When assessing weight problems, the medical profession refer to our Body Mass Index. A healthy index is anywhere between eighteen and a half and twenty five. If it’s any higher, then we’re too heavy for our height. Furthermore we’re defined as obese and morbidly obese respectively if we rise above first thirty and then forty.
It’s very easy to determine what your BMI is: Using metric readings, take your current weight and height. Take your metric height and square it. Then divide the answer by how many kilos you weigh.
For example if your height is 1.6 metres and your weight is 78 kilos, your BMI is 30.47 (1.6 x 1.6 = 2.56 then 78 / 2.56 = 30.47). As a BMI of more than thirty has been classified as obese, action would definitely be required in the above example.
We can’t lose weight if we continue to consume foods highly saturated in fats and sugars (save for the odd treat now and again!). The fat that’s already stored in our bodies will only be used up if we put less fuel (food) into our system. By eating healthy food we will make that system more efficient.
You should avoid crash diets which usually end up with you either feeling ill or giving up in desperation. Crash diets are those that limit your intake to below a thousand calories for women and fifteen hundred calories for men. Programs like this tend to have a yo-yo effect on weight – it comes off quickly, then goes straight back on again when you inevitably stop.
Manageable healthy fat loss can’t be done in a couple of weeks. If you consume around five hundred calories less each day than you normally eat, you can expect to lose up to two pounds a week in weight. This isn’t high-speed dieting, but over twelve months it could add up to a great deal.
Foods which contain the most calories tend to have a high fat content. It makes sense therefore to drastically reduce that type of food. To avoid feeling desperately hungry eat more whole grains, and to balance your diet include plenty of fruit and veg. Making these changes will help to prevent any re-entry into the obesity category.
It may seem like a good idea to skip a meal, but it isn’t. Over the day as a whole, you’re likely to consume more in snacks to compensate for your hunger. On the contrary, you should eat several small meals a day to prevent getting too hungry. On-going hunger essentially slows the weight loss process down. Regular, healthy eating allows your body to metabolise more efficiently, which makes weight loss much easier.
(C) Scott Edwards. Look at WeightLossDietWar.com for intelligent diet tips on weight slimming and weight management programs.