Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
Yeah, it takes alot of determination and patience to lose weight. Alot of hard work and right nutrition yielded me half a kilo of weight loss in the past week.
It is very easy to throw in the towel when things are not happening fast enough, but when I consider the alternative I psyche myself on. If I do nothing at all towards my noble mission, I could instead gain half a kilo a week. I'd rather the other direction.
Since I am a mathematician, let's look at this math in more detail. Suppose at the beginning of Janurary 2007, as a new year resolution, you decide to excercise and feed correctly. Assuming 1/2 kg of weightloss a week, you could lose a total of 26 kgs at the end of the year (1/2 *52 weeks)!! To be more realistic, let me round it down to 20 kgs ( to take care of partying and sickness etc). A weight loss of 20 kgs is major! For me it is more than I need.
Therefore I am urging myself on. Two people I had'nt seen in a while remarked at my weight loss! It felt good. There is a shop I like to shop for skirts and pants since I am always assured they will have something to accomodate all of me comfortably. Infact, the shop specializes in the plus sizes, meaning starting from size 16. So I walk in yesterday in search of something to wear at my hubby's end of year function (today evening).
As I walk into the shop, the first attendant I meet ignores me. (why are attendants so unfriendly?) I go ahead to enquire something and she tells me 'this shop is for large sizes only'. Well... looks like I do not belong there anymore. It is gratifying to have your efforts acknowledged. (though I am still wearing size 16 for the skirts/pants since I am quite endowed with resources in the lower region).
In short, I am still at it, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. At 76.5 kgs, I am down by 8.5kgs.
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
Trust a hooked blogger to blog immediately after attending a wedding! More so one where i was the maid of honor!
One of the most encouraging things about losing weight, is seeing an acutual 'loss' on the scale. I have read of instances where people have excercised religiously and eaten the 'right' food only to see no results or worse to see a gain in weight. This normally happens during the first few weeks when the body is building up some muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat, hence the initial weight gain.
Once the body has built up some muscle, the muscle helps in burning up fat. Muscle is leaner unlike fat which is flabby. Excercise helps build muscle. (so I have read). I am lucky to witness weight loss every saturday morning. I actually weigh myself every single day but only record the weight on Saturday morning.
Pics will be coming soon, but this is the arrangement of my bath room; right next to the loo is my weighing scale. Every morning when i get up, I go to the loo and 'clear up' my system, then step onto the scale. No one should try to disuade me to do otherwise because it is working very well for me. I have noticed one thing though. Let's say on a Saturday morning i weigh 77 kgs, by Thursday, my weight will seem to go higher, say at 78 kg, but by Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning, it shoots down to 76 kg. This has been a trend for a while now so I do not get discouraged when i notice an increase, as it only means a decrease is on the way.
But I am religiously following my excercise and meal plans. There is no going back, ever! A few draw backs in the past week include extreme lower back pain. This one you can advise me on. I went out last week Saturday evening and danced in heels higher than normal, I suspect this is the origin of my discomfort. Have you seen that South African dance style? Thing is I do not want to see a doctor before I have given my body time to 'heal thyself''. My feet are also hurting quite a bit. Maybe too much walking?
Evidence that I have worked very hard in the last couple of weeks: My walking shoes are completely worn out and I had to throw them in a dust bin without thinking twice. They were completely cracked at the bottom. This has NEVER happened before. In the past, i gave out my sports shoes when i got bored of them. My walking pants are 'thinning out' in the thigh area, so I will soon need to go to the shops to buy 2 or 3 pairs. My journey is not over yet.
And yes, today I went for a very unique wedding, maybe the reason I am home this early. This one consisted of groom, bride, best man(my hubby), best maid(me), photographer and priest. 6 of us. A brief church ceremony, followed by a long intimate lunch during which my hubby and I gave the 'aunt/uncle speeches' to the newly weds, amidst lots of laughter as we reminiscensed of our dating days at Arboretum and Uhuru park. (we belong to that generation where couples met at Uhuru park).
It was a nice little wedding, in the heart of J'oberg , far from the usual large crowds of family and friends. I wish the newly weds a happy married life. It was a priviledge for us to play such a noble role on your special occasion. It is also scary, to be placed high on a pedestal as role models. We need your prayers as much as you need ours. Marriage is an interesting but challenging journey.
It has been a good week and for that I am thankful to God. My weight loss statistics have been defered to a later date when I will have reached another neat number :)
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
I would not be completely honest if I did not let you know that in the past 2 weeks i have not lost any weight. This is inpite of keeping up with my excercise and rightful nutrition.
A little bit discouraging. Just a little bit and i will explain why. After doing some research(reading fitness/nutrition books(my local library must think i am a doctor or practising to be one. These are the only books i borrow, and a couple of times i have reborrowed a book just to counter check)), I have now learnt that after an initial good amount of weight loss the body becomes used to the new exercise/nutritional regimen. The body therefore relaxes and no more weight is lost. This is called a plateau phase.
But:
1. This past week, I genuinely saw a difference in my body, i am definitely trimmer. I am sure I have burned up some fat and built up some muscle- which explains why i look trimmer but weigh the same. Remember that muscle is heavier than fat.
2. I took 4 skirts, 1 pair of pants and 1 pair of shorts to a tailor to adjust down. When the tailor looked at those clothes, she refused to believe they were mine. I did not bother telling her that i wore the same clothes less than 3 months ago. There is no way i am buying any more clothes until i reach my goal weight. So for now i will only adjust what does not fit.
3. I went to see a friend at this past Wednesday. There was a health management company that had come to promote their brand and they were offering free medical check ups-cholesteral, blood sugar, weight, blood pressure etc. Since i had some time on me i decided it doesn't hurt to know my status. According to their weighing scale(which is probably better calibrated than mine), i am 75 kgs. My scale at home put me at 76 kg that morning. If that other scale is correct then i have lost 10 kgs, in the past 2.5 months. I am elated.
All in all , i am sober and still very focused. I need to get below 70 kgs and i will have no words to explain my joy. It will be a celebration- even though that is still not my final goal.
So i am now re-evaluating my strategy. The other day when i was taking my walk, this lady came from behind me running... just a slow run and i thought to myself, it does not differ much from my walk. But after about 5 minutes she was way ahead of me. Do you see where i am heading. IT IS TIME FOR ME TO BREAK INTO A RUN!!! not just a walk.
Why is running so hard for one who walks for an hour and 20 minutes none stop, you ask? The last time i ran must have been in 1991 i.e. when i was in forth form during cross country.And even then, i was one of the notorious ones who walked half the way instead of jogging! Now how do i lift a leg and immediately lift the other in the name of a run when i have not done so in almost 15 years? That is why i need a strategy. The only way to break past the plateau phase is to a)increase the excercise b) reduce the calories, otherwise i just give up. Now having come this far, giving up is not an option.
So running I have to run. Will keep you updated on my attempt.
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
'Ololos' is one term I have not used on anyone for years. Infact, I had forgotten the term existed. Back in the day, as campus gals, we used the word to refer to guys who were not-so-good-looking and not-so-'polished', yet persisted in pursuing a gal. Never mind that we ourselves were nowhere near perfect. An alternative word for the same was Obohoo. I do not recall how these terms were coined but they worked well.
Now that I am older and wiser I will use the words Ololo and Obohoo in a slightey different but very fitting context; for guys who insist on a making shameless passes at women even where the possibility of even the slightest positive outcome is no greater than that of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle. NIL!
It so happens that a number of men have noticed Mwari taking her early morning ritualistic walks in the name of shedding some pounds. In a land where almost everyone is a stranger to me you can be sure i hardly recall a face. But in the spirit of ), I make a point of saying hallo to those I meet on the way-that is if I am not out of breath, and especially to the elderly, more so women. When I meet someone i will say, 'kunjani mama'=hello mama. At times I will use another greeting , 'saubona' = how are you. In a country with 9 official languages (7 of them African) I gave up on trying to learn more than the 2 greetings.
Back to the matter at hand-Obohoos. They will greet me, and i respond as I continue with my walk. The silly Oboho will want to know where you are going, and why you are walking so fast! If no one else has told you, hear it from me; amongst most South African men, a big woman is a beautiful woman. I complain about my pear shape-you just need to see the local women here. Theirs is not a pear or even apple shape- it is a a traditional gourd (yes that one used for fermenting milk/porridge) :) very tiny upper body and a volumnous bottom.
Back to my story-first of all, i have not the time to chat with these Obohoos, secondly, it is so early in the morning-I thought they were headed somewhere?? Thirdly I cannot speak zulu or whetever language that they insist that I should know. I wish they were like the newspaper guy at the junction, when he sees me, he will call out loudly 'my si-si-ta' =my sister, to which i will respond, 'yebo' and we are done for the day.
Yesterday morning, one Obohoo came running after me and called out a greeting, 'kunjani sissy' to which i acknowledged with a look that said,'Not another one' . This one began walking with me chatting me up. It would have been a good time to start running, only that i was walking up a very steep hill. So he goes on and on about how he has seen me many mornings. And then the usual questions, why are you walking so fast :) :) Oh my goodness. As if my sports gear did not speak for itself. (Remember big is beautiful, so no need to spoil that) I told the guy that I am preparing for the coming Olympics :) . Then he wishes me a good day and to my shock he starts walking back where he came from-you see he was just escorting me.
A few paces ahead, I meet another Obohoo. This one is a little courteous and steps aside for me to pass (or is it to get a better view of me ?) and he utters his greeting from a distance. He then asks whether i am excersing and i respond yebo. Then he chants on in his language in a very long sentence-as though he is telling his ancestors a story. By the time he is done with the ancestors, i am way past him.
Just when I am thinking that i am done with the Obohos, I see a car stop ahead of me. I did not think much about it-maybe the person is talking on his cell phone. As I approach where the car is parked, the passenger window winds down and a greeting is thrown at me. A slightely elderly man, harmless, I am thinking to myself-maybe he's lost. And then he starts, 'Excercise ne?' (ne= eh)and this time i walk on as though i did not hear it.
I am now close to my gate, exhausted, dripping with perspiration and a fellow ahead of me waves at me and waits. (they are never in a hurry!!!) After the greetings, this one wants to know when he can see me next! I've no words for this one, i open my gate, go through and leave the dude talking to himself.
Did I mention that I am married and a mother of 3, and that I am not searching? Arrgh! Maybe i need a change of route or at best an 'Obohoo handling technique'. Suggestions anyone?
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
Yeah, the holiday season is getting in the way of my weightloss efforts. It is so hard to eat right at a party.
Friday i attended an end of year function for one of my agents. Very delicious food was served and there was even a chocolate fountain! Talk of temptation, and yes i succumbed. Friday evening i attended a house party at a friends house, 'the kenyan way'. Lots of good food, ever flowing wine (i had to hide my glass under a chair because it was never getting empty), interesting conversation and company. I learnt a nice way to make people remember other people's names when you are hosting a party. We were about 20 guests, we all sat outside on a very beautiful garden in a circle. The hostess insisted that people sit next to people they hadn't met before. When it came to introductions, you said your name and a word that begins with the first letter of your name,that describes you.
Example: My name is Ruth and I am ridiculous, or my name is Mark and i am marvellous. The catch is the next person had to recite names of all people who'd introduced themselves before.
Example: Let's assume Ruth introduced herself first followed by Mark then mwariwadavid. So i would introduce myself as follows: Ridiculous Ruth, Marvellous Mark, my name is Mwariwadavid the mystical one. And if John sat next to me he introduced himself thus ' Ridiculous Ruth, Marvellous Mark, Mystical Mwariwadavid, my name is John, for i am very jovial. etc etc.
As you can imagin the last person to introduce themselves has to recite everyone's name! This had us all laughing in stiches at the funny words people used to describe themselves.
Come Saturday, i had relatives visiting from Kenya to attend a nephew's wedding on Sunday evening. Yes you got that right, sunday evening. That will be the subject of another blog. So there i go making chapos, rice, stew, etc, while hubby did a chicken braai (South Africa barbeque). And that was another day of feasting and lazing away as we caught up on what's new back home.
On Sunday, we attended the wedding dabbed 'joining party'. Lot's of hush hush as many marvelled at 'what life has become of today's young people'. My poor old aunt, she is so very religious and could not fathom what was cutting. She flew from Kenya to witness the 'wedding' of her eldest grandson whom she patially raised. Anyway like I said more on that at a later date. Again, lots of good food, wine, talk talk but at least shaking of a leg. My mind was thinking, '...at least i have done some excercise today...'
So here i am with no progress to report! I have not given up, but i realize that during this festive season, it will be hard (impossible?) to realize any weight loss. Actually my goal has been altered to 'not to put on any weight in the remaining weeks of December'.
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
First things first: Greetings in the new year! I wish you a bountiful 2007!
So the holidays came and have just gone. I did NOT work most of December, so I had an opportunity to take walks on most mornings for a good solid hour with a few minutes on top. I also finalised on a number of tasks I had been postponing all year. And i did a good share of partying with family and friends and for Christmas, my family and I drove to for a 3 day visit. Apparently the Mafikeng tribe are the richest tribe in South Africa. Despite their land being quite dry and hot (they border with Botswana), they are actually sitting on Platinum, which is the most expensive metal at the moment. This is evident in the whole area, with a whole lot of new developments coming up. Very decent housing for the common mwananchi. We were quite impressed with how they are managing their newly found wealth.
Just so you know, I have not given up on my weight loss efforts. I have not lost any more kgs, but the holidays left me unscathed. So for my update tomorrow,the first Saturday of this year, I stand at 75 kgs, a good threshold to refocus on my battle to lose weight. My ultimate goal is to go down to 65. My BMI (Body Mass Index) will be just right. This is one of my goals for the year, and just to remind you I am doing this mainly primarily as a health goal.
Workwise, I began the year with a loud bang! Early on the morning of 2nd Jan 07, I was at a client site at 7 am, for a four day contract, which I have just finalised. As a self employed person, there is nothing more rewarding than positive feedback from a satisfied client. I expect more work from them during the year. I am convinced that starting the year this way is a sign of a fruitful year ahead.
My turns 5 this coming June and it looks like I won't be spending a single cent on diapers again. He usually sleeps in a diaper but we forgot to put him one the other night and to our surprise he was dry in the morning. Last night I was so tired and conveniently 'forgot' to put him one. When he got up today morning he proudly announced that he had not wet his bed. Looks like we have sorted that department now.
I know that many people have said it is pointless to make new year resolutions. I am of a different school of thought, only that I advocate making of . I have made a number of smart goals, which I will evaluate at the end of the year, should God allow me to live till then. It is also my way to keep myself focused. I am sure I won't blog as frequently as I have done in the past months, but I will make a point of logging my weight loss progress/effort at least on a weekly basis.
A simple but worthwhile lesson that I have learnt from my walking (my primary form of excise so far) is that the hardest part in anything is starting. Once you start, you can only get better, and better, and better. I am applying this concept to all areas of my life and thus far, the theory works.
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
...and tortoises can't run. And neither could I. It is one of those things that people take for granted.
I was born a chubby one but it never got into my way in any way. When I first went to boarding school, I shrunk down so much that people said I looked like one of Somali origin. I have nothing against Somalis, infact, not too long ago, I spent a good 3 weeks on their now war-torn land, installing a computer system. Heck! I even learnt Somali greetings. Well, that is a story for another day.
When adolescensce knocked on my door, it brought back the chubbier me, and some more. Throughout high school, I was a near walking baloon. Cross-country racing was a nightmare for me. I tried, really tried but the best I managed was a walk. There was a handful of us, buddies-in-crime that couldn't run and so we consoled ourselves that we were not genetically inclined to run.
Something interesting happened when I first joined campus. My hall of residence was quite a distance from my lecture halls. This meant that I had to do a good share of walking daily, and on somedays, more than once daily. At first it was torture but with time I got used to the distance. When, after 3 months I went home for a visit, my mum could not believe her eyes. I had completely shrunk down. Those were the days when, if you showed up looking skinny, people thought you had contracted AIDS. One of my aunts even talked to me about being 'careful out there in the world' .
My younger sister on the other hand was born a stick, literally. To prove just how much I shrunk at campus, i managed to fit into her clothes. That was major. Something else interesting happened at campus; a crew from some modelling agency came scouting for models at campus and wanted to enlist me. Yes, me! Ofcourse that was something that had never crossed my mind,-modelling and so I turned down the offer.
In short, the four years I was at varsity, I was my slimmest, and I absolutely loved my body. And yes I had quite a following of suitors. But running remained a challenge. Not too long ago I mentioned on my blog that I am going through a plateau phase in my weight loss efforts. During the just gone by December , I had hoped to shed not less than 3 kgs but it turned out to be not the case.
Even though I have been very diligent in my walking, I came to a point of realization that breaking through past this plateau phase will take more than walking. The thought of running really scared me. There are certain things one would rather not face in life for a second time. For me, that includes being caned by teachers as happened in primary school, working on the farm (my parents absolutely love farming(good for them, but I never enjoyed it), and running.
But running I could not run away from. (pan is deliberate). I recently began slowly, from one street light post to the next, followed by a walk spanning about 3 more street light posts, then a slow run between 2 street light posts. The first thing I noticed was that I saved 10 minutes of my total walking time. Over the past few weeks, my pace has gradually increased to a slow run covering a distance of 4 street light post, followed by a short pause, during which i walk as I try to recapture my breath.
My hubby, who is much fitter than I previously gave him credit for, occassionally joins me in my walk. Yesterday morning, I proudly told him that I have began running, so he was more than glad to 'run' alongside me. (he usually has to slow his pace to accomodate mine while walking(which I attributed to his long legs)). I told him of my sequence ;4 street light posts then a pause then off we went. It looked like nothing to him but for me it was such an accomplishment.
Now the strangest thing is, over the past 30 days, this guy has lost 2 kgs, while he is not even trying to lose weight. Yes, he is very fit, that I now agree. And then he goes like, 'actually, I don't mind losing just 5 kgs', which I know he will lose almost effortlessly. Sounds somewhat unfair, wouldn't you say?
Ostriches don't fly, but maybe they never tried hard enough. I am not giving up!
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
I CAN'T
My mind plays tricks on me many times. I kept saying I could'nt do so many things. My list of 'can't dos ' included the following;
1. I can't run
2. I can't drive a car (When I was young, i saw my mum rum through our neighbours fence as she was learning to drive and decided I also can't drive. Driving is still one of my biggest achievements in life.
3. I can't program, as in software programming
4. I can't swim with my head under water
5. I can't dive into a swimming pool
6. I can't many other things....
With time and much patience and psyche, I have come to realize that I can do pretty much anything that I put my mind on.
When it comes to running which I have recently embarked on, I realized the 'Can't' is also in my mind! Would you believe that this mama who has not ran in about 15 years is now enjoying running?! Ok, perhaps I am wired differently (I highly suspect there some wires in my system that are mismatched! (but i wouldn't let any doctor hear this lest they diagnose all those complicated diseases I can't even pronounce)). One day when I was much younger, I yawned and yawned and yawned as in continous yawning, one after the other, until my parents considered taking me to hospital.
Usually, when I begin my walk early in the morning, my mind always rejects the excercise. When I contemplate running, I receive all these signals from my mind that I am tired. Despite being early in the morning, my mind will signal fatigue! But recently, I have started ignoring these messeges and to my surprise, once I begin running, I don't feel tired at all. I am actually running quite a distance before pausing.
I wonder how many other things have passed me in life, just because my mind said 'Can't'. By the way, I still don't (notice I have avoided the use of the word 'can't') swim with my head under the water but it is only a matter of time now. And I have a confession to make on this matter, but in a coming post....
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
Last evening, we went to the movies to watch and I liked in the leading role. For some reason, my eyes seemed to linger more on him, and I could not help but notice how good looking he still is...
When a couple of years ago, my very own 'Denzel' slipped a wedding band down my finger, we soon realized the band was a tad too loose.It would definitely require some adjusting, otherwise I ran the risk of losing my newly acquired status symbol. But I dilly dallied for a while and before I knew it I was in the family way. As my body began expanding, partly due to hormones related to my then developing offspring , my fingers too expanded such that my wedding band fitted just right, or quite tight, actually. And so the case of the loose wedding band was laid to rest!
Until recently. About four and a half months ago, I began to excercise in a bid to cut down my weight. It is so weird for me to suddenly find my wedding ring loose, again. Now that I have began running, I am very wary of my ring slipping off. Worse still, I have to take it off before swimming. Noone ever thinks that when they put on weight, some of it will go to the fingers and some to the wrists :) ! I bought a watch about 3 years ago, and had to have it adjusted to fit properly. I don't like wearing my watch like a bangle, so I had the strapp shortened to fit just right. Only to realize recently, that the same watch is now way too loose for my comfort.
So while I am busy scrutinizing my waist, hips and the derriere` for evidence of weightloss, it is actually happening elsewhere! Or should I say all over? I suppose it all leads to a uniformly distributed body. I am glad and I am now campaigning to have our wedding rings 'upgraded' and ofcourse fitted better.
One of the things I am really looking forward to, is a sweat soaked t-shirt! Believe it or not, I am one of those people who rarely sweat, except for some droplets on my forehead and alittle more on my back. I have seen people who after excercising, look as though they have poured on themselves a bucketfull of water. Their faces will be dripping with sweat and their clothes soaked. I must say, that I am harvesting alittle more sweat now and as the old saying goes, 'no sweat no gain'.
Talking of one pouring a bucketfull of water on themselves reminds of stories from Somalia. As mentioned in a previous blog, about 3 years ago, I went to Somalia and (Somali Land (they are different, Somali land broke off from Somalia and formed a government of their own, complete with their own currency!)). I went on a work assignment and some adventure, if I may add. Even though there was no war then, I still had armed escort!
Anyway, Somalia is one very hot place, with temperatures going as high as 45 degrees. If power (read power generators) goes off at night, even for a few seconds, you can't sleep. It is so uncomforbly hot. And yes, while there, I did a good share of sweating, not to mention that I had to dress like one of their own : a long dress covering the arms and sweeping the floor, "Woman! though shalt not display any part of thy body, not even thy toes, lest they tempt a godly Somali man" :). On top of this, I had to don a type of a head garment or scarf, to ensure that the neck was also well hidden.
Back to the story of the backet of water. Now inspite of the sweating that occurs on that land, many stories abound on how Somalis have a phobia for water! So in the name of a shower, a Somali will go to the bathroom with a bucket full of water and lift up with alot of fear and trembling, then within a count of about 30 seconds, the water is poured on the entire body, starting at the top :) No sponging or scrubbing ever takes takes. Throughout the same 30 seconds episode, the person will let out a groan, as though they have been bitten by a snake! Only a stranger or visitor will get alarmed by the groaning, since it is a normal occurence to the natives! 'Oh, it is Abdi taking a bath' they will casually dismiss the incident.
So now you know why most Somali men wear t-shirts inside their shirts, to absorb the sweat, and leave the outer shirt 'clean' enough for another day's use. And ofcourse they have the very strong (allow me to use pungent) perfumes to take care of anything else as far as hygiene goes...
But they treated me well so please no harsh comments on my dear friends.... It turned out that the clothes I carried to wear in Somalia, were 'not appropriate' and a few ladies were kind enough to bring me 2 outfits (each comes in 3 pieces) and to show me how they are worn. I have reserved the outfits as souvenirs. Can you believe the Somali mamas in the market merchandise gold items? Picture this, mamas in wakulima market buying and selling gold chains, gold bangles, gold earrings etc. Yes, I now have a collection of the real stuff. Hey, Somalis are my buddies and it's a pity they are chosing war instead of rebuilding their land.
As you can see, I am still working hard to lose my excess weight. My fingers and wrists are proof!
Posted by admin on June 25th, 2007 — Posted in Losing weight
Yesterday, I posted about 8 different ways to burn 100 calories. Today, I want to show you a nifty little tool that will help you determine how many calories different activities help you burn off.
The West Virginia Dietetic Association web site has some awesome calculators that will measure how many calories are used in various activities. You can see the calculators .
Now, the link I just gave goes to the calculator that figures out the calories burned in gym activities. But if you look at the bottom of the page, you 'll see links to other calculators. You can determine calories burned by participating in sports, in activities at home, or even at work. You can figure out how many calories you need a day to maintain your body weight (HINT: use this to figure out your calorie needs, then deduct 500 from it to give you a good ballpark figure of how many calories to eat when you want to lose weight), or estimate your Body Mass Index.
There is a lot of information you can learn from these calculators, and I recommend adding the site to your favorites. I certainly did.
By the way, if you know of a good web site or tool pertaining to weight loss, exercising, diets, recipes, nutrition, motivation, etc, be sure to let us know about it!
