A healthy weight is when you are not too thin or too fat for your height. Health professionals use a particular method to calculate a person’s healthy weight for their height. This method is known as body mass index (BMI).
BMI = your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, multiply by 0.4536. To convert your height from feet to meters, multiply by 0.3048
For example: Maria weighs 65 kg and is 1.64 m tall 65 (1.64) squared = 24.17
A healthy balance should be between 18.5 and 25. If your weight is less than 18.5 then you are underweight, but if your weight is over 25 then you are overweight and if you are over 30 you are obese. However, some people feel more comfortable with a higher weight, while others feel healthier with a lower weight. Sometimes the BMI reading can be misleading and you may need to have your body fat and waist-to-height ratio measured to determine if your weight puts you at risk. Whether it’s ‘apple’ or ‘pear’ shaped, its shape affects your heart health. Fat around the waist increases the risk of heart problems. A waist of more than 89 cm in a woman and 102 cm in a man puts your heart at risk. Obesity is usually obvious, weightlifters and bodybuilders have a high BMI but a low body fat ratio. Therefore, the risk of cardiovascular problems is low.
Before losing weight, there are a number of factors to consider.
o There are short-term solutions
o Short, strong diets invariably lead to a gradual return to previous weight levels
o Rapid weight loss is unhealthy
A good idea is to evaluate your current diet and identify the foods high in fat and sugar that you eat. Try to calculate the number of calories you consume on average, including alcohol intake, which is also high in calories. If you don’t eat a lot of fat, then you need to reduce your overall caloric intake or increase your energy expenditure, or even both. 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 calories for men is the recommended daily caloric intake. Eating smaller meals more often will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and make you less likely to binge on unhealthy foods. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor or dietitian for advice.
Here are some helpful tips to follow for a successful weight loss program:
o Set realistic goals that are achievable
o Reduce the consumption of fried foods, red meats, cakes, chocolates, sweets, cheeses and dairy, as they are high in calories.
o Reduce the consumption of alcohol and soft drinks.
o Choose fruits, lean meats, and fresh vegetables that are low in calories
o Drink 1.5 liters (2 and 1/2 pints) of water every day, which not only improves your overall health, but also helps with the metabolic changes needed to lose weight.
o Increase your physical exercise activity, whether it’s taking long brisk walks, cycling, or swimming. This will help shed unwanted weight and increase energy levels.
o Avoid quick fixes
o Use any diet pill under the direct supervision of your doctor. Some pills increase blood pressure and heart rate, cause insomnia, and increase anxiety levels.