Are You Really Overweight?

If you are overweight, you know it by how you feel, how your clothes fit or how you look.  But, by how much are you really overweight? And how much weight do you need to lose? One measure of how much you should weigh is by determining your Body Mass Index (BMI). This index gives you the relationship of your weight to your height. Here is the formula:

Your BMI = [(yourWeight)/(your Height x your Height)] x 705 

If you weigh 143 lbs and are 64 in tall, then

your BMI = [(143) / (64 x 64)] x 705 = 26.2.  Based on the chart below a BMI of 26.2 is overweight.

· underweight, BMI = 18.5 

· normal weight BMI = 18.5 - 24.9 

· overweight BMI = 25 - 29.9 

· slight obesity BMI = 30 - 34.9 

· obese BMI = 35 - 39.9 

· excess obese = BMI = greater than 40

If we consider the normal BMI number to be 21.5 then you can compute approximately how much weight you should lose using the same BMI formula but by changing things around in the formula,

(your ideal Weight) = [(normal BMI / 705) x (your Height x your Height)]

For the example above if you have a BMI = 26.2 and the normal BMI number = 21.5, then,

(your ideal Weight) = [(21.5/705) x (64 x 64)] = 124.91

 you should weigh 124.91 lbs. That means you need to lose (143 -124.9) lbs = 18.1 lbs.

Try to get your BMI below 25. Under this number, you can expect to have good health if you are eating the right kinds of food and exercising regularly. If your BMI is greater than 28, you are more likely to have cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and many other diseases related to a toxic colon.

Keep track of your waistline. Your waistline, if you are a man, should be less than 35 ". For women it should be less than 30". As your waistline get larger you become more susceptible to diseases. Of course, waistlines are going to vary because people have different shapes. But you know if your waistline to big for your shape.

Now you should know how much weight you need to lose. Beside your waistline, you should also measure bust/chest, hips, and thighs.. This gives you an indication how your body is changing. As you lose fat you may not lose weight for a while. Your body will become toned as you exercise. The weight scale does not always tell you that your body is changing and losing weight.

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Adopting A Low Carb Diet

Diets have appeared in many different forms, especially fad diets. Among the problems with these fad diets is that as well as often leaving you feeling very hungry they can also be unhealthy and only work for a short space of time. Research has indicated that the most effective diets are those that can be adhered to over long periods of time. In the case of fad diets, weight tends to be very erratic and while you may lose weight initially it is not unusual to put that weight back on and eventually increase your weight.

One of the huge benefits of a low carb diet is that you do not need to feel hungry. This may seem like it avoids the point of a diet, but it doesn't. The aim of dieting is not to eat less but to lose weight or eat more healthily. The most famous of all low carb diets is the Atkins diet and this remains popular because it allows you to eat good-sized meals and is proven to help you lose weight.

The basics of a low carb diet are that you can eat as much food as you like until you are full, as long as you only eat the allowed foods. Generally speaking, this includes meat, cheese, fish, eggs and poultry. You are also allowed a certain amount of green vegetables each day. As well as being a healthy way to lose weight, a low carb diet will give you a sustained weight loss meaning you can continue to lose weight even after the initial push and you will keep the weight off once it is gone. 

It will also lower your cholesterol and blood pressure as well as stabilize your blood sugar level. You should supplement a low carb diet with multi vitamins because your body will become partially starved of these essential vitamins.

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