For those of you who want to achieve your ideal weight, just as it is with any endeavor, goals must be set, then a strategy must be created. To get where you want to go, you also need to know where you are now. So, let's begin with the important benchmark numbers, namely our BMI (Body Mass Index) and our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) Our Ideal Weight and our Ideal Calorie Intake will also be explored.
The BMI is a calculation used by the Center for Disease Control to measure one's risk level for diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, and a host of other inflammatory ailments. This calculation may not be helpful for extreme bodybuilders, but let's face it, most of us are NOT working out in the gym for six hours a day lifting refrigerators and small trucks.
I will begin with my BMI. I currently weigh 158 and I am 5'8" tall. (I weighed 136 a year ago. Hormones imbalances are hell on the stomach and thighs, ladies!) The calculation is my weight, divided by my height in inches, divided by my height in inches again, times 703. So, here goes: 158/68/68 X 703 = 24.02.
According to the CDC, the BMI range is as follows:
18.5 - 24.9 = Ideal
25 - 29.9 = Overweight
30 or over = Obese
My BMI is in the ideal range, but that's not the whole story. I need to look at my bone size. I am small to medium boned, so my BMI should be on the lower end. On the face of it, my BMI looks good, but since my body does NOT look good, I took it one step further. I tested my body fat percent. I have digital scales that calculate body fat and a hand held body fat calculator, and they both came up with the same results. My body fat is almost 35%. This is NOT good. A woman's body fat should be NO more than 25%, but no less than 20%. The weight I put on this last year is all fat.
Let's do the Ideal Weight calculation. If I want no more than 20% body fat, then I need to lose 15% of my current weight, or about 24 pounds of fat, which would put me at 135 pounds. My BMI at 135 would be 20.23, which is in line with my bone size. Body fat percent is a much better indicator of health than just being in the ideal range of the BMI, which I just proved.
What about Ideal Calories? First, we need to look at the BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate. I will use my Ideal Weight for this calculation, because I don't want to eat enough to maintain my current weight. I want to eat enough to maintain my Ideal Weight. The BMR is the amount of calories required for the body to complete its basic functions, like keeping your heart beating and regulating your internal temperature, which is about ten calories per pound. For me, my BMR for my ideal weight is 1350. Add 10% for the digestive process and add an additional 20- 40% for daily activities: sedentary gets 20%, moderately active gets 30%, and very active gets 40%. I am moderately active, so my Ideal Calorie intake will be 1350 + 135 + 405 = 1890 calories per day.
Now that I know where I am now, next week I’ll share my strategy for re-achieving my ideal weight, and I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
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