You might jump on the scales every morning, fingers crossed behind your back for an acceptable number, but do you know how you measure up in terms of your waist circumfrence? Do you know how much your body burns every day just getting around (because, yes, breathing and walking to the fax machine all burns kilojules)? If you don't, check out these nifty calculators.
They're very useful figures to know if you're serious about weight-loss. Your BMI might not always be the most accurate indicator of good health – it doesn't know how much of you is fat and how much is muscle – but, as Shakira would say, your hips don't lie.
Here's the thing about personal trainers – they are awesome at creating exercise plans, but dishing out diets? Not so much. That's where it's better to consult to a trained dietician or nutritionist (there's a good rundown on the difference here). Food is their forte. And we all know that when it comes to weight-loss, what you eat constitutes about 80% and exercise does the rest.
I went to see a nutritionist when I first started going to the gym. I was working out, but not losing any weight. I needed someone with fresh eyes to look at my diet, so I booked in a session with Kathleen Alleaume from The Right Balance. Before my first appointment, I savoured a last Cadbury Freddo, sure that she was going to put me on some no-carb, starvation diet. But alas, she looked over my food diary, took my measurements, talked to me about my goals, discussed my food likes and dislikes and came up with a new eating plan that was healthy, balanced and (most importantly) full of things I actually want to eat.
That's the thing about dieticians, they're not into fad diets or cutting out entire food groups – they work with you to educate you and help you change the way you think about eating. And that's the strategy that works if you want long-lasting results that not only get you a little lighter but enrich your body with all the nutrition it needs. So if you've hit a road block on the way to weight-loss, it might be worth considering investing in a dietician who can help get you on the right route.
What's the story? After a rocky start in the first two Transformers flicks, the Autobots have found a peaceful new home on planet Earth, and Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has found himself a smoking new girlfriend in Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). But when the Decepticons return for a secret weapon found on the moon in the '60s space race, all hell breaks loose.
Why it's worth paying $20.50 to see in 3D... I'm a sucker for any movie where pimped-up cars turn into robots (I don't think the novelty of watching that will ever wear off), but this is the first time I've seen it in 3D and, well, it's awesome squared. Sure, the script is a little clunky, but the action sequences are slick and cool as hell. Making her leap from the Victoria's Secret runway to the big screen, poor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has copped some flack for her acting skills (one reviewer said her acting makes former Transformers star Megan Fox's acting look as good as Kate Winslet's), but let's face it – with that hair and those legs, who really cares. There were moments I caught myself ignoring the robot war and just thinking, "Are those lips for real?" She's got the looks and that's really all a Transformers leading lady requires. Josh Duhamel adds some extra eye candy.
