Body fat, weight differntials

When I started this blog I said it would be to share and help each other out. Cheap is good and free is much better. I like free. Any advice I give is totally my own, and if you are under the care of a physician then make sure you consult with this person before taking any drastic action on diet, exercise or any other life style changes. Each of us is different and what works for me may not work for you, or be in your best interests.
Now to the nitty gritty. More than two thirds of adult Americans are either overweight or obese. Approximately one third of our children fit into this category. Basically the cause for most of this is too much intake of calories and not enough expenditure of calories. 3500 calories that are taken in and not used in metabolic activities will result in addition of one pound of body weight. This is stored in our bodies in the form of fat. Our bodies store fat in reserve to take care of us when food is not readily available. It is a survival mechanism.
Men and women store fat in different areas of the body, and women, when they reach childbearing age must have extra fat to be capable of getting pregnant and maintaining a pregnancy, with a healthy baby as the result. Men can be very healthy at 2-4 percent body fat, whereas women usually require at least 12-15 percent for optimum health.
Some fat storage is hormone driven.
When children are young, before puberty, fat is usually evenly distributed over the body. As puberty approaches, fat deposition areas change, with girls showing a dramatic change over a period of three or four years. They start getting curvy, with fat being deposited in the breasts and around the hips.
Testosterone in males helps build muscles more readily, and muscles are the most metabolically active structures in our our bodies. They are also the densest, and thus weigh the most. This is why a male with the same body type, height, etc, may weigh as much as 10 percent more than a female and not be overweight.
Life ain't fair ladies.
A man who does lots of heavy physical activity such as weight and resistance training or physical labor, or an accomplished athlete may go off the charts as related to weight, but still have low body fat. A woman who participates in the same activities will also be able to wiegh more with less body fat, but will still not be able to carry as much weight as a male.
This is why women have to work harder to stay within a good weight range. It is also the reason women have a tendency to put on fat more readily than men.
One easy, but really discouraging way to determine recommended weight is to take 5 feet tall for a woman, and with best weight being 105 pounds and add 5-7 pounds per inch for each inch over 5 feet. Thus best weight for an adult female who was 5'6" would be about 140 pounds. A male would use the same height, but would start at 110 pounds and add 6-8 pounds for each inch above 5 feet. A 5'10" male should fit in around 190, and a 5'6" male would be okay at around 158 or 160. I know this appears thin, but this is recognized as the best weights for people between the ages of 20-60.
How did we all get so much heavier than we should be. Simple, we eat too much and take in too many calories, and don't burn off those calories.
Now the question is: How do we go about getting rid of those excess pounds? No, I am not a svelte size 4, never have been, never will be. But I have decided to make some life style changes that will get me down to a more acceptable weight. I am not going to spend $300 a month on packaged meals, I can't afford to go to a gym, I am fighting a stress fracture in my foot, so lots of walking is out. The only way I can do this is simply watch what and how much I put in my body, and to come up with ways to burn more calories.
I want your input on how you think you can help me and maybe I can help you. I don't want to know what you weigh, but I sure would like to hear success stories. I don't want anyone to spend money or go on a drastic diet. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DIETS! THEY DON'T WORK. I DON'T LIKE THE FIRST THREE LETTERS OF THE WORD DIET!
Some of you are aware that my grandson has recently lost almost 70 pounds. He has not cut any single food out of his diet. He simply is eating less. He says he hates self control, but knows it is necessary.
Now I want to hear from you. I will post some hints, etc later. I have to clean house. I have been blogging between doing laundry and hanging out clothes.