Weight Loss Article
Body fat percentage in the body is usually the determinant of whether a person is obese or not. There is nothing complicated about body fat, it just refers to the percentage of fat in the body. If a person weighs 150 pounds and has 10% body fat then his body fat is 15 pounds.
Loosing fat for many people is just about loosing fat. But this is not what weight loss should be all about. It must be remembered that there is a certain level of body fat that is required to carry out functions like regulating body temperature, cushioning and insulating the organs and tissues. Fat is also the main form in which the body stores energy.
Body Fat Table
Classification |
Women (fat %) |
Men (fat %) |
Essential Fat |
10 – 12% |
2-4% |
Athletes |
14-20% |
6-13% |
Fitness |
21-24% |
14-17% |
Acceptable |
25-31% |
18-25% |
Obese |
32% plus |
25% plus |
Today more and more Americans are becoming obese because of the sedentary lifestyles that people have become accustomed to. When we consume more fat than what our body can burn it gets stored in the form of body fat. They best way of loosing body fat is by carrying out the exact opposite process – burn more fat than is consumed.
People usually try to loose weight quickly by switching to fad diets. These diets are often successful as they bring about weight loss by depriving the body of certain essential nutrients. Due to this the weight lost is usually lean muscle and not fat. As a result when people go back to the normal diet they tend to gain back the weight they had managed to loose. Therefore you should not try to loose too much too soon. Just like weight gain is a gradual process even weight loss will take time.
You must first know your body fat percentage and only then set your weight loss goals. For example if a 140 pound woman who has 24% body fat sets a goal of loosing 25 pounds. This means the body fat is 33.6 pounds, lean body mass is 106.4 pounds and the goal is of attaining a body weight of 115 pounds.
If you refer to the body fat table provided above you’ll realize that loosing 20 pounds is neither realistic nor healthy. If the woman manages to loose 25 pounds of body fat then she would become dangerously low on body fat. So when you loose weight you must keep in mind that weight consists of both lean body weight and body fat. You need to keep your weight loss goals realistic and loose only the fat that is unhealthy.
When you are starting off with your weight loss program you might find it difficult to stick to a reduced calorie diet. Especially after your exercise you are bound have the urge to eat more. In such a situation you can make use of diet drugs like Phentermine and Adipex. These are FDA approved drugs and require a doctor’s prescription. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and helps in controlling your carvings for food easily.
So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to set realistic and achievable weight loss goals. Remember, keep the lean muscle, and lose only the excess fat.
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