Rectus abdominis - the muscle extending the entire length of the abdomen, from the lower 3 ribs to the top of the pubic bone (below the navel). Works to keep you upright and lets you bend at the waist. Strengthening this muscle can help prevent lower back pain

Essential fatty acids - fatty acids that must be present in the diet to maintain health

Strain - an injury to muscles or tendons.

Exercise - almost any activity requiring physical movement such as walking, running, lifting weights, gardening, etc. A critical part of the healthy lifestyle needed to lose and maintain weight

Aerobic exercise - An activity where you breath harder but don't gasp or feel breathless. Literally, "with oxygen."

Rhomboids - the muscles that pull your shoulder blades inward. They attach to the vertebrae at the base of the neck and go diagonally to the inside edges of the shoulder blades

Trapezius or "traps" - the triangular muscles stretching across your back from the spine to the shoulder blades and collarbone. Its used to "shrug" your shoulders

Bariatrics - a branch of medicine dealing with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity, both pharmacological and surgical

Behavior modification - the changing of behavior by the manipulation of cues and environment factors that trigger behaviors. In this context, what cues can be used to stimulate healthy behavior

Coronary heart disease - heart disease associated with obstruction of the coronary blood vessels that supply blood (& oxygen) to the heart

Daily Value (DV) - reference values developed by the FDA to describe the amount of a nutrient used as the standard for labeling purposes. DVs are comprised of two sets of standards: DRVs and RDIs

Digestion - the breakdown of food materials mechanically (through chewing) and chemically (by digestive enzymes) until it is in a form which can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood

Exchange lists - foods sorted into categories by their nutrient and energy content. Foods in any category can be used interchangeably. Example: 1/2 cup of pasta (or rice) = 1 slice of bread = 10 french fries = 80 calories

Heart rate, target (THR) - see Target Heart Rate.

Pectorals or "pecs" - the 2 pairs of muscles in the chest that work to pull the upper arms toward or across the chest. The pectoralis major covers the chest from the top of the arm to the collarbone, down to the sternum and upper 6 ribs. The smaller pectoralis minor is located underneath, and runs from mid- chest to shoulder blade

Set - a number of repetitions of a movement, such as an arm curl or a squat. Squatting down and back up is one rep. Doing that 8 times would be one "set"

Triceps - the muscles on the back of the upper arms that straighten your elbows and allow you to push your arms forward