Photo: mod as hell, Flickr

Carrying a few extra pounds won't hurt as long as you're more or less in the healthy range, right? Well, actually, recent studies published in the British Medical Journal are answering that question with a big fat no -- gaining even just a bit of weight over the years can have a serious impact on your health later in life. In fact, every 2.2 pounds women gain can decrease their chances of making it to age 70 by 5 percent. It's even worse news for those who are obese in their 40s and 50s -- they're 79 percent less likely to be healthy at age 80 than women who were lean during those years.

So who fared the best? Researchers found that women who reported a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 at age 18 and kept it stable over the next 30 years were the healthiest, and women who maintained the same weight throughout their lives -- regardless of BMI -- were healthier than those who let the numbers on the scale creep up.

According to the researchers, "These data emphasized the significance of maintaining a healthy weight throughout adulthood to enjoy a long and healthy life." In other words? A little bit of extra junk in your trunk -- even if you're not reaching obese proportions -- won't do you any favors in the long run.

Need inspiration to stay fit until your golden years? Check out this 74-year-old body builder!

Are you eating too much after workouts? Photo: norwichnuts, Flickr

There are all sorts of possibilities for why you're not slimming down (even though you're trying like mad), and FitSugar narrows it down to a few you might want to consider.

Maybe you're stuffing down too much food after your workouts -- some say exercise makes us eat more, causing the scale the tick up instead of down. And don't just blame the junk food -- it could be that you're eating healthy, you're just piling it on a little thick.

Perhaps you're gaining muscle (not a bad reason for keeping the weight on), or you're overloading on sugary drinks. You could even be doing the wrong kind of exercise.

These reasons not working for you? Could marathon training be making you fat?

The bathroom scale isn't the only measure of weight loss, but it's certainly an easy and inexpensive way to track your progress. This is one time you don't want to use a hand-me-down -- older, spring-style scales can wear out over time and become inaccurate. Shop around for a new scale that gets good reviews. Digital scales that measure to the tenth of a pound are great for weight loss, because even if you don't lose a whole pound, you'll still be able to see progress.

Once your scale is ready to go, here are some tips to ensure an accurate reading every time, so that you can chart your weight loss as it goes down, down, down.

• Place your scale on a hard, even surface.
• Weigh yourself on the same day every week.
• Weigh yourself at the same time every day (you're at your lightest in the morning).
• Hop on that scale naked -- no use weighing your clothes!

I don't really trust BMI. Convenient, I know, since mine is always high -- I'm tall, I'm big-boned (no, really, I am), and I have more muscle than most women, so even at my absolute fittest, I weigh more than I should by BMI standards. I'm far more interested in how much body fat I have, and I know I'm not the only one. But, like many of you, I don't want to go to my local health club and be poked and prodded so someone can determine my body fat percentage. Fortunately, that's not necessary.

LongLifeClub reviewed the Tanita Body Fat Scale, which sounds like a great gadget to have around the house. Body fat scales measure the amount of fat in your body by sending an electrical current through your body (you don't even feel it, but it's not for use by those with any type of surgically-implanted medical device, like a pacemaker). It takes into account your height, weight, age and gender as well.

The one reviewed was just $79.95, but you can spend up to almost $300 on a Tanita scale if you opt for the Tanita Ironman Segmental and Full Body Composition Monitor. But, once you get the scale, how do you know what your body fat percentage should be?

Over at Switched, I read about a gizmo that is truly bizarre -- the 'Light Girl' Toilet Seat weighs bathroom-goers before and after they do their business. Designed by artist Haikun Deng, it's designed for women -- who are naturally more weight-conscious than men -- and it allows them to check their weight "in the private time and at the private place." Because weighing yourself on the bathroom scale is obviously far too public, I guess ... ?

"As people tend to be lighter after using the toilet, it probably gives the most welcomed results to girls," says Deng. Just think -- not only can you have a constant reminder of your current weight, you'll also know the weight of each of your bowel movements. Lovely.

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I understand both sides of the to-weigh or not-to-weigh debate. On one hand, weighing yourself regularly keeps you honest and it can be motivating. On the other hand, for some, scales can become an obsession and, if you weigh yourself daily, you may get a bit down on yourself when the numbers don't move as fast as you wish they would.

I'm of the mindset that people just need to figure out what works best for them. I'm a weigher. Each morning, like it or not, I climb on the scale and see what's what. I've had to get used to the fact that sometimes -- even if I've done everything right -- I might go up a half pound or so. That's just the nature of weight loss; I accept that and don't let it ruin my day. Also, I'm a data-loving girl. For some reason, I just need to know that number on the scale when I'm trying to lose weight.

Glamour has an idea for weighing yourself without revealing the full truth. They suggest covering the first two numbers on the scale and just watching the final number. If you fall squarely in the not-to-weigh camp, this might be a handy trick for you.

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Before you step on that scale, listen to these tips to avoid frustration when you weigh in.

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A good friend of mine once lost a significant amount of weight, without once stepping on the scale. I marveled at her ability not to measure her success, except every time she dropped a pant size, of course.

Then, there are the rest of us, the ones who need feedback on a little more regular basis. I step on the scale every single day, not because I'm obsessed, but because the information it gives me is motivating -- positive or negative.

While a bathroom scale is a simple and inexpensive way to track your progress, as Health points out, there's more than one way to skin a cat keep track of the fat you're burning. You can track your BMI, measure your waist circumference, or even get an accurate but expensive DEXA scan.

The scale works for me, though I understand it's only a number and not an indication of my overall fitness. What's your favorite way to track weight loss?

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Duran Duran ruled the 80's. In fact, they still kind of rule. Selling out arenas around the world isn't too shabby in anyone's book.

Even though he's still performing with his legendary band, John Taylor has reformed from his very typical rock star ways of the past, and is now a genuine fitness fiend. We spoke today, and I was delighted to hear about his new lifestyle. John told me that he gave up drinking and drugs years ago and pays a lot of attention to his health. He actually said he considers himself a runner! So cute, he called himself the "slackest runner in the world" but knows he needs that outlet because of the mental relief it provides. To quote John, he says it "suits my psychology."

When we see rock stars living the party life, it's easy to wonder what effects it will have on their futures. Some simply don't survive the lifestyle. But John did, and it's wonderful to see the man so many people adore as he lives a truly healthy life. He does struggle a bit with something, though.

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When it comes to weight, it's typically assumed that five to 10 extra pounds is nothing to fret about. Not so. Being just seven pounds overweight can increase your chances of heart failure.

According to a team of prominent researchers in Boston, "even those who were only modestly overweight had a higher risk of suffering heart failure. Apparently, the more overweight the person is, the higher the risk." Additionally, "regardless of how much exercise a person does, those with a higher body mass index also have a higher risk of heart failure."

Wow -- how disconcerting for those of us who spend hours on the treadmill and can't seem to budge the numbers on the scale. Still, good reasons to watch those numbers, no?

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Weight management can be tricky, but this strategy here is a bonafide winner when it comes to keeping your weight under control. Knowledge always gives you power!

For a delicious low fat taco recipe, training vidoes for amazing abdominals, yoga advice and more ...

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There's nothing like watching that number on your scale decrease when you want it most, is there? Nothing like a little confirmation that all your good eating and good exercising is really working. Here are three foods the folks at Oxygen magazine say will work your scale so that your digits definitely go in the downward direction.

• Water. It may not be food in the specific sense, but it's vital for a well-functioning body, and the right amount of hydration can truly tip the scale in your favor. The right amount? Drink about two cups of cool water on an empty stomach and earn a 30 percent jump in metabolism.
• Almonds. They're getting more press -- read more here about this nutritious nut -- and can be a key component of a low-calorie diet. You could lose 62 percent more weight and 50 percent more body fat with a few of these in your diet. Just make it a few, though (lots of calories and fat in these puppies) or your scale just might revolt.
  
• Grapefruit. Half of one of these (or three servings of grapefruit juice) can help you lose four to 10 pounds. And the good news: You shouldn't have to alter your diet or workout routine to enjoy this prize.

So maybe grapefruit has some real power. I don't doubt it. But I don't want you walking away from this post thinking a grapefruit, a handful of almonds and two shots of water are going to transform your body on the spot. It takes time -- and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Adding some nuts to a diet consisting of pizza, cookies and Coke just isn't going to work. Know what I mean?

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Whether the scale is our friend or enemy, there's one role it certainly plays in most of our lives: Trusted confidant, the one thing that always tells the truth about our weight. Or does it?

Recent statistics out of Britain revealed some alarming facts about scales -- specifically, that a third of them are inaccurate, even in hospitals, where obtaining a proper scale reading could mean the difference between life and death.

Obviously, the need to get an accurate reading on our bathroom scales isn't as dire, but most of us know that a scale reading can make or break our days. It can mean the difference between feeling confident and attractive versus feeling frumpy and fat. Remember to calibrate your home scale, or chuck it all together and gage your weight on how your clothes fit.

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Ladies, sometimes it just doesn't seem fair -- we have to deal with PMS cravings, monthly bloating, child-bearing hips and more fat cells than men. We seem to gain weight just by looking at a piece of chocolate cake. It seems our gender just isn't conducive to weight loss. But according to recent studies, there's another very good reason we struggle with our weight: Men.

According to this article, a women's weight fluctuates according to the cycles of her relationships.

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Being overweight is unhealthy -- is this a fact? Or merely a common assumption? Considering the bad rap obesity has these days -- as an epidemic and national emergency, among other disastrous associations -- most of us will accept the overweight/unhealthy connection as fact. But according to The New York Times, a new movement out there is pushing for the acceptance of fat and the end to so-called false fat assumptions.

The movement, generally known as fat acceptance, is lead by a group of activists and academics who want to change the way the world sees fat people. What do they believe in? That someone can be healthy at any weight, and assuming a fat person is unhealthy is as mis-guided as assuming a thin person is healthy. And instead of focusing on weight loss, the diet industry should be emphasizing nutrition, fitness, body image and measures of health other than the numbers on the scale. Read the full article for more info.

What do you think? Can you be fit and fat? Healthy and hefty? Is weight alone an accurate prediction of health?

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