of an always-lean person of the same height and weight.

The Blindly Fat are those who are overweight or even obese, but don�??t think that it�??s a problem and so aren�??t currently trying to lose weight. These people either don�??t think or don�??t admit to carrying extra fat. One recent study found that adult participants who were clinically obese tended to have a rosy perception of their weight status: 85 percent did not consider themselves to be obese.

The Feeling Fat are those who are not overweight and may even be lean. Yet they see themselves as fat�??they want to lose an extra five or 10 pounds or they have bulges in certain places that they�??d like to whittle down. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly a quarter of women and 6 percent of men of normal weight are trying to shed pounds. It�??s a good idea to recognize which category describes you, because understanding your perceptions and behaviors can help you figure out the most effective way to get your weight under control.

Although skinny people sometimes attribute fatness to laziness, it�??s not so simple. There are plenty of thin, lazy people who eat poorly and get no exercise. The reason that some people become fat is a complex interaction between who they are and how they live. Your genes absolutely play a role. If you have one parent who is fat, your risk is increased. If both parents are fat, your risk is increased even more. Researchers estimate that as much of 60 percent of obesity risk is genetic. So far over 600 genes and chromosomal regions have been linked with human obesity, but more are being decoded all the time. Still, we do know that for most people, there are many factors involved and it�??s not genes alone that determine obesity. Although you may share DNA with your parents, you may also share lifestyle behaviors that encourage you to be�??and keep you�??fat.

One just needs to look at what�??s happening in the U.S. for proof. The human genome has not changed in the past two decades, but obesity levels have dramatically increased in this country during that time. What has changed is the way that people live: The environment is obesigenic, or, rather, it helps to make you fat. All the junky fast food, calorie-filled drinks, huge portions and couch-potato, car-driving, desk-working living have triggered those who are prone to it to become obese. In another environment where famine was a reality, these people might have lived the longest. But in this modern setting, they may end up with heart disease, diabetes and other conditions that result from carrying too much fat. If you are fat, you may not have control over whether you are susceptible to packing on extra weight, but you do have control over how much weight you gain.

What Keeps You Fat
In this obesigenic environment, everyone is prone to weight gain, even lean people. They may not become obese, but they can easily gain one or two pounds a year so that from ages 20 to 50 they may have gradually gained 30 or more pounds. The first study ever to assess the long-term risk of weight gain was done on 4,000 white adults who were part of the well-known Framingham Study. Over a 30-year period, researchers found that 90 percent of the men and 70 percent of the women became overweight and 33 percent became obese. A large majority went from being overweight to obese in just a four-year period. That quick transition suggests that lifestyle behaviors�??what you eat, how you active you are�??are behind the rapid rise. The good news is that you can live a leaner lifestyle. It�??s not always easy, but it can be done.

It is easier to gain weight than to lose it, and it is easier to lose it than to keep it off. Fat-prone folks may have an even easier time gaining and an even harder time losing�??and maintaining that loss�??than lean people. Individual biological differences are the culprit.
For example, hormones, neurotransmitters and other physiological factors may be secreted in different amounts or at different times than in a lean person�??and this can affect all aspects of eating and activity.
For example, you might have a faster release of the hormone that makes you hungry. Or you may have a higher threshold of food intake before factors that trigger satiety kick in, which means you may feel less full from the same-sized meal as someone else. Or, pictures of food in a TV commercial might spark a craving that prompts you to seek out something to eat, whereas a lean person might not have that same mental response.

How active you tend to be may also be dictated by biological factors. You may be less prone to fidgeting and more inclined to sit throughout the day. You may experience fewer sensations of pleasure and enjoyment from, say, riding a bike than a regular exerciser would. (And that can affect how easy it is for you to stick to a fitness regimen.) If you do diet and lose weight, you may trigger a biochemical surge that spikes your appetite more than normal, which means you�??ll need to exert tough love on yourself to fight the urge to gorge.
You might not even have to eat more for your body to be predisposed to storing more fat than another person. These sorts of internal processes mean that, as a fat person, you may not be on level ground with an always-lean person. And you may have to work harder to keep your weight under control. But you can do it, and you can make it easier by working smarter. The first step is understanding your status, your limitations and the obstacles you may face.

How Weight Loss Works
Weight gain comes from eating more energy than you expend. It�??s as simple as that. In theory, eating 3,500 more calories than your body burns up will lead to a gain of one pound of fat. But in reality, a calorie may not be the same for every body. Genetic and biological factors may influence the amount of weight lost from dieting as well as weight gained from overeating. In one study, twins were overfed 1,000 calories per day for almost three months. Researchers expected that the weight gain across all the participants would be roughly the same. And it was very similar between each pair of twins, as was the amount of abdominal fat they gained and where the fat was distributed. But across pairs the results were strikingly different: From the same amount of overeating, the weight gain ranged from 10 pounds to 30 pounds.

Some studies have showed that dieting doesn�??t result in much weight loss for some people. And for some severely obese people, a lifetime of endless diets may trigger fat-preservation mechanisms to kick in harder, making these people gain more and more as they continue to fight to lose it. If you�??ve followed a yo-yo pattern, then going on a drastic diet may not be the smartest approach for you long term.

Going for the Quick Fix
So, if diets don�??t always work, wouldn�??t a pharmaceutical option be foolproof? Many people are tempted by the lure of popping a pill and watching the weight melt off. Unfortunately, it isn�??t that easy. Of the many diet drugs that have been developed in the past 50 years, only two are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term use. That�??s because many weight-loss drugs that have been used over the years have been found to be ineffective or have serious side effects.
Even those that are currently on the market may not be as good as they sound. For example, sibutramine (Meridia) does suppress your appetite, but it can raise your blood pressure. And orlistat (Xenical) blocks the absorption of some of the fat that you eat, but you can also get a side effect called �??dumping�?? where you have, um, uncontrolled bowel movements.

What most people don�??t realize is that even the best diet drugs are not really that good. A drug is considered to be effective if you lose 5 percent of your body weight in six months. So if you weigh 250 pounds and lose 15 in six months, or about two pounds per month, the drug �??works.�?? Weight loss may be quicker in the first few months from a drug, but like other approaches, the weight loss plateaus and long term, after two or even three years on a drug, the results are not much better than if someone had stuck to healthy eating and become more active. The clincher, to help the drugs work you�??re expected to eat better and exercise. So, why pop a pill and risk unpleasant side effects? From my perspective, the result is no better and potentially worse.

Herbal supplements are even riskier. They are completely unregulated and taking them is like volunteering to play guinea pig. Infomercials sound believable. But notice that all supplements advocate improving your eating and exercise habits along with taking the pill. So if you see results, is it from the magic ingredient or the fact that you improved your lifestyle?

The Weight-Loss Secret
The bottom line to slimming down is to improve the way you live. You may have to fight hard and relearn old habits to protect yourself in this fat-promoting world we live in. But you can do it. And I will help you. In the next installment of this four-part series, I will explain how to psych yourself up to win the battle of the bulge. ***

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by Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed.
http://health.msn.com/reports/obesity/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100140085&page=3
image: http://www.technewsworld.com/images/rw6066/health-obesity-life-expectency.jpg

BMI Calculator | How Can I be �??Officially�?? Fat if I�??m Healthy, Fit and Lean?

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:10:39 PST

How Can I be �??Officially�?? Fat if I�??m Healthy, Fit and Lean?

Q. According to the BMI chart, I�??m officially overweight with a score of 27. But I�??m only 200 pounds at 6 feet tall. I run five times a week, do calisthenics three times a week and feel great. I would need to drop 15 more pounds just to be considered normal weight. Is there something off about this system?
A. Scientists need ways to measure what they study in order to make objective comparisons. The Body Mass Index is a tool to estimate how fat a person is. A person with a BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight; a BMI of 30 and above is considered obese.

The average person tends to jump on a scale and use their weight as a gauge of their fatness. BMI tends to be more precise than just considering body weight alone because a person�??s height makes a difference. Being 185 pounds, for example doesn�??t say much unless you know more about the person�??s shape. A person who is 5-foot-3 and 185 pounds, for example, is overweight and probably has health risks associated with their extra body fat. But a person who is 6-foot-3 and 185 may be underweight and therefore be less prone to obesity-related health problems.

The best way to gauge a person�??s level of fatness is to measure it directly, such as when using lab equipment such as underwater scales, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and other methods. But these methods require pricey equipment and experienced lab technicians. Plus, some studies are so large, involving thousands of subjects, that it�??s not practical to obtain this information.

So researchers who have studied obesity or the health risks associated with being fat often use the BMI as an indicator of excess body fat because it�??s convenient and gives a better picture than just taking body weight alone. Because the only data that is needed to determine a person�??s BMI is their height and weight, and this can be measured directly�??or even relayed verbally by a study participant in a telephone interview�??it�??s a measure that�??s often used, especially in large-scale, epidemiological studies. Links can easily be made between the BMI and eating habits or health risks of, say, 50,000 people who are surveyed.

The BMI works well for research purposes, but doesn�??t necessarily translate precisely to the individual. Unfortunately, it tends to convey that people that exercise regularly, for example, are overweight, when they are not actually overfat. A fit person tends to have more muscle, so their body weight is a reflection of body fat as well as muscle and other lean tissue.

Since the problem with being overfat is that health risks are increased, a BMI in the overweight range is probably not a negative indicator for a fit person. Regular exercise, low body fat and increased muscle mass are all factors that tend to outweigh any health risks suggested by a higher BMI.

In other words, if you know you are fit, not fat, you don�??t need to worry about your BMI. But the Centers for Disease Control (website) points out that those with a BMI in the obese range (higher than 30) do tend to be overfat, even if they are fit. So, this may increase disease risk�??although research does show that being fit and fat is still healthier than being thin and unfit. ***

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By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness
image: http://andrewalma.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/running.jpg

The Medifast Diet Solution

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:06:51 PST

The MedifastDiet Solution
Could the MedifastDiet be a solution to a problem that is not really your fault? I know you've probably tried every diet known to man only to find the weight comes back plus more extra baggage? Believe me...I know your frustration, because I've been there too!

Everyone knows that obesity is unhealthy and even dangerous. We all know the physical, psychological and financial effects being overweight can create. If this is you, then you need to keep reading. You may ask what's so special about Medifast? First of all Medifast is clinically proven and developed by doctors. Then, there is the fact that Medi Fast never leaves you feeling hungry and there is no counting calories fat or carbs. And not only that the shakes and bars will fit into the busiest of schedules.

Is It Really Your Fault?
Okay, so we've got a country that is two thirds obese from overeating, although many are trying to change those statistics. The struggle with most Americans shedding pounds hasn't happened because we are unmotivated or uneducated. We spend billions on weight reduction products and there are more dietitians and bariatric doctors than ever before. Why are we are still losing the battle of the bulge?

Did you know that both food industry leaders and politicians have made sure that there is a surplus of unhealthy foods packed with sugar, high fat and cholesterol. The average American consumes a half pound of sugar per day and most of us don't even know it. The snack, soft drink and fast food industries are mostly to blame. They make the food taste so good that we don't stop to think about what is in it.

Are They Trying To Trick Us?
The trick they use to keep you coming back for more is to use high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and it is used in nearly everything now. This toxic potion now represents more than 40% of caloric sweeteners and is the only sweetener used in non-diet soft drinks. The secret is that high fructose corn syrup doesn't do a good job of telling your brain when you are full, so you end up eating more without ever feeling full.

Another problem is the portion sizes which have been increasing just like our waist line since the 1970's. Faced with these odds sometimes makes a person want to give up and eat a whole chocolate cake! But don't worry! The MedifastDiet has a plan to get the weight off, keep it off and be there for you every step of the way! ***

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by Jason Draper
The author, Jason Draper, has written extensively on the MedifastDiet and is the senior editor for
www.justgetskinny.com
source: http://www.getmyarticles.com/
image: http://www.weightloserblog.com/images/med2.jpg

Lose 10 pounds in 3 days

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:00:10 PST

Lose 10 pounds in 3 days
We have all heard of the word dieting. While most diets are created for the sole reason to help a person lose weight, you will have to look for one that fits your lifestyle. To help you choose a diet program that you can adhere to without huge difficulty, decide what your expectations are and make sure you are willing to stick with it.

There are diet programs that can help you lose 10 pounds in 3 days, which is a common goal for many people. The lose 10 pounds in 3 days diet in general will claim that you can lose 10 pounds of unwanted body fat simply by sticking to the diet plan outlined for you. You should be aware though, that you will in all likelihood regain the weight that you have lost if you do not put a lot of effort into losing weight after this period.

There are also other health concerns that you might want to investigate before jumping into your lose 10 pounds in 3 days program. A good technique to find the right 3 day diet program for you is to decide which areas of your body need to be reworked or reshaped, such as your tummy, thighs, hips, etc. The best place to find some of these lose 10 pounds in 3 days diet programs is on the internet. Try searching for diets that focus more on areas that you know need improvement.

You will find a wide selection of free diet programs to try out. Pay close attention to the different foods that you can eat in the diet so you do lose 10 pounds in 3 days. You should also see if these diet programs from the internet give you advice about maintaining your weight once your lose 10 pounds in 3 days diet is over. Then you can continue and lose more weight over the long term, and develop healthier eating habits and lifestyle changes.

Some of these rapid weight loss plans state that you can lose lots of weight fast by eating only certain types of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can easily make meals totally out of vegetables, and fruits are a great replacement for breakfast and lunch, or good for a snack.

There are many ways to prepare these into more appealing dishes. Be careful when you are cooking not to add ingredients that will promote fat to enter your body. High fat ingredients are generally associated with better taste, but there are many low fat alternatives that also give better flavor. As a rule of thumb, the simpler and more natural, the better.

With some diets, they will recommend that you eat or drink only a few selected items. The portion sizes are also severely restricted. However to lose 10 pounds in 3 days, this is a necessity. There are some diets that you many not even be allowed to eat and type of solid food. Instead you are to drink only certain types of fluids as these are low in calories. While this can be effective to lose 10 pounds in 3 days, it is not healthy to continue this over the long term. Always consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting a longer term weight loss plan.

The main thing to remember is that if you are strict in following a lose 10 pounds in 3 days diet, you will have a huge chance to see yourself losing this weight. It's a great stepping stone to get yourself motivated to find a new diet to help you lead a healthier lifestyle and lose more weight over the long term. Good luck! ***

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by Leah Watson
Leah Watson has just finished writing her first E-book entitled Weight Loss for the Busy Woman. Please visit her site and sign up for her free 5-day e-course for more info, or visit Rapid Weight Loss Tips for more weight loss articles.
For more info: http://www.weight-loss-for-the-busy-woman.com/
source: http://www.getmyarticles.com/
image: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/977/85010390.JPG

Are You Truly Motivated To Lose Weight, Or....

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:54:51 PST

Are You Truly Motivated To Lose Weight... Or Is It Just A
Does this sound familiar?
You gain weight, you hate the way you look, you feel dreadful, your clothes don't fit... it's time to diet. So you hear about the new super diet and you get all excited and try that. You feel hungry all the time on the diet so you pretty soon fall off the wagon... but then... to your dismay... you put on more than you lost.!

And the cycle repeats!
You just don't believe it can happen for you so you've pretty much given up on ever losing that weight. It's just too hard and it never sticks. What will it take to change that thinking?

Here's the secret!
You have to know how you want to look, why you're doing it and what you're willing to do to make it happen. We can cure your carbohydrate craving in five days or less! I can show you a weight loss plan that is remarkably simple, has demonstrated success, most people lose weight on it, the meal replacements taste delicious and you never go hungry.

It's a science based plan designed by one of the top cellular nutrition experts in the world. All of it's claims can be verified. And on top of that it only costs as much as eating at McDonald's. Just click my link below if you want to know more. But here's the thing... will you do that, and if not, what's holding you back?

This is the test right here!
How much do you really want to lose that weight? You were searching the internet and found this article. You've read this far so you're still interested.
But will you take action? Is it the money? This is one of the most economical plans you will find. How much is your life and happiness worth? What are you looking for in terms of losing that weight? You can't just lie down and have it vanish. If you starve yourself you'll probably die.

So what's the solution that will work for you?
Why were you searching the internet for weight loss ideas and why are you reading this article. Why do you want to lose weight? Can you write that down? Is it your health... shortness of breath... how you look... the discomfort of tight clothing... the pain in your knees when you walk? Or are you just 10 or 20 pounds overweight as a result of all those summer barbecues and want to look good for Xmas?

Is there someone special you want to attract? Or do you just want to feel more attractive?

Whatever it is... write it down!
Now here is the real secret. How will you feel when you get the result you are looking for... the new liberated you? This is where your real motivation lies... how will it make you feel to finally succeed and bring out the new slim you? Get in touch with that feeling. This is what will cause you to spring into action and take another chance. This is what will keep you going.

"How will it feel when you're slim again?"
So... what are you willing to give up to have that result?

Are you willing to go through a little discomfort for a day or two until we get those carbohydrate cravings under control for you? Will you put your health at risk and go to McDonald's again or will you spend that money on a program that can literally change your life?
If you would like to know how to make this happen then I can help. ***

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by Jim Keayes
I have recently written a book entitled "Lose Weight - Never Go Hungry" which lays out a plan for overcoming carbohydrate addiction.
You can download it FREE here: http://www.loseweightnevergohungry.com/book
Jim Keayes is an expert Internet and Network Marketer with many years of successful experience. He has a lifetime involvement in healthy living and nutrition. He coaches worldwide.
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Fitness Expert

asia.architect@gmail.com (Eva Maryam) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:43:54 PST

Fitness Expert

There's nothing like doing a bodyweight workout circuit of prisoner squats, decline pushups, reverse lunges, inverted rows, bulgarian split squats, and spiderman pushups at home to build muscle and burn fat. Heck, you can get your entire workout done in the time it takes to drive to most gyms!

Here are 11 reasons why bodyweight training is best!

1. There is nothing like bodyweight exercises to boost confidence, motivation, and improve your athleticism.
2. Bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere - no equipment needed.
3. Improves your strength and gives you bragging rights for chin-up and push-up challenges.
4. Bodyweight exercises increase strength, endurance and flexibility in your entire body.
5. Bodyweight strength training and interval training help burn fat fast.
6. Helps improve strength in the back of the body - an area totally neglected in most weight programs.
7. A full body workout in 30 minutes or less. It all depends on how fast you want to move through the workout.
8. Great for men and women.
9. You can enjoy the last few weeks of the summer, training outside.
10. It's great if you are in jail, stuck at the office, or the in-laws.
11. As one client said, "This allows a change from the free weight workout and also can be used as a convenience for those traveling or maybe have not purchased a set of weights or machine for home to get an excellent workout."

BONUS TIP!
As another client said, "I think a bodyweight workout would be a great idea especially for when people travel. I don't know about most folks but I just don't have the time or desire to try to find a gym while I'm vacation or traveling for business. I use bands and bodyweight exercises in my hotel room. Since most hotels seem to have a treadmill, I use that for cardio or interval workouts. So, a bodyweight program would be totally portable and leave no room for excuses."

Here's another quickie circuit that will burn calories, again, in the comfort of your own home.
Y-Squat (15 reps) Close-grip Pushup (12 reps) Prisoner Forward Lunge (8 reps per side) Mountain Climber (12 reps per side) Jumping Jacks (60 reps)

Whew!
Invigorating, and bodysculpting! Bodyweight workouts burn fat and build muscle - fast! ***

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by Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc., is a Strength & Conditioning coach in Toronto, author of Turbulence Training, a contributing author to Men's Health and Women's Health magazines, and a member of the Training Advisory Board for Maximum Fitness and Oxygen magazines.
Craig's fat loss, muscle-building website www.TurbulenceTraining.com features his best-selling Turbulence Training for Fat Loss program and www.TTmembers.com offers access to all of Cra
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