Weight Loss and Healthy Living

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a simple formula that expresses the ratio of body weight to height. Insurance companies use BMI as a risk factor for health. BMI is often used to categorize someone as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Because BMI does not take into account percentage of body fat, it is not a very accurate method (someone with lots of muscle mass may be overweight on the BMI scale yet have low body fat and be in great general health).

In 1940, American psychologist William Sheldon proposed the theory that humans could be classified into distinct body types. His body types, referred to as somatotypes, were based on the "germ layers" of embryonic development. While Sheldron tried to tie these body types into psychological profiles, the bodybuilding world embraced these classifications as way to determine what type of training and nutrition is required to succeed at building a peak physique. The question is: should your training and nutrition depend on your body type?

Juice fasting refers to consuming nothing but juices over a period of time. There is much controversy and confusion surrounding why, what, and how one should juice fast. While I personally believe that fasting should never, ever be done for weight loss reasons, there are physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. This is not meant to be a scientific article that delves into the physiological impact of juice fasting, but rather an anecdotal study of my experience with juice fasting and how I feel it can benefit others in pursuit of weight loss and healthy living.

To maintain our health, we require a variety of vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals (components of plants), and other nutrients. Many of these nutrients can be received in the diet. Evidence is mounting, however, that it is impractical and virtually impossible to obtain the amounts needed for optimal health from diet alone. Therefore, a multivitamin becomes important. The question then becomes - what multivitamin?

The real metabolism calculator will reveal your true metabolic rate, or the average number of calories that you burn per day. From this, you will be able to determine exactly how many calories you will need to reach your weight loss goals.

Your metabolism is the sum of all of your body's functions. Pumping your heart, repairing damaged cells, even digesting foods are all processes that require energy. The term "basal metabolic rate" or "BMR" refers to how many calories you would burn if you did nothing but sleep all day. Because you obviously do more than just sleep, BMR is an interesting number but knowing your real metabolism is far more important. Your real metabolism is the calories you burn, on average, every day, taking into account your BMR and all of your daily activities.

This calculator estimates how many calories you should target based on your goal body weight. It also demonstrates an example of zigzagging calories throughout the week.

Your body weight contains much more information locked inside than just how many pounds appear on a scale. Because of the close relationship between lean mass, fat mass, and metabolism to your body weight, that magic number can play a role in many important equations. Sometimes people tend to complicate their fitness journey by over-computing using complex equations and trying to reach a precision that isn't practical. Using something simple like your body weight can assist you with determining just how many calories to consume and how to make adjustments when you aren't reaching your goals.

Qahhwat al-bun, the "wine of the bean," is believed to have come to us through Ethiopia around the tenth century A.D. It is now called "coffee" and is consumed by over 100 million in the US and accounts for billions in international sales. Caffeine, a stimulant, is a major ingredient in coffee that is both the culprit for widespread addiction to coffee as well as the cause of its popularity. So how healthy is coffee really? What are the side effects of caffeine?

This gadget provides a healthy insight into weight loss, muscle building, mindset, and more every time it is viewed. It taps into our extensive database of hundreds of fitness articles to give you something fresh and informative every time.

Are You Ready For Change? Sure, we all want to lose weight and have lean, toned bodies, but ask yourself: are you ready to make the changes necessary in order to achieve your goals? The journey begins in your mind. In this audio excerpt from the 5-CD Lose Fat, Not Faith Audio Program, you will learn more about the decisions you must successfully make in order to lose fat and live healthy.

This is our comprehensive collection of weight loss, diet, and fitness-related gadgets. Using these gadgets you can discover your body fat percentage, basal metabolic rate, compute your target heart rate, convert measurements for recipes, and much more. As we develop more gadgets, we will add them to this constantly growing pages. What's more exciting is that you can add any of these gadgets to your own Google homepage, as well as host them at your own website! Simply click the button beneath each gadget for options to store them where it's most convenient or share them where they will provide value to others.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It used to be called "adult-onset diabetes" due to the fact that it used to typically affect people over the age of 40. Now, however, more children than ever are affected with this disease. According to the National Diabetes Education Program, 177,000 young people under the age of 20 have this disease. Type 2 diabetes impacts the way your body processes carbohydrates. In type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin. The body is unable, however, to process the insulin (this is known as insulin resistance). The result is that while the body produces more insulin, it is like it does not produce enough because the body's cells do not respond.

In November 2000, dozens of fitness enthusiasts converged on the town of Evansville, Indiana to participate in a unique event. Some, including Porter Freeman, Scott Nelson, and Harry "Hank" Johnson, Jr, were physique transformation champions. Others were overweight or underweight but simply couldn't wait to make a difference (it is no coincidence that four strangers who met during that event later finished in the Top 2000 out of 3/4 million participants in the Body-for-LIFE competition that year). 30 individuals lifted over 2.6 million pounds to raise thousands of dollars for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Jeremy Likness chronicles his training and experience there to the uplifting and energizing sound of "The Solid Rock" by Daniel's Window.

The V stands for "volume" while O2 is the chemical notation for oxygen. VO2 max, also known as "maximal oxygen uptake" can be expressed in many ways (from liters of oxygen per minute or the more normalized milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute). It is a way to not only compare the performance of endurance athletes, but is also a relative indicator of overall fitness. Oxygen consumption has a direct link to energy expenditure. Therefore, maximum oxygen uptake is a direct measurement of aerobic capacity. Use this calculator to estimate your VO2 Max.

This is our custom player of weight loss and healthy living videos. These are videos about the mindset and lifestyle changes necessary to live healthy, burn fat, and enjoy life. Featuring health coach Jeremy Likness and 7-year old aspiring chef Lizzie Marie.

Losing fat is not difficult. I have been coaching clients to break through plateaus and send their fat cells running for cover for years now. So why does this continue to be an elusive goal for so many people, who "struggle" just to lose a few inches? We can address this by creating a practical guide to lose fat. Is this a special diet that will have the pounds melting off? No. Is it a secret workout program that causes you to burn fat while you sleep? Nope, not that, either - your body already does it. So what on earth can we share?

It's easy to tell the good fats from the bad ones, right? In the past decade, we've learned that not all fats are evil. Almost everyone now is quick to point out that the unsaturated fats are the healthy ones. Saturated fats, like the ones found in animal meat, coconuts and avocados are to be avoided at all cost. Unfortunately, you haven't been told the whole story and in fact saturated fats may be victims of discrimination rather than the unhealthy culprits the so-called experts claim them to be. Learn the real deal about saturated fats.

Healthy eating is about more than calories or following the latest dietary fad. Trends come and go. Healthy bodies have been around for thousands of years. By embracing your individuality, and learning how to apply the five keys of healthy eating to your own lifestyle, you can transcend these temporary fads and ease into a lifelong habit of living lean.

VO2 max describes your body's ability to transport and utilize oxygen as an energy source during exercise. It is also known as aerobic capacity.

This gadget will display a random recipe from our Lizzie Marie Cuisine section that features recipes for healthy living.

For general health you must remember to exercise. However, recent scientific discoveries suggest you should also exercise to remember. Exercise has a positive impact on one of your most important muscles: the brain.

Lentils, also known as pulse, are a nutrient-dense legume. They are a great side item to most dishes and a fantastic choice for vegetarians due to high protein content. Combined with their high fiber level and low glycemic index, they provide an almost "perfect meal."

Health Coach Jeremy Likness discusses the power of using command and control to empower your life and move towards goals without resistance. Tired of forcing it to happen or trying to make it happen? Use the advice contained in this 40 minute audio program to learn how to let it happen!

How long should you wait between sets and exercises during a weight training session? The answer is not simple. Rest time depends on a number of factors including your desired goal and how long you've been training for. While time is a common way to gauge rest between sets, there are other methods you may use as well.

When your schedule is extremely hectic and you have little time to train, it's easy to just throw in the towel and give up. There are, however, some simple routines that can be performed without fancy equipment wherever you happen to be that take less than 15 minutes to complete. These routines are great for getting your heart pumping, burning some calories, but most importantly to maintain strength, stamina, and flexibility when your schedule doesn't permit longer, more organized workout routines.

"This is the correct way to perform a bench press." Wait! No, this is the correct way. You are doing your leg lifts incorrectly. Your crunches are all wrong. Does this sound familiar?

The deltoid muscles surround the shoulder joint. This is a very sensitive joint. It is also an unstable joint because it is a socket joint. While bench press is one of the most popular training movements, it is also the most common culprit for shoulder injuries in the weight room. Proper shoulder care can help prevent injury, strengthen the joint, and improve results for other muscle groups that rely on the shoulder joint for stability.

More and more people today consume a vegetarian diet. They do it for religious, ethical, and/or health reasons. Some people just 'don't like meat.'

Protein is an important macronutrient that supplies amino acids to the body. Use this calculator to determine your daily protein requirements. It will compute the RDA along with adjusted (higher) values designed for endurance and strength athletes. It will also estimate total calories needed to meet those protein levels.

Fasting for non-religious reasons has become a popular trend. While a large percentage of people fast for spiritual reasons, others fast to detoxify their bodies and lose weight. Fasting can be a powerful tool but it can also be dangerous when abused. Is there any scientific basis for the claims that fasts can remove toxins and destroy tumors? Or is it true that there simply is no evidence for the benefits of going on short or long term fasts?

Jeremy Likness discusses victim cards, and how people use these to create their own excuses for self-sabotage. Learn how to move beyond the victim cards and have the courage to live the life you deserve.

Have you ever been disappointed to find that your favorite workout room only has two sets of dumbbells that are too light for an effective workout? Perhaps you've invested in tubes and bands for training but feel like you aren't training nearly intensely enough to receive any benefit. Super slow training is a method that can help you achieve better results while reducing risk of injury and improving range of motion.

Cardiovascular exercise is an important cornerstone of overall fitness. One variety of cardiovascular exercise is known as High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. HIIT refers to training intensely for short bursts followed by similar periods of low intensity. HIIT workouts are usually short but intense and burn a large number of calories in a short period of time.

In the fourth and final installment of this mini-series about the power of thought to lose weight, health coach Jeremy Likness explores how your mindset can help create change. This powerful information expands upon the inner aspects of physique transformation.

One of the most common training-related questions I receive is, "How do I get strong enough to perform a full pull-up?" Let's analyze the pull-up and create a plan of attack!

Training is like a blueprint for your body to adapt. Recovery is when the training effect, or the result of your training, takes place. If you train too soon, you will not fully recover. Wait too long, and you'll lose some of the training benefits. For this reason, frequency of training is an important element for success. This article will explore the right way to help determine your optimal training frequency.

In the gym, a good rep doesn't necessarily refer to your reputation. A rep or repetition describes one full movement of the weight during a resistance training exercise. Other terms you may hear are sets, supersets, movements, rest, and tempo. All of this terminology is designed to help you better understand resistance training workouts. This article will describe these weight-lifting terms in greater detail.

What are your thoughts about hypnosis? Some people have experience with using hypnosis as a method to overcome obstacles or break through addictions. Yet others have the image of a smooth-talking wizard lulling people into trances and forcing them to perform acts against their will. What is the real truth behind hypnosis and hypno-theraphy and how is it related to weight loss?

Welcome to Lose Fat, Not Faith. This is a website dedicated to the power of physique transformation. Here, you will find articles, tools, forums, galleries, products, and services dedicated to helping you become the lean, healthy, and energetic person you deserve to be. There are no magic pills, quick fixes, or gimmicks on this site. The information may seem overwhelming at first, so we offer you this guide to getting started.

In order to improve something, you must first be able to measure it. Measuring fat loss may not be as simple as it seems on the surface.

You've heard it before. "Never say I can't." Think positive. It is almost a cliché, right? But how do the things we say, feel, and believe truly affect our lives? Every day you have internal conversations with yourself, and the way that you conduct those conversations will have a tremendous impact on your success. There is much more to positive thinking than "can, can't."

Part 3 of this mini-series explores the power of thoughts and how what we focus upon expands. Health coach Jeremy Likness shares how we receive what we expect, so for physique transformation to be truly successful, you must transform your own expectations. Recorded in Spearfish, South Dakota in front a live audience.

Injuries happen to almost anyone who has been training for an extended period of time. Optimum nutrition, supplementation, and rest are important to prevent injury, but what happens when you actually suffer one?

Part of 2 of this powerful seminar explores how thoughts are creative and influence your ability to burn fat, lose weight and keep it off. Presented by health coach Jeremy Likness, this powerful information explores the inner aspects of physique transformation.

" Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" (BFFM) is a 337 page fat burning success manual in downloadable e-book format, jam-packed cover to cover with all the fat loss methods previously known by only a small handful of the worlds best fitness models and bodybuilders. This program contains all the information you'll ever need to help you melt away body fat permanently without muscle loss and without using drugs or unnecessary supplements.

During a seminar in 2005, Jeremy Likness discusses the power of thought and the role it plays in physique transformation. This 4 part mini-series will demonstrate why mindset is so key to successful, permanent weight loss.

Shedding unwanted fat and keeping it off requires the right mindset and focus. A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong commitment, not a short term goal. A short term focus on fat loss, however, can sometimes be beneficial. This article focuses on the technical aspects of losing fat and creating maximum changes to your body composition over a short period of time.

This video shows Jeremy's transformation in explicit detail from an obese 245+ pound couch potato to a lean, ripped 178 pound health coach. It includes audio representing the power of the inner transformation and what inspired Jeremy to create the concept of "Lose Fat, Not Faith."

Push-ups are a great way to train your chest and upper arm muscles. Push-ups can be modified to target different areas of the body. Because push-ups do not require any special equipment, they can be performed almost anywhere at any time.

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Reaching low body fat is difficult, if not impossible for some people. Health coach, author, and Lose Fat, Not Faith founder Jeremy Likness shares advanced techniques and strategies for weight loss that will help shed those last stubborn pounds to achieve the extremely lean physique you desire.

Health coach and author Jeremy Likness reads an excerpt from his internationally-selling book Lose Fat, Not Faith: A Transformation Guide.

This gadget displays a random exercise from our extensive illustrated exercise library.

The squat is a very powerful exercise. It is one of the only exercises that will work 75% of your muscles with one, single movement. The squat should be one of the primary movements in any leg workout. There are many varieties of squat that can be performed to make workouts interesting and prevent plateaus or stagnation.

Use this calculator to estimate how much fluid you need during long workouts. Weigh yourself before and after the workout then find out if you're hydrating and getting the right amount of electrolytes.

Training for longer than one hour requires careful planning. Nutrition and hydration become very important. Failure to have a good strategy in place can negatively impact your training and hinder your ability to recover. Improper hydration is not only dangerous: it can be fatal. A few simple techniques will make a major difference during your longer training sessions.

Fiber is a class of carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest. Most people in today's society get less than half of the fiber they need. Fiber provides many important health benefits and those who fall short of the recommendation are missing out. Fiber is a key reason why it is important to consume as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible throughout the day.

Use this calculator to compute your theoretical one rep maximum based on any workout at a different number of repetitions. This tool will also guess your 5, 10, and 15 rep maximums.

Use this calculator to compute your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the amount of calories it is estimated you would burn each day if you did nothing but sleep.

Use this calculator to compute your target heart rate for various zones of training. Based on the Tanaka method.

Use our body fat calculator to compute the amount of lean and fat mass that you have.

The healthy shopping guide contains a list of high protein foods, as well as healthy fats, carbohydrates, fats, fruits, and vegetables.

It is important that you know how to shop for quality foods. This section explains how to maximize your trips to the grocery store by revealing exactly how to read labels and find healthy foods. It is not very complicated, but a little knowledge can go a long ways when it comes to healthy shopping.

Goal setting is an important part of successful physique transformation. Goals should not only be related to your physique. Remember: we are Mind, Body, and Spirit. Through successful goal setting, I was able to organize my life and achieve many milestones that were only dreams in the past.

Are you concerned about losing belly fat to have a flat stomach and find yourself performing so many sit-ups you can barely laugh? Ditch the sit-ups and try something different. The stomach vacuum is a key exercise for being able to keep your stomach flat.

Weight loss is a popular goal. It can be a confusing topic. There are many fad diets, workout programs, and 'miracle fat-burning pills' on the market. Which ones truly work? What workout is the best to follow?

In part 2 of our series, we'll look at two more misconceptions common to fat loss programs. The first is the concept of the diet, and the second is the idea that you can 'crunch your way' to a flat stomach.

In this part, we will look at the five top ways you can begin to succeed at discarding unwanted weight and keeping it off.

The final key points to success may seem surprising but are based on the author's years of successfully coaching clients to better health.

There are many ways to measure your success with any fitness program. Many people become too focused on one or two "numbers" and can become frustrated when they don't see positive results from their hard work. More often than not, they are simply looking in the wrong place! There are many factors that can illustrate your progress, and many ways to measure each factor. This article will discuss several ways to measure your success!

The bench press is probably one of the most well known resistance training exercises. While some people may scratch their heads when you ask them what a "skull crusher" or "front squat" is, they're more than happy to demonstrate the motion of a bench press. Some people go so far as to say, "This is the proper way to bench press." What?! Are you kidding me? The bench press has many faces, and we're going to explore them today!

One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is, "What do you think about thermogenics?" My answer is almost always, "They're nice - but are they worth the cost for you?" I have used thermogenics in the past, but for a very different reason than most people use them. This article will focus on facts about ephedra and explain how I use it!

Bodybuilders train their muscles, but they often neglect the most important muscle of them all - the heart. Your heart is a great indicator of your level of fitness. Training your heart can improve all aspects of your health. Your heart can even be used as a guide to help improve your training and, more importantly, customize training to your body. When you understand how the heart works and how it can be used as an amazing tool for training, you will appreciate exactly how much the heart matters!

Do you work hard, do everything right, and yet rarely achieve the results you had hoped for? As you struggle to make ends meet, do you sometimes wish you could be one of those lucky people who seem to smile their way through life and have success handed to them? Actually, you can.

The Internet has recently been buzzing with news about the potential dangers of multivitamins. There is a study reported in the February 28, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that claims to have found a link between vitamin intake and increased mortality (risk of dying). Is this report cause for alarm? Should we run from our vitamins while we still can?

Bill Phillips had been publishing bodybuilding magazines and marketing nutritional supplements for years when he had a weird revelation at a trade show: many of the most loyal and enthusiastic readers he had were totally out of shape. From that uncomfortable realization came his popular Physique Transformation Contest (top prize that first year: Phillips's own Lamborghini), now world famous, and this book.

Abdominal training is very misunderstood. Many people place a lot of emphasis on abs without understanding how the abs function or why they are even training in a certain way. Let’s explore the correct way to train abs for the results that you want!

A holistic workout is an extremely high volume workout. It is targeted to fatigue the entire muscle. A holistic workout will stress both your physiological and neurological systems. For this reason, you are given two (2) weeks to fully recover from a holistic workout. A moderate workout is provided between those two (2) weeks to stimulate the muscle while allowing full recovery.

Continuation of holistic workouts.

Your "induction phase" will involve a significant amount of volume. For each set, you will recruit a range of muscle fibers. For each set, you will have a specified number of repetitions.

Quality training is a balancing act. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of how to properly balance their training. This often leads to disappointing results and may increase the risk of injury.

It is not always practical to run outdoors. Cold weather, hot weather, rain, or a busy work schedule that keeps you from running in daylight are all reasons why you may need to take your exercise inside.

Grip is an important component of strength training. Simply changing your grip on the barbell or dumbbell can have a significant impact on what muscles the exercise targets.

Water is everywhere. Seventy percent of the Earth's surface, or over 350 million square kilometers, is covered by water. In an interesting parallel, the human body is over sixty percent water while the brain is closer to seventy percent water. Water by itself is not as useful to the body as when combined with special minerals known as electrolytes. The combination of water and electrolytes play a very important role in health.

Fat is an important macronutrient for the body. Unfortunately, people have been fed the 'fat lie' that fats are unhealthy. The truth is that like carbohydrates and other macronutrients, fats come in various forms.

Carbohydrates are petroleum for the body. They appear in almost all forms of food, ranging from bread and cereal to fruit and milk. Carbohydrates are typically classified as sugars, starches, and fiber. Carbohydrates have received a bad reputation due in part to the popularity of diets such as the Atkins Diet™ and the South Beach Diet®.

Protein is the building block of life. This macronutrient is composed entirely of a special nutrient known as amino acids. While protein has been made popular in recent years due to its role in helping build muscle mass, there are many other functions that protein performs.

Running is a popular pastime many people follow in their pursuit of fitness. You don't have to be an elite or competitive runner to take advantage of a very simple, yet highly productive, technique for improving your running skills. The method is known as 'base building' and will help you improve your running ability using some very simple tools and minimal effort.

It only takes a few key habits to raise your metabolism. There is no magic pill required. You don't have to put heavy spices on all of your foods or run in circles all day long, either. This article shares ten strategies to keep that metabolism elevated.

I used to dread when my son would ask me to play with him. Simply putting on my shoes and bending over to tie them was an enormous effort that would leave me out of breath. I would pop the buttons off my pants or rip the seat on a regular basis.

This article is about everything sweet. Learn about the history of sugar, the difference between refined and natural sugars, and sugar alternatives (artificial sweeteners).

What is the most important element of fitness? Is it your resting heart rate? How fast you can run a mile? How much weight you can bench press? Whether or not you can touch your toes?

During a recent seminar that I conducted, participants explored the concept of just how powerful the mind is and how this relates to losing fat. After a serious of powerful exercises, they were asked to create an action plan based on what they learned in order to successfully lose fat and keep it off. The result of this workshop was seven keys that addressed what most diet programs or weight loss systems do not: the fact that fitness starts inside (part 1 of 4)

During a recent seminar that I conducted, participants explored the concept of just how powerful the mind is and how this relates to losing fat. After a serious of powerful exercises, they were asked to create an action plan based on what they learned in order to successfully lose fat and keep it off. The result of this workshop was seven keys that addressed what most diet programs or weight loss systems do not: the fact that fitness starts inside (part 2 of 4)

During a recent seminar that I conducted, participants explored the concept of just how powerful the mind is and how this relates to losing fat. After a serious of powerful exercises, they were asked to create an action plan based on what they learned in order to successfully lose fat and keep it off. The result of this workshop was seven keys that addressed what most diet programs or weight loss systems do not: the fact that fitness starts inside (part 3 of 4)

During a recent seminar that I conducted, participants explored the concept of just how powerful the mind is and how this relates to losing fat. After a serious of powerful exercises, they were asked to create an action plan based on what they learned in order to successfully lose fat and keep it off. The result of this workshop was seven keys that addressed what most diet programs or weight loss systems do not: the fact that fitness starts inside (part 4 of 4)

A house is not built without a blueprint, so why should your workouts be any different? If you understand the importance of training, then the next step is to learn the underlying principles that make training effective. I am going to introduce to you seven 'laws' of training that can help you create a blueprint and form a solid foundation for your training. We'll cover them briefly today and then explore each in much more detail in the weeks to come.

The law of individual differences states simply that everyone is different. Therefore, the training program that each person follows should also be different. This goes against the mainstream belief that you can pull a 'winning workout' from the latest magazine and achieve stellar results (in as little time as possible).

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