Weight Loss � Knowing Your Shape is Key to Successful Weight Loss:

Before you start counting calories or begin any weight loss program the first step is to know your shape and what shape your in. Do you know, for example, how much fat is on your body as compared to how much muscle? Do you know where on your body the fat accumulates? Is it on your upper body, lower body or around your middle?

You cannot begin a personal plan for weight loss until you have these answers. Many experts believe that there is more emphasis on pounds and less on body shape and that the reverse should be the case.

If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 25 your are considered overweight and if it's over 30 you are considered obese. The BMI is a means to quantify and measure the degree to which an individual is overweight. This indicator applies in general terms, however, taken on an individual basis it can be misleading.

For example, a football player may be considered overweight on the BMI scale but the extra weight is actually muscle not fat. A thin woman can have a normal BMI but at the same time have excessive fat on her body.

Typically, women can have three types of body shape, which includes upper body fat, lower body fat, and both upper and lower body fat. Usually men have only upper body fat. The upper body stores fat during times of stress and weight loss or gain in this area can be rapid.

The lower body fat in women is caused by female hormones and stores fat for breastfeeding a newborn. Women with both upper and lower body fat will lose their upper body fat first. Women with more upper body fat tend to have more muscle than women with lower body fat and will need more protein in their diet to help control their hunger.

It's more difficult to lose lower body fat than upper body fat, however, the medical benefits of losing upper body fat are greater. If you lose weight around your neck, face, chest, and waist you will lose fat on the inside as well. So as you begin to look better you're also significantly improving your health at the same time.

Finally you need to understand that there is the shape you can change and the shape you can't change and it's important to recognize the difference so you can work on the shape that you can change and accept the one you can't.
Women with low metabolism and lower body fat won't be able to lose weight merely by cutting calories. These lower body fat cells are resistant to both exercise and diet. The best method of attack is with a personalized program that gives you sufficient protein to control cravings and build or maintain lean muscle.