4 3 Weight Control and Fitness Body Weight
4. 3 Weight Control and Fitness
Body Weight How much you weigh depends on: Height and frame size: Longer and thicker bones = More body weight How much muscle and fat you have: (Muscle weighs more than fat) Gender: Males usually weigh more than females. Why? Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of the degree of body fat for most individuals and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Calculate yours herehttp: //www. cdc. gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi
Fitness and body composition Body composition: The amount of fat you have compared with muscle, bone and other tissue. If you are male, no more than 13 -15% of your weight should be fat. Higher than that you would be classified as overweight. Anything more than 20% you are obese. For females, no more than 18 -20% of your weight should be fat. 21 -30% is classified as overweight. 30%+ is obese Everyone needs a certain amount of fat. It forms a protective cushion around the kidneys and other organs. The layer of fat under your skin keeps you form and acts as a store of energy. However the term obese means having an abnormal proportion of fat. The excess weight puts strain on the heart, muscles, bones and ligaments. Exercise becomes more difficult or even dangerous. There is also an increased risk of joint and back injuries, heart attacks, strokes, liver disease and other problems.
Diets Some people believe that Fad diets will help them to lose weight. The may skip meals, eat a diet low in carbohydrates or deprive themselves of another food type. These days it's hard to open a magazine without reading about the next miracle weight loss program. But if these diets are so effective, why are there so many new ones? Lose weight the right way: These 'diets' may provide short-term results, but they are difficult to sustain and, ultimately, they deprive you of the essential nutrients that only balanced eating can offer. It's easy to spot a fad diet: Typically, a fad diet shares some, or all, of the following characteristics: o Promises a quick fix o Promotes 'magic' foods or combinations of foods o Implies that food can change body chemistry o Excludes or severely restricts food groups or nutrients, such as carbohydrates o Has rigid rules that focus on weight loss o Makes claims based on a single study or testimonials only. .
Diets The far better option: A healthy, balanced diet. o For a balanced eating plan to be successful, you need to: o Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits. o Include a variety of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain. A healthy diet and more exercise o Include lean meat, fish, poultry or alternatives. are the best ways to lose weight. o Include milk, yoghurts, cheeses or alternatives. § Regular exercise increases your basal metabolic rate, which o Drink plenty of water. burns more fat when you are o Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake. resting. § It also decreases your appetite o Choose foods low in salt. o Limit your alcohol intake, if you choose to drink. o Consume only moderate amounts of sugars, and food and drinks containing added sugars. In particular, limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
Guidelines for eating for sport Don’t eat more than you need. Extra is stored as fat. Fat=a burden for sport Carbohydrates are the main source of energy. (55% of diet) Fats are also used for energy, depending on intensity. More intense exercise=more carbohydrate usage. We eat enough protein already to help with muscular wear and tear, you don’t usually need more. Drink water before, during and after sport. Why?
Carbohydrate loading A carbohydrate-loading diet, is a strategy to increase the amount of fuel stored in your muscles to improve your athletic performance. Carbohydrate loading involves hard training to use up muscle glycogen in the lead up to competition. Athletes then increase the amount of carbohydrates they eat several days before a high-intensity endurance athletic event. They generally cut back on activity level during carbohydrate loading. Their muscles should now have more glycogen than normal. The purpose of carbohydrate loading is to store more glycogen in your muscles to give you the energy to complete an endurance event with less fatigue, improving your athletic performance.
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