You have an apple body shape if you have narrow hips, larger breasts, and a bigger than 0.8 waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).
Here's how to figure out your waist-to-hip-ratio.
First, measure your waist one inch above your navel and your hip, around the widest part of your body. Then divide your waist number by your hip number.
If you have an apple shaped body, your excess fat is mainly around your breast and waist - deep in the body. This abdominal fat surrounds your internal organs: your heart, liver, kidneys and intestines generating a plethora of health risks.
Apple Body Shape Health Risks
You should know that abdominal fat is far more harmful than the subcutaneous fat. According to the Apples and Pears theory and to Dr. Savard, the author of "Apples and Pears - The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness", abdominal fat increases the risk of:
metabolic syndrome
type 2 diabetes
heart disease
high blood pressure and stroke
increased inflammation in the body
certain cancers, such as breast and endometrial cancer
Dr. Peter Kopelman, professor at the Royal London School of Medicine insists that abdominal fat also affects respiratory function - especially during sleep, producing:
apnea
pulmonary hypertension
cardiac arrhythmia
And guess what. The higher the WHR, the higher apple-shaped body type health risks. That's why, if you have an apple shape body, it is imperative you lose weight as soon as possible.
Diet for Apple Body Shape
With an apple shaped body, your ideal proportion of macro-nutrients would be: 50% complex carbs, 35% proteins, and up to 15% "good" fats: flaxseed oil or cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil for salads and coconut oil for all your cooking needs.
Eat moderately ordinary animal proteins (lean chicken, turkey, beef), dairy products, "good" fats (nuts, flax seeds, dressings made with olive oil & yogurt), and use healthy cooking oils
Avoid at all cost anything fried, cold cuts, cream, candy, ice cream, carbonated drinks, and ALL white-flour products
If you have an apple shape body, consider supplementing your diet with omega three fatty acids and with soluble fiber (psyllium) taken with a full glass of water before you eat - for much easier weight loss.
You'll not only quickly shed pounds of body fat, this customized diet also makes you calmer, happier and less depressed.
Apple Body Shape Workouts...
...should include both aerobic and strength training at medium to high intensity, each 2-3 times per week.
One of the most beneficial is interval training for weight loss. Also, joining one of the Curves workout centers in your area is a smart idea, as Curves helps you in finding motivation to exercise.
Here's the bottom line.
Let go of the frustration of having an apple body shape. By far, the smartest thing you can do is to adjust your diet and workouts to what works best for your specific body shape, rather than trying to change it to a pear shape body >>
