myfitnesshut

It is important to do cardio exercise and strength training on a regular basis. And no one would argue that “you are what you eat.” Sixty to seventy percent of your exercise goal’s success or failure will be due to nutrition. Sometimes, it’s the little things that destroy our eating goals for the day. Here’s some ideas to help you keep your eating habits in control:

1) DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST–IT HELPS YOU EAT LESS LATER ON.
2) Eat your food on a plate, not in a bag or jar. It helps you eat less.
3) Eat with a purpose—DON’T JUST GRAZE.
4) Eat at least 2 servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.
5) Don’t assume that LOW-FAT means LOW-CAL—Read the Label.
6) Speaking of fats, eat mainly “heart-healthy” unsaturated fats.
7) DON’T SUPER-SIZE YOUR FAST-FOOD ORDER!!
Skip the side orders like french fries and bread sticks.
9) If it’s fried, let it slide!
10) Skip the meal appetizers unless they are low calorie.
11) Skip dessert, eat a small portion or split it with someone.
12) Eat until you are full, not stuffed (take a doggy bag).

I’m sure you could come up with dozens of these nutrition examples yourself. The little things do add up fast and they become nutritional habits—good or bad!

Many people are confused about what Body Mass Index (BMI) means as it relates to body fat. Keep in mind that it is just one tool to use when you are looking at your health. Scientists use BMI as a research tool to make objective comparisons as to how fat a person is. A person with a BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese.

BMI uses a person’s height and body weight to measure a person’s fatness. This method has some limitations because it doesn’t consider a person’s body type (slim, muscular, etc.) For example, a fit person with high muscle mass will tend to have a high BMI which suggests that the person is overfat. This person would actually be fit and healthy with low risk for fat-related diseases. So, even though you might use BMI as a starting point, a person’s level of fatness is best measured using a direct method.  A direct method will tell you WHERE YOU ARE FAT.  For example, research has proven that excess abdominal fat is a precursor to diseases such as cancer.  Two methods used are under-water weighing and skinfold measurements. Under-water weighing is not readily available to most people. Having a skinfold body fat test with calipers done by a fitness professional is convenient and reasonably accurate.

Regular exercise, low body fat and increased muscle mass are all factors that should outweigh any health risks suggested by a higher BMI.