Nutritionalists work on a person’s Body Mass Index when analysing weight questions. Our reading should come in somewhere in the region of top teens to mid-twenties. An index greater than that reveals we have weight issues that could need dealing with. 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: Take your height in metres and your weight in kilos. Multiply your height by itself and then divide your weight by the answer.
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). These figures state categorically that you fall into the obesity category. Medical advice would definitely suggest a change of diet and activity is needed.
None of us can reduce our weight if we carry on doing the same things that put the weight on in the first place. We can lower our fat reserves (and therefore our weight) if we trim down our portion sizes and stick to more natural foodstuffs.
Stay away from eating programs that sound too good to be true! They’re usually so restrictive and unsatisfactory that you can’t maintain them for long. Any slimming regime that only allows one and a half thousand calories a day is considered a crash diet. 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 reduce your calorific intake by a fifth, there’s a good chance you’ll take off up to a couple of pounds a week. Although this won’t bring instant gratification, it should go some way to addressing your longer-term health issues.
Fatty foods tend to give us the biggest problem with weight management. Lower your intake of saturated fat then, and you achieve a noticeable reduction in calories. In its place eat more fresh vegetables and fruit. To fill up, try eating more wholemeal and grain. It won’t take long before you notice you’re actually feeling better.
Avoid skipping meals – this really doesn’t help with calorie reduction. You’re likely to get too hungry, and then grab a calorie-rich snack! Really, you’ll do yourself more favours if you have four or five little meals spread throughout the day. Starving yourself actually makes it more difficult to lose weight. It’s much easier for the body to process food and dispel fat when it’s receiving regular high quality/low quantity food.
