There is a tendency to relate body fat to being overweight and this is not necessarily the case.

All human beings need body fat. The amount you need depends on your body shape and type, your age and whether you are male or female.

Women need more body fat than men. For males a healthy amount of body fat is in the range of 8% to 25%. For females a healthy amount is in the range 21% to 36%.

The younger you are the less body fat you should have. For young 20 to 30 year old males the ideal body fat level is around 8% to 19%, whereas once males pass their sixtieth birthday 13% to 25% is healthy.

For younger 20 to 30 year old females ideal body fat is in the region of 21% to 33%. Retired, sixty plus year olds should aim for 24% to 36%.

These differences explain, to some extent, why women find it more difficult than men to lose weight.

How To Measure Body Fat

The least scientific, but still useful method, which anyone can do, even as you read this article, is to hold up one arm and pinch the area at the back, just opposite your bicep muscle. If there is very little flabbiness there, it is a good sign. A lot of flab probably means that your body fat is too high.

Body Fat Callipers have been in use for a long time. They require training to use properly so that they give accurate readings. Their usefulness has probably been superseded by more modern body fat weighing machines. These machines are more accurate and much quicker to use.

For measuring body fat accurately we would recommend using one of the specially designed devices. The small hand-held devices seem to have accuracy problems. Generally speaking the weighing scale type of machine seems to work more accurately.

You should take care not to exercise or drink too much or too little before using any body fat measuring device.

The machines we recommend for measuring body fat is the Tanita of Illinois. They are available in most countries.

If you want a totally accurate and reliable body fat measurement you will need to have a total body scan.

The US Navy Seal test uses the measurement of the thinnest part of your wrist, your neck, waist and height to provide an estimate. This method of measuring has been around for a long time and is reasonably accurate.

I will write an article about how to use it next week.

Tomorrow, Sunday June 1 I will be holding my online Hypnothon for everyone interested in losing weight, please join us. You can get the details here.

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If You’re Serious About Losing Weight and Creating Your Ideal Body you should consider becoming a member of our Elite Slimmers. We test it constantly and believe it to be THE most powerful weight loss program on the Internet because you learn how to hypnotize yourself to generate strong willpower and help people overcome temptations. Membership is strictly limited, so you should check immediately to see if you can join. It will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals. Discover The Elite Slimmers now. At the Weight Loss Hypnothon on June 1 you can experience for free what it feels like to be hypnotized to lose weight. Reserve a free place here: www.goneforeverweightloss.com/weight-loss-hypnothon.html

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Those of you who follow my blog will know that I am a great believer in the use of Isometric exercises as part of your weight loss program.

I love these isometric exercises because you can do them in all sorts of situations and because you can target specific areas in your body where you want to tone up or strengthen muscles.

As you will know if you read my articles or use any of my weight loss programs, I am doing isometric exercises every day. I use the all-over body toning program that give out as part of our elite weight loss program.

The exercise I am going to demonstrate to you today is particularly good for toning your thigh, waist, upper arm and lower back muscles.

I devised this exercise to be done either in the office or at home.

All you need is an upright chair and a table or desk.

This is what you do:

Sit well back in your chair with your tailbone pressed against the back of the chair.

Position the chair so that your stomach is about one inch from the edge of the table or desk.

Make sure your back is straight.

Have both your feet flat on the floor.

Place the palms of both hands flat on the table of desk top, shoulder width apart.

Press down hard on the desktop with both hands. At the same time press down hard on the floor with both feet.

Feel the tension in the muscles of your upper arms, shoulders, chest, stomach, thighs and calves.

Hold as you count slowly from one to five.

Pause for a count of three.

Press down again and, once again count slowly from one to five.

Repeat the exercise five times.

Build up until you can do ten repetitions at each sitting.

The beauty of these exercises is that you can do them in so many different locations. I have done them on trains, in business meetings, when our walking my dogs, during dinner parties and in bed, first thing in the morning.

So they are ideal for anyone with a busy life who is losing weight using a combination of healthy eating and exercising.

A full range of isometric exercises, designed to tone all the muscles in your body are included in our Elite Slimmers program.

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If You’re Serious About Losing Weight and Creating Your Ideal Body you should consider becoming a member of our Elite Slimmers. We test it constantly and believe it to be THE most powerful weight loss program on the Internet because you learn how to hypnotize yourself to generate strong willpower and help people overcome temptations. Membership is strictly limited, so you should check immediately to see if you can join. It will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals. Discover The Elite Slimmers now. At the Weight Loss Hypnothon on June 1 you can experience for free what it feels like to be hypnotized to lose weight. Reserve a free place here: www.goneforeverweightloss.com/weight-loss-hypnothon.html

Men who cycle or walk for 30 minutes a day are 34 percent less likely to die from cancer compared to those who exercise less.

This is one important result from a study just completed by The Karolinska Institute of Stockholm. The study tracked the activity and health of 40,708 middle-aged and elderly men over a seven year period.

Cycling and walking compared very favourably with other forms of exercise which led to a mere 5% reduction in cancer.

So the message is clear: “to avoid cancer and live longer, walk for at least 30 minutes a day.”

Calories Burned Walking

As a rough rule of thumb, you will burn around 100 calories a mile when walking.

If a pound of fat equates to 3,500 calories you can walk it off in 35 miles. That sounds like a long way but over 7 days it is only 5 miles a day. So you could lose a pound a week just by walking.

In order to burn more calories your best strategy is to walk faster. You will need to work up to this, but if you can walk fast enough so you start to pant you will be getting good cardiac exercise and burning extra calories at the same time.

Ideas To Increase The Distance You Walk

Walk to work.
Get off the bus or train one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
Get a dog, or walk a neighbour’s dog.
Walk to the shops.
Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
Walk the kids to school,
Walk in the park or round the block at lunchtime.
Join a rambling group or club.
Plan expeditions with your kids.
Go on sightseeing trips.
Visit museums or art galleries.
Go on nature walks.
Take up bird watching.
Take up golf.

Burn More Calories When Walking

You can do isometric exercises as you walk along. These work by working the power of one muscle of group of muscles against another group. For example you could link your fingers together, hold your hands at chest height and simply pull. The moment you do this you will feel the pressure in your chest, shoulders and the outsides of your upper arms.

There are many more isometric exercises that you could do as you walk along.

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If You’re Serious About Losing Weight and Creating Your Ideal Body you should consider becoming a member of our Elite Slimmers. We test it constantly and believe it to be THE most powerful weight loss program on the Internet because you learn how to hypnotize yourself to generate strong willpower and help people overcome temptations. Membership is strictly limited, so you should check immediately to see if you can join. It will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals. Discover The Elite Slimmers now. At the Weight Loss Hypnothon on June 1 you can experience for free what it feels like to be hypnotized to lose weight. Reserve a free place here: www.goneforeverweightloss.com/weight-loss-hypnothon.html

I just did a whole lot more research. It threw up some fascinating and useful information. But what’s likely to work best for you?

Did you know that there are over 9 million pages on Google that deal with Slimming and related issues.

You can actually buy slimming body armour! (That was a new one on me.) And slimming swimsuits, underwear, dresses and corsets all seem to have good followings.

As you might imagine products you can consume to lose weight are popular. Slimming pills, slimming teas, slimming tablets, diet sodas and drinks of all sorts proliferate in the market.

Then there are exercises to lose weight, exercise equipment and special exercise clothing ranges.

Slimming magazines are some of the biggest selling publications in the world.

What this proliferation of products tells us is that there is huge demand from people who would like a slimmer body.

Think It Through With Me

What all this demand is really telling us is two very simple things:

1. People believe that slimmer is more attractive and they want to look attractive.
2. People want to fit the “attractive norm” in order to feel good about themselves and their position in society.

So they want to be slimmer in order to look better in the eyes of other people, and feel better and more confident in themselves.

Please take note that what we are talking about here is a Mental Picture “to look attractive” and a Feeling “feel good about themselves.”

The look and the feeling are the best motivations for losing weight. And really strong motivation is what you need in order to create your ideal body.

The issue you have with your body is mental, emotional and physical.

Surveys Show That Short Cuts do NOT Work

According to The US National Institutes of Health Survey, 95 – 98% of people who lose weight by dieting gain all the weight back within 5 years.

What more proof do you need before you realize that if you want your body to be slim, and it is currently overweight, you are going to have to DO something to change your body?

The reasons why pills, diets, teas and diet drinks do not work is simple. They are short term fixes for a long term issue.

You may be able to lose a few pounds by taking XYZ pills or only drinking carrot juice or tea for 2 months, but the moment you slip back into your old eating and drinking habits the weight will come back.

This Knowledge is Useful

Once you have established that it is your current eating and drinking habits that have caused you to gain weight you have very valuable data. You know the cause of your body being the way it is.

Therefore the solution is simple; change what you eat and drink.

“Ah, but if I change I won’t be able to go out with my friends any more.”

“I have a very busy life, I have to grab snacks when I can. I know they’re not always the healthiest, but….”

These two excuses come up time and time again. So you have to make a choice: do you want a slim body or not?

If you do then you’re going to have to behave a little differently when you’re with your friends. You’re also going to have to plan your meals better.

I have now been on my weight loss campaign for 70 days. I still go to the pub twice a week. I have been to several parties, social gatherings and dinners. It is a cast iron fact that I have not lost one single friend in the last 10 weeks.

OK sometimes (not always) I am drinking sparkling water when others are drinking beer or wine and it felt a little odd at first, but now I am accustomed to it and feel somewhat smug inside from knowing that I am the one with the willpower.

And, of course, I have lost weight, so I look and feel better.

The Good Feelings Come From Genuine Success

I do not believe that I would get good feelings about myself and what I have achieved, if my new appearance was the result of wearing tighter under-garments, or a special slimming belt, or all-black clothing. The good feeling comes from the knowledge that I have achieved success by taking proper care of my body.

It may be your way to take pills. Personally I am always concerned about potential side effects and I will do anything to avoid drugs. They will only come into my consideration when my life is threatened and I am forced to believe that they are the only way to preserve quality of life.

Superman Willpower

Yes, I do occasionally get tempted to snack and eat between meals. And, yes, I do sometimes feel like missing out on my morning exercises. And after dinner mints can seem irresistible.

That is when I retreat into my self-hypnosis and shut out the temptation. Hypnosis has been a friend and helper over the past weeks. It has a strong track record of enabling people to change habits (like kicking smoking). It has certainly proved invaluable to me.

Hypnosis reminds me of my targets, my self image and my strength of mind. I often find I have willpower even when I don’t want it and would rather give in and eat a chocolate bar. You can try out weight loss hypnosis at our online Hypnothon on June 1.

Recommended Resources

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe via RSS feed or by email updates. You will receive fresh, new content free of charge!

If You’re Serious About Losing Weight and Creating Your Ideal Body you should consider becoming a member of our Elite Slimmers. We test it constantly and believe it to be THE most powerful weight loss program on the Internet because you learn how to hypnotize yourself to generate strong willpower and help people overcome temptations. Membership is strictly limited, so you should check immediately to see if you can join. It will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals. Discover The Elite Slimmers now.

At the Weight Loss Hypnothon on June 1 you can experience for free what it feels like to be hypnotized to lose weight. Reserve a free place here: www.goneforeverweightloss.com/weight-loss-hypnothon.html

So much fuss is made about body fat in this age of obesity that we can lose sight of the fact that we need body fat.

OK so we don’t need blubber and a whale-like body, but enough is essential for good health.

The ideal body fat amount for a healthy human being differs between men and women. It also differs according to how old you are.

Our research indicates that expert opinion differs a little. But if you follow the body fat chart below you will not be far out.

Once you start to climb above the higher of the percentages listed above you have too much body fat. This is not healthy. Excess body fat can lead to diabetes, blocked arteries and heart disease. Once you move into the danger zone it is time to take serious action to lose weight for the sake of your health.

Body Fat Percentages Affect The Shape of Your Body

Body fat is important because it has a direct bearing on your body shape.

A pound of fat occupies a greater area than a pound of muscle and does not look so firm.

So, the lower your body fat and the higher your muscle density the slimmer more shapely your body is likely to look.

Also, excess fat wobbles around and looks unsightly.

Use Your Body Fat Percentages to Motivate Your Slimming Campaign

I am a great believer in looking in the mirror. It gives a good idea of how much fat I am losing and how much muscle tone I am gaining. It is very encouraging. Of course, you do need to be exercising as well as eating healthy to see the benefits.

You can be more scientific by having your doctor or physician measure your body fat percentages on a Body Composition Analyser (BCA) machine.

BCA’s are now also available for home use at prices not much above those for ordinary weighing scales. However, as the cheap versions are simply stand-on we rather doubt that they are quite as accurate as the professional models. However, they can still provide you will useful guidance as to your body fat levels.

Tanita of Illinois invented the first stand on Body Composition Analyser to utilise Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) technology in 1992, and they are still the world leaders in this field.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is Tanita’s method of indirectly measuring body composition. A safe electrical signal is sent through your body from patented pressure-contact electrodes that are housed in a single stand-alone unit. Your body fat percentage is calculated using an equation based on values such as height, age, gender and body type.

You can find your local Tanita BCA stockist on the Tanita.com website where you can also buy online. Prices start from around $100. In the UK you can buy from Argos for around £49.95.

The key to good health is to take positive action to lose weight and tone up your body as soon as you discover that your body fat exceeds the percentages indicated for your age group. This might be a good time to get really serious about losing weight and consider joining The Elite Slimmers.

Recommended Resources

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe via RSS feed or by email updates. You will receive fresh, new content free of charge!

If You’re Serious About Losing Weight and Creating Your Ideal Body you should consider becoming a member of our Elite Slimmers. We test it constantly and believe it to be THE most powerful weight loss program on the Internet because you learn how to hypnotize yourself to generate strong willpower and help people overcome temptations. Membership is strictly limited, so you should check immediately to see if you can join. It will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals. Discover The Elite Slimmers now.