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What is Body Image?

October 27, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Body image is the mental picture you have of yourself as well as the thoughts and feelings about that mental picture you have. This is best way to sum up the definition of the phrase. Body image is psychological in nature. It is influenced by your self-esteem and self-worth and it in turn, influences your self-esteem and self-worth. It is how you perceive your physical body and how you feel other’s perceive it. It is not based in the truth, but in what you see as the truth.

It’s not static – but ever changing; sensitive to changes in mood, environment, and physical experience. It is not based on fact. It is not inborn, but learned. This learning occurs in the family and among peers, but these only reinforce what is learned and expected culturally. In this culture women are starving themselves to look like models on the cover of magazines. Body image can drive you unhealthy methods in order to achieve and unrealistic goal. With this goal being unrealistic, the  starving, the gorging, the chronic dieting will never end.

Asking yourself the same questions over and over will never stop the endless insecurities you have surrounding your body image. To determine if you have a  healthy self body image review these questions;

  • Does the number on the scale determine how good you feel?
  • Do you always think if you lost 5, or 10 more pounds you would be happier?
  • Do you think being thin or muscular is just a matter of will power?
  • Do you skip meals to loose weight?
  • Do you feel guilty after you eat a full meal?

Answering yes to any of these questions means you personal body image is unhealthy. In today’s world, if you have a certain look, you’re more likely to be considered popular and successful. The pressure around appearance and weight is intense.

A healthy body image means feeling “at home” in your body ,it’s part of who you are.  For some, it takes years to establish that comfort. Not being the size two that’s on the cover of a magazine can reek havoc on your mind.  So obtaining a healthy body image is paramount to your state of mind.It also means you know how to take care of yourself.  Not just in maintain a healthy weight, but your overall self.

Whether it’s hair, makeup or skin care, keeping yourself in good condition is an overall package  which includes your mental state. You need to feel energetic and can do the things you want to do. It means resisting pressure to strive for the “perfect” body by finding more meaningful and lasting ways to feel good about yourself. Being the best “you” that you can be will give you a comfortable image inside and out which you will portray to everyone you meet.

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Methods to Cut Body Fat

May 19, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Do you feel you need to lose weight? Can’t seem to figure out what you can do to lose weight? Don’t worry you are not alone. Obesity has become an epidemic worldwide and millions are looking for a way to lose weight just like you. Recently it has been said by the World Health Organization that over one billion people are overweight, and out of that one billion at least 300 million are obese. These might seem like shocking numbers, but it is becoming a reality to many. Now losing weight is much easier and anyone can do it if they truly want to.

Continue reading to find the right method for you to cut your body fat and begin living a healthier life.

Methods to Cut Body Fat

For those looking for ways to decrease their body fat levels there are numerous ways to help you get started and continue. Losing body fat can possess to be difficult if you don’t have the right methods to do so.

Method #1 – Changing Diet

The first thing that people should consider doing is making changes to the foods they consume. Most people happen to be overweight and obese because of the foods they eat. A lot of the foods that you feel are healthy for you can actually be jam packed full of high carbs, sugars and bad fats, which doesn’t help you lose weight but keep it on and put more on. It might seem difficult to change your diet, but it is possible if you just try. There are many good, healthy food options available that can help introduce you to a better lifestyle, both physically and mentally.

When you are making changes to your diet you want to ensure that you are getting all the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your body needs each day. Do not starve yourself. You need to continue eating as food works as your body’s fuel, without it you won’t have energy to do anything but lie about. Instead of starving yourself to lose weight just make changes to your diet to healthier, fresh meals instead.

Some of the best food items to include into your diet are:

Fruits

  • Apricots
  • Avocados
  • Raspberries
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Tomato
  • Raisins
  • Figs
  • Lemons/Limes

Vegetables

  • Onions
  • Artichokes
  • Ginger
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Boy Choy (Chinese cabbage)
  • Squash (Butternut, Pumpkin, Acorn)
  • Watercress/Arugula
  • Garlic

Grains, Beans, Dairy & Nuts

  • Quinoa
  • Wheat Germ
  • Lentils
  • Peanuts
  • Pinto Beans
  • Yogurt
  • Skim Milk

Seafood

  • Shellfish (Clams, Mussels)
  • Salmon
  • Crab

Method #2 – Increase Your Metabolism

If you’re wondering how your metabolism plays a role in burning fat it is quite simple. Your metabolism plays a massive role in how much fat you will burn every day. Your metabolism is what burns the body’s energy, even while you sleep. By shifting the amount of calories you are consuming on a daily basis is to increase your metabolism. Your metabolism is constantly burning calories everyday, but you actually have the ability to increase your metabolism. By following a proper meal plan you will give your body extra energy to burn calories, meaning your metabolism is working faster then it may have before.

Ever wondered how much weight you can lose in a week? Each pound of fat is equal to approximately 3,500 calories. This means if you lower the amount of fat you consume each week you can drastically lower the amount of calories you are consuming, allowing you to lose weight by first off making changes to your diet. Losing body fat can occur with just a few simple changes to your diet, and as you change your diet you are also increasing your metabolism, which helps burn even more calories each day.

Method #3 – Detoxify Your Body

You’ve probably heard about people detoxing their bodies before a big diet and questioned why they do this. Detoxifying the body helps cleanse all the bad out of your body, including parasites and bad bacteria. By under going a detox you give yourself a fresh, healthy body to work with increasing your chances at burning increased numbers of body fat.

To take part in a detox you will need to consume a lot of liquids. Drinking plenty of water, orange juice and apple juice can promote your body’s natural abilities to cleanse itself, allowing you to undergo a detoxification.

Method #4 – Exercising

Exercising is beneficial for everyone, whether to burn fat or just feel great. Before you begin exercising you will want to discuss with your doctor about what exercise routines would be safe for you and your health. They can suggest several options for you to promote increased burning of body fat while not over pushing your body and causing any unwanted complications.

When you incorporate a healthy diet with exercising you are increasing your chances at burning much more fat compared to the person just making changes to their diet. By implementing a few simple exercise routines you are increasing the level of fat burned and also assisting in increasing your metabolism. Here are some simple exercise options you can use to burn fat and improve your health in no time.

  • Seated Curls – improves the core of your body’s natural ability to burn fat while increasing raw arm strength.
  • Chest Fly – when utilizing pectoralis major muscle exercises you force your core muscles to contract, giving a total body workout.
  • Overhead Squats – perfect for back, core, leg and arm development. You pump weight with your legs while also using all muscle groups to balance the repetition of the exercise.

Best Lower Ab Exercises:

  • Weighted Crunches – similar to regular crunches, but high intensification of resistance compared to regular crunches. Focuses more on abdominal development.
  • Hanging Leg Lifts - take more effort to perform due to hanging on forearms and balancing body at the same time utilizing abs. Climax each repetition. When lifting legs during the leg lifts workout, try to go beyond range of motion.

Be forewarned this particular abdominal exercise is very exhausting. Ensure that this is something you can do before completing. Discuss with your doctor if lower abdominal exercises are safe for you medically before beginning.

All the the above methods to cut body fat can be very beneficial for anyone wanting to lower their body fat levels. Please be aware that when you are trying to decrease body fat levels you are going to increase your muscle mass. Muscle weighs more then fat so you might be losing mass but not weight. Don’t go by your actual weight when trying to lose body fat, go by your body mass to see the best results.

If you feel you’ve tried and tried to maintain a healthy diet but just want a little added help speak to your doctor about switching to the Medifast Diet. Over 30,000 doctors recommend it to their patients. The diet is high in nutrition and low in sodium allowing you to continue cutting your body fat and have all the energy you need to exercise. Click Here to receive a special discount on your order with our Medifast Coupons.

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I am 5foot 11 inches tall and weight 230lb. Can any body give me some weight loss tips or diets?

March 6, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Hi. I am a 15 year old kid, who is 5’11, 230lb. And I need some weight loss tips before school starts. I work out alot. I play high school football, and competitive baseball in the summer. During football I lose all of my weight, but after that I gain all of my weight for baseball season. Please HELP!!! What can I do?

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Body Bikini-ready? Don’t Lose Heart, Lose Weight!

March 5, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment


Bikini season is rapidly approaching. Worried about breaking that New Year’s Resolution to drop 10-20 pounds? You’re not alone! Losing weight is perhaps one of the hardest things to do. Despite the zillions of books on the subject, fad and crash diets and programs and pills that rake in billions of dollars a year, the secret to getting into and staying in shape is simple: eat less, exercise more. What isn’t simple are taking the steps necessary to accomplish that goal. Both cutting calories and increasing activity require modifications in behavior. And behavior is very difficult to change. Some say that you can break or change a habit in twenty-one days, but maybe it’s more accurate to say you can establish a new and more productive behavior in three weeks time. How can you create a new habit of eating more healthily and working out in three weeks? Here are a few tips to get you started:1.     Set a reasonable goalContestants from The Biggest Loser aside, it’s impossible to lose 20 pounds in a short period of time. Most healthcare professionals suggest that slow and steady has a much better chance of success and recommend losing no more than 1-2 pounds per week. Given that, setting a 3-week weight loss goal of 5-7 pounds would be reasonable and achievable. You’re not going to be able to run a marathon in your first weeks of activity either, so don’t push yourself too hard. Start with 30 minutes of activity 3 times a week and increase session length and frequency each week. Power walking, cycling or working out with an aerobics DVD are all great ways to easily incorporate activity into your daily routine. 2. Make Lifestyle AdjustmentsThere are lots of small tweaks you can make to your daily life that will add up in calories burned and muscles flexed. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting, walking or biking instead of driving. Even household chores like vacuuming, gardening or even washing the dishes (by hand, not with a dishwasher!) can even help with shedding excess pounds. Making small changes to your eating habits can also have a cumulative effect. Try substituting fresh vegetables and salads instead of potatoes, rice and pasta for side dishes. Grill and broil instead of frying, ditch that high-fat cappuccino for low-cal herbal tea and snack on fruit or vegetables instead of candy and chips. 3.     Structure a RoutineThose small adjustments in your eating and exercise habits can soon become a daily routine. One of the biggest obstacles to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is coping with a hectic schedule. Too often we don’t have the time and energy to make the right choices. If this is an issue for you, a weight loss program such as Nutrisystem might be your best bet. The convenience of pre-scheduled, portion-controlled meals like those in the Nutrisystem or other diet plans can prevent the impulse snacking, eating on the run or late-night bingeing that destroy many dieters’ good intentions. By eliminating the need to plan and prepare meals, you give yourself some added ammunition against succumbing to high-calorie cravings. By setting reasonable and manageable goals, you increase your chances for success. And each success can help give you the drive and endurance to set yet another goal. Making small lifestyle adjustments helps you to see changes in eating behavior and activity level as being part of a long-term way of life instead of a short-term hardship. It’s not about depriving yourself; it’s about making positive choices and changes that will enhance your health and well-being!Finally, you want to swap out your unhealthy habits for a healthier routine. For some, a busy, stress-filled lifestyle is an impediment to making those healthy lifestyle adjustments. A structured diet program can make it easier to develop a healthy routine and achieve your weight loss goals. There you have it: three tips to help you lose weight in three weeks. It’s not too late to have your body beach-ready by summer if you start now!

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