Carrying around too much body fat is a nuisance. Many people fight the ‘battle of the bulge’ through diet alone because exercise is not always convenient. Few of today’s occupations require physical activity and many people spend hours behind desks and computers. In addition, much of our leisure time is spent in sedentary pursuits. To reverse this trend, it is important to adjust your attitude and find time to exercise each day. Here’s a look at the most common reasons people use to avoid physical activity:

1. I don’t have the time.

2. I’m too tired and I din't feel like it.

3. I’m not very good at exercising.

4. It’s not convenient to get to my workout place.

5. I’m afraid and embarrassed.

Overweight or Over fat?

Being overweight and over fat are two different dilemmas. Some people, such as athletes, have a muscular physique and weight more than average for their age and height, but their body composition, which is the amount of fat versus lean body mass (muscle, bone, organs and tissue), is within an acceptable range. Others can weigh within the range of U.S. guidelines, yet can carry around too much fat. Use exercise as a way to balance your body fat percentage. An easy self-test is to pinch the thickness of fat at your waist and abdomen. If you can pinch more than an inch of fat, excluding muscles, chances are you have too much body fat.

Energy Balance and Counting Calories: Losing weight boils down to a simple mathematical formula: consume fewer calories than you burn. Learn how to balance energy intake (food) with energy output (calories burned by physical activity). If you take in more calories than your body needs to perform your day’s activities, it will be stored as fat. Therefore, the only solution is to consume the proper amount of calories that your body needs to maintain good health. Then exercise so your body can utilize the stored fat. The end result will be your desired weight-loss.