Weight Loss Terms to Know

by Lisa P | More from this Blogger

25 Mar 2008 09:37 PM

We throw a lot of specific words around when we discuss weight loss issues. I thought it was high time we clarify them.

Adipose Tissue: Body fat.

Aerobic: The kind of exercise that get's you breathing fast and heavy.

Anaerobic: Exercise that uses muscles at high intensity and a high rate of work for a short period of time. Resistance training is a form of anaerobic exercise.

Basal Metabolic Rate: (BMR) The number of calories your body needs to just exist, not move.

Body Mass Index: (BMI) A number achieved through height & weight measurements. It is fairly inaccurate when dealing with people who have a considerable amount of muscle.

Calorie: The amount of energy used to create enough heat to raise the temperature of a liter of water 1 degree.

Calorie Deficit: Consuming fewer calories than your body needs for its BMR.

Carbohydrate: (Carbs) Foods derived from plants. There are starchy and fibrous carbs.

Cellulite: Fatty deposits (fat storage). The cottage cheese effect is due to the method of storage.

Fast: Abstaining from food for a period of time. Fasting can be used for religious purposes as well as detoxifying the body of chemicals and wastes that have built up inside it. Fasting is also known as Reduced Diet Therapy (RDT), Fasting Therapy (FT) and caloric restriction.

Fat: A stored energy source for the body.

Fiber: The building blocks of plants. It is not digested by the human body but adds bulk and helps to eliminate waste. When it is in food, it makes us feel full more quickly.

Glycemic Index: (GI) A ranking of food based on how quickly or slowly it raises your blood sugar. The lower the GI number of a food, the better it is for maintaining steady blood sugar.

Lactic Acid: A by-product of anaerobic exercise. It causes a light burning in the muscle being used. A good way to help get rid of lactic acid after exercise is to coll down with a light walk and drink lots of water.

Metabolism: The process of converting food into energy.

Obesity: An excessively high amount of body fat in relation to muscle.

Plateau: When you continue dieting and exercise but stop losing weight for a while.

Protein: A macronutrient. The best sources are beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes like black beans and lentils. Protein is used to create muscle, organs and most of the immune system.

Resistance Training: Lifting weights. Anaerobic exercise.

Related Blogs:

Body-for-Life Foods

Body-for-Life Workouts

Body-for-Life and Weight Loss

Learn more about Lisa P

Lisa used to be a freelance writer and Community Manager for Families.com, but she has finally made the jump to novelist.

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