What % of Fat Does Your Body Have?

September 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Do you know what % of fat your body has?

We blogged about this subject 18 months ago, but we feel as though it’s time to mention it again.  Why?  Because it’s such an important subject. 

Whether you chose to work with a personal trainer or not, from time to time it is a good idea to find out what’s going on inside your body by participating in some health and fitness tests.  These are the kind of tests that many of us dread, for fear of finding out what we don’t want to hear!  The biggest grimace normally comes after measuring your body composition, i.e. your % of body fat.

Time and time again we see people who are hooked on standing on their weighing scales and hoping to see the pounds falling off each day.  Weight is the mass of various structures in the body – bone, muscle, fat, water etc.  Even though weight and BMI are very important figures to pay attention to, it’s easy to forget about body fat and visceral fat (which isn’t visable to the eye as it is the fat stored behind our ribcage and around our vital organs).  You can look slim but have a high body fat %!!!!

We all need some body fat to be healthy.  The right type of fat in the body carries and stores vitamins, regulates our body temperature and can be converted into energy.  BUT, too much of the wrong type of fat can be detrimental to your health.  It could put you at a greater risk of some serious medical conditions – heart diease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.  Research now shows a link between certain types of cancer and obesity.

Do you know the correct range of a healthy bodyfat %?  Even though females are allowed a little bit extra (thank your hormones), the sad truth is that the average percentage is way above what it should be. 

34 – 37% is common for the average female, whereas it should be between 22 – 25%. *

For the average male, the healthy range should be 13 – 16%.* 

So what can be done?  The best ways to start reducing your bodyfat are:

  • Increase your lean muscle tissue through strength training that is pitched at the right level for your body.
  • Follow a healthy and balanced eating plan that stabilises blood sugar and gives sustained energy release.

At Total Personal Training in Surrey we use various methods in measuring body composition, either electrical or manual.  You may well find that as your lean muscle tissue increases, your body fat % decreases, and yet your weight stays the same!  By measuring your body composition regularly, you could become fitter, healthier and be putting your body at less risk of disease.  

* These figures are based upon an ‘average’ adult.  The guidelines are different for athletes.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Our New Online Training & Weight Loss Service

September 13, 2010 By 1 Comment

Today sees the launch of our new and VERY exciting online training and weight loss service.  It has been designed for busy people and to set the record straight, regardless of your location.  

You may have been bombarded in the past with food and exercise information that just isn’t working for you.  Our online training and weight loss service gives you the tools to make positive changes to the way you eat and the way you exercise, once and for all…without making a huge investment in time or effort.  Your small efforts will be rewarded with long-term results.

How many times have you tried in the past to stick to an exercise routine and eat healthily only to give it all up after a few weeks?  Too many people are being misinformed about food, exercise and what your body needs to be healthy.  The accelerating growth of obesity in the UK is just one indicator that things need to change.   

We’ve asked our clients why they use our personal training services and they all say the same, “There is no substitute for having the right kind of support.”  So, we’re bringing our expertise to you, no matter where you are based.  If you want guidance, expert knowledge and support along the way, then our new online training and weight loss service is perfect for you!

Click here to find out more…

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Banish The Fat Around Your Waistline

October 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

“I want a flat stomach!”

“How do I shift this fat around my middle?

“I’m eating less, but I’m putting on weight!”

These are just a few of the statements that I hear all so often from clients who come to me and ask for advice. As a weight management personal trainer, I support and teach people on how to lose weight, get a flat stomach and shift the stubborn fat that seems to be stuck around the waistline. The amount of fat that we store in our body has a direct link to our health. Obesity and diabetes type 2 are just two lifestyle diseases that are on the increase, mainly because of the effect of misuse of our insulin level. It’s no surprise that long-term abuse leads to a decline in our health and weight. The next few paragraphs explain the damaging effects of insulin abuse, the impact of fat stored around the middle and how small changes to our diet and lifestyle can go a very long way.

If you cannot understand why your weight is increasing and your body shape is changing (and you are trying so hard to stick to a low-fat, low-calorie diet, after all, you don’t really want that tyre around your middle…do you?) then it could all by down to the way in which you manage the insulin level in your blood. Heavily linked to this, diseases like diabetes type 2 are the inevitable result of poor lifestyle and food choices.

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas to control the circulating glucose (sugar) level in our blood. It is also a fat storage hormone responsible for transporting glucose into our cells which should later be converted into energy. Too much sugar in our blood stream is toxic and very dangerous. Whenever we eat something, insulin is released to ensure that our blood sugar level doesn’t raise too high. The amount of insulin released depends upon the type of food that we eat. If you choose to eat highly refined, starchy, carbohydrate foods such as white pasta, white bread, white rice, biscuits or sweet foods, this will have a great impact on the amount of insulin required.

The more insulin released, the more fat you will store. High levels of insulin in your blood will also inhibit the breakdown of fat, no matter how much you exercise!

So, if you have a sweet tooth or like to eat ‘white’ highly processed foods, you will constantly be calling on your insulin to deal with the sugar in your blood. Over time and over abuse will lead to weight gain (especially abdominal fat around your middle), increased fat storage and an impact on your health. Carbohydrate-rich foods serve as our main source of energy and consumption of this particular food group should be in the form of whole-grains, fruits and vegetables. If there is no alternative but to use white pasta or rice, ensure that there is a good level of protein (beans, eggs, fish, meat) to create a balance in your blood sugar level.

Sugar, in whatever form you choose, creates havoc in our body. All of the calories from sugar are ‘empty’ calories, containing virtually none of the nutrients that your body needs. It also accounts for the energy ‘low’ that many people experience at various points throughout the day.

Stress, caffeine and skipping meals…here we go again! If you like to have several cups of coffee, tea or fizzy drinks to help you get through the day, regularly skip meals (because you think that by not eating you will lose weight) or live your life in a constant state of stress, you will de-stabilse your blood sugar level even further, create stress hormones and trigger the release of further glucose from your liver into your blood stream. The whole process of releasing insulin (to deal with the release of glucose) starts all over again…and you haven’t even eaten anything!

How to Balance Your Blood Sugar Level

• Avoid refined sugar and stimulants (caffeine, cigarettes, excess alcohol)
• Eat little and often; three balanced low-GI meals with small snacks
• Supplement ‘energy’ nutrients and use a well-researched, bio-available brand
• Undertake the correct intensity exercise on at least 3 days during the week
• Each meal and snack should consist of both unrefined carbohydrate and protein

Putting it into practice may seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, there is no need to starve yourself, be deprived of food or follow yet another fad diet. It’s about eating for energy and having the occasional treat to reward your progress.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Weight Management & Fat Loss. Exercise Alone Won't Make You Thin!

August 10, 2009 By 1 Comment

Warning!  In general, exercise alone won’t make you thin!  The information contained in this article might just make you consider whether or not you actually reward yourself with a post-exercise treat…after all, you burnt so many calories on the treadmill, that you can now eat what you like.  Right?

As a weight management and fat loss personal trainer, all of my clients want to know the secret of losing weight, toning their muscles and keeping off the fat in the long-term.  I’m going to be brave now and say that exercise alone won’t make you thin.  There is so much more to the equation.  A calorie is more than a calorie if it’s coming from the wrong source!  Yes it’s true that exercise and movement is one of the basic ‘needs’ of our bodies, but soley concentrating on burning calories won’t give you the results that I imagine you are after.  I’ve found some statistics to back up what I am saying:

45 million Americans now belong to a health club (this is a 22 million increase since 1993).

We spent 19 billion USD on gym memberships each year (can you actually say that you have fully utilised your gym membership EVERY month?)

Obesity is still on the increase.  Have a look at the statistics here.

Back in 2003 when I was training to run the London Marathon, I used to think that I could run several times a week and would have to ‘refuel’ on the days that I was resting.  In the back of my mind, I was also quite excited about losing a few pounds.  After all, I would be using up so many calories!  My fellow runners and I would forever talk about eating whatever we liked as we were training for a marathon.  I’m pleased to say that I finished the 26.2 miles…and weighed absolutely no different!  The main reason for this was that I didn’t really care where my calories were coming from, I just wanted fuel.  I would also eat quite a lot after my training session was over.

After much research and qualifications in exercise for weight management and fat loss, I look back to those training days and wish that I knew then exactly what I know now.  I found that in order to truely lose weight and perform at our best, we must balance and focus the quality and quantity of the food that we are eating, along with training at the right intensity.  The goal of any healthy eating plan should be to eat the foods that provide our bodies with the necessary building blocks to make healthy cells.

So, back to the issue of exercise.  Research shows that physical inactivity might actually been more harmful to your health than other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure (not that I am advocating either of those as being ok).  Exercise is vital for our bodies, after all they were designed to withstand physical hardship.  If we fuel ourselves in the right way, avoid the junk food and excessive eating after training and get proper rest and recovery, the end result could actually be losing a few pounds.

So, stop and think before rewarding yourself with a ‘treat’ after training.  All of your hard work could be undone within seconds!!!  In the meantime, your monthly membership is helping the profits of the gym!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

What’s Your Bodyfat %?

April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Do you know your bodyfat %?  All personal training programmes should start with individual health and fitness tests, otherwise how else can the programme be tailored for you?  These are the kind of tests that many of us dread, for fear of finding out what we don’t want to hear!  The biggest grimace normally comes after measuring your body composition, i.e. your % of body fat.

Time and time again we see people who are hooked on standing on their weighing scales and hoping to see the pounds falling off each day.  Weight is the mass of various structures in the body – bone, muscle, fat, water etc.  Even though weight and BMI are very important figures to pay attention to, it’s easy to forget about body fat and visceral fat (which isn’t visable to the eye as it is the fat stored behind our ribcage and around our vital organs).  You can look slim but have a high body fat %!!!!

We all need some body fat to be healthy.  The right type of fat in the body carries and stores vitamins, regulates our body temperature and can be converted into energy.  BUT, too much of the wrong type of fat can be detrimental to your health.  It could put you at a greater risk of some serious medical conditions – heart diease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.  Research now shows a link between certain types of cancer and obesity.

Do you know the correct range of a healthy bodyfat %?  Even though females are allowed a little bit extra (thank your hormones), the sad truth is that the average percentage is way above what it should be.  34 – 37% is common for the average female, whereas it should be between 22 – 25%.  For the average male, the healthy range should be 13 – 16%.* 

So what can be done?  The best ways to start reducing your bodyfat are:

  • Increase your lean muscle tissue through strength training that is pitched at the right level for your body.
  • Follow a healthy and balanced eating plan that stabilises blood sugar and gives sustained energy release.

At Total Personal Training in Surrey we use various methods in measuring body composition, either electrical or manual.  You may well find that as your lean muscle tissue increases, your body fat % decreases, and yet your weight stays the same!  By measuring your body composition regularly, you could become fitter, healthier and be putting your body at less risk of disease.  

* These figures are based upon an ‘average’ adult.  The guidelines are different for athletes.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,