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Lifestyle explained

Let my try to explain some facts and figures. There are a couple of facts you neet o understand:

  • Nutrition Facts labels
  • Food Pyramid
  • Food Groups
  • Simple excercise tips
  • Activities - Calories burnt per Hour
  • Exercise tips
  • Measuring Body Fat

Nutrition Facts labels

Nutrition Facts Label

Food Pyramid

Food Groups

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs & Nuts (2-3 Serves a Day) Milk, Yogurt & Cheese (2-3 Serves a Day) Fruits (2-4 Serves a Day) Vegetables (3-5 Serves a Day) Bread, Cereal, Rice and & Pasta (6-11 Serves a Day)

Simple excercie tips

Adopting new daily habbits:
  • Use the stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible
  • Park at the periphery of the shopping centre carpark
  • Carry your own groceries
  • Stand and walk around the office while reading or thinking
  • Don't eat lunch at your desk, take a walk outside or walk to a salad bar
  • Forget the cab or public transport, walk instead where you can

Activities - Calories burnt per Hour

This is based on 75kg heavy person: Standing (95-120) Cleaning House (240-300) Walking slowly - 2,5mph (210-230) Aerobic Dancing (480-625) Swimming (480-625)

Excercise tips

  • Set quantitative goals.Write down what you want to accomplish, short and long term.
  • Allot the time.Set a regular workout time each day and stick to it.
  • Variety helps.Include as wide a varity of excercises as practical.
  • Excercise with a friend.Make a commitment and stick with it while you have someone next to you for encouragement. Remember you are not alone.
  • Keep a daily log.Mark down your activities, your weight and body fat percentage.

Measuring Body Fat

There are several methods to do this. I am using a Tanita Scale which is using the BIA method. Let me explain this to you: BIA - a safe, low-level electrical signal is passed through the body, and body fat percentage is calculated based on the amount of impedance as the current flows from one point to another. The signal passes much faster through lean muscle than fat because muscle contains 70-75% of the body's water (fat contains almost no water). BIA is most consistent and reliable if you are proberly hydrated and if you wait three hours after eating or excercise before the measurement. When these factors are recognised and BIA's practiced consitently, the results correlate well with hydrodensitometry.