What is BMI and how does it help my diet?

A number of methods are used to determine if someone is overweight or obese. Some are based on the relationship between height and weight; others are based on measurements of body fat. The most commonly used method today is the body mass index (BMI). BMI is an index of weight adjusted for the height of an individual.

BMI can be used to screen for both overweight and obesity in adults. It is the measurement of choice for many obesity researchers and other health professionals, as well as the definition used in most published information on overweight and obesity. BMI is a calculation based on height and weight, and it is not gender-specific in adults. BMI does not directly measure percent of body fat, but it is a more accurate indicator of overweight and obesity than relying on weight alone.

BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. The mathematical formula is “weight (kg)/height (m²).”

To determine BMI using pounds and inches, multiply weight in pounds by 704.5,* divide the result by height in inches, and then divide that result by height in inches a second time.

Go here to get more information on how to design the perfect diet for you and your body type.

This site will also give you animated exercises for dieting that are easy to do, don't need any fancy equipment, and will make your diet much more effective.

Benefits of Exercise in a Weight Control Program

The benefits of exercise are many, from producing physically fit bodies to providing an outlet for fun and socialization. When added to a weight control program these benefits take on increased significance.

Not only does proper exercise help control weight by burning excess body fat but it also has two other body-trimming advantages

1) exercise builds muscle tissue and muscle uses calories up at a faster rate than body fat

2) exercise helps reduce inches and a firm, lean body looks slimmer even if your weight remains the same.

Remember, fat does not "turn into" muscle, as is often believed. Fat and muscle are two entirely different substances and one cannot become the other. However, muscle does use calories at a faster rate than fat which directly affects your body's metabolic rate or energy requirement.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required to sustain the body's functions at rest and it depends on your age, sex, body size, genes and body composition. People with high levels of muscle tend to have higher BMRs and use more calories in the resting stage.
That's why it is very important to know what your BMR is in order to know how many calories you may consume per day to lose weight. It then becomes quite simple.
1 pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. If your BMR is lets say 2,400 per day with medium activity and you want to lose 2 pounds per week (7,000 calories) then you would have to deduct 1,000 calories from 2,400 leaving you with a diet and exercise combination that gets you down to 1,400 calories per day. Make sense? Click here to calculate your BMR.
But be careful. Never go lower than 1,200 calories per day.

The beauty is that your metabolic rate stays elevated for some time after vigorous exercise, causing you to use even more calories throughout your day. Additional benefits may be seen in how exercise affects appetite. A lean person in good shape may eat more following increased activity, but the regular exercise will burn up the extra calories consumed. On the other hand, vigorous exercise has been reported to suppress appetite. And, physical activity can be used as a positive substitute for between meal snacking.
Hear are some great exercises you can do right at home including some great tips on how to determine what diet is best for your body type.
Stay tuned for a more detailed explanation of how BMR, BMI and the Harris Benedict Principle all work together to get you into shape.

Easy Exercises You Can do Right at Home

Want a bicycle butt or great abs? Well here are some great and easy exercises you can do right at home. You don't need any of that expensive equipment and they're fun. The problem with most dieting is that if you don't exercise you will probably lose more muscle mass than fat. That sucks! But if you exercise while dieting, you will force your body to burn more fat while maintaining muscle mass. What's great about that, is that you'll raise your metabolism causing your body to burn even more fat. You'll also feel a lot more energized and create great muscle tone to firm up that butt, abs and bustline.
Find out more about effective dieting, great exercises you can do right at home, and healthy living by clicking here!

Are You a Yo-Yo Diet Victim?

Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, is a repeated loss and gain of body weight due to excessive dieting.
The term "yo-yo dieting" was coined by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., at Yale University, in reference to the cyclical up-down motion of a yo-yo. In this process, the dieter is initially successful in the pursuit of weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the loss long-term and begins to gain the weight back. The dieter then seeks to lose the regained weight, and the cycle begins again.

The reasons for yo-yo dieting are varied but often include embarking upon a diet that was initially too extreme. At first the dieter may experience elation at the thought of loss and pride of their rejection of food. Over time, however, the limits imposed by such extreme diets cause effects such as depression or fatigue that make the diet impossible to sustain. The dieter reverts to their old eating habits, and with the added emotional effects begins to rapidly regain the weight.

This kind of diet is associated with extreme food deprivation as a substitute for good diet and exercise techniques. As a result, the dieter may experience loss of both muscle and body fat during the initial weight-loss phase (weight-bearing exercise is required to maintain muscle). After completing the diet, the dieter is likely to experience the body's famine response, leading to rapid weight gain of only fat. This is a dangerous fat-cycle that changes the body's fat to muscle ratio, one of the more important factors in health.

Click here for easy exercises you can do right in your own home including some great tips on nutrition, calculating your bmi, calorie calculators, recipes, reviews on different diet plans and weight loss programs, nutritional supplements and more.

Easy Exercises You Can Do at Home

I know dieting sucks!
It sucks even more when you finally lose the pounds just to put them back on again later. If this describes you, then read further.
The problem with dieting is that most of us think that just by eating less we'll lose weight. Well to some degree that's true, however this weight loss is usually short lived. To lose weight you have to deprive your body of calories it needs to perform on a daily basis. This calorie deficiency however causes your body to look for easy calories to burn and these are mainly found in muscle. It takes a lot more energy for your body to burn fat than muscle. Did you know that! So what happens is that you'll lose weight but at the expense of lean muscle. What's even worse, once you finish dieting, you'll put even more weight on because it's easier for your body to replace that lean muscle with - you guessed it - fat.
The answer to this dilemma is - exercise!
By exercising during your diet you accomplish a number of things.

1. You won't lose lean muscle mass because now your forcing your body to burn fat rather than muscle.
   
2. You'll be adding a lot of tone to your body shape. No sagging upper arms, bellies or butts.
3. You'll feel a whole lot more energized and bouncy to get through your day.
   
4. And finally, your mental attitude and outlook on life in general will soar!

Now I know that exercising is boring to some, but you really don't need to do a lot of it. Fifteen to thirty minutes a day will do it. Best part is, you can do it right at home without any expensive equipment or gadgets.
Here are some great exercises with animated illustrations and instructions to follow.
Good luck, and keep that chin up!
Keep posted for other future tips and advice.