In Week 1, we review the health risks associated with being overweight and help determine your healthy body weight.
Know the Risks
If you're overweight, you're overfat. Obesity is defined as being 20% over you ideal weight. When you're overweight, you are:
6 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease
5.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure
5.4 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer
3.8 times more likely to develop Type II diabetes
2.1 times more likely to develop hypercholesterolemia
2 times more likely to develop osteoarthritis
Source: Leimkuhler & Associates |
The 39-Inch Waistline
If your waistline is larger than your hips, or it measures 39 inches or more, you are carrying too much fat around your middle. Excess fat around the middle is a greater health risk than excess fat in the hips and thighs. An apple-shaped body increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and possibly breast cancer. Men who carry excess weight around their middle are especially at greater risk for heart attack.
For the sake of your health, medical experts everywhere would agree that you need to adopt a new way of living. People who carry their weight around the middle may be less efficient at burning up sugary foods, and may do better to keep sugar intake low.
Understanding Seasonal Changes
Body fat can fluctuate during Summer/Fall and Winter/Spring, even though your weight and level of activity stay the same. Some experts believe that body hormones are responsible for these seasonal fluctuations. Changes in body fat are most noticeable in older women.
How Much Should You Weigh?
A healthy lifestyle is not about deprivation. It's about setting reasonable expectations for yourself and having pride in your body and yourself, so that you can live life vigorously, (we will expand on this in future weeks). Many people find it helps to reward themselves along the way. For example, how about buying yourself a new pair of running shoes!
The Body Mass Index which follows is a widely accepted method of determining a healthy weight. For general guidelines, you may wish to refer to the following chart. The higher weights generally apply to men, who have more muscle and bone.
Height
(without shoes) |
Weight
(without clothes) |
| |
Ages 19 – 34 |
Ages 35+ |
| 5'0 |
97-128 |
108-138 |
| 5'1" |
101-132 |
111-143 |
| 5'2" |
104-137 |
115-148 |
| 5'3" |
107-141 |
119-152 |
| 5'4" |
111-146 |
122-157 |
| 5'5" |
114-150 |
126-162 |
| 5'6" |
118-155 |
130-167 |
| 5'7" |
121-160 |
134-172 |
| 5'8" |
125-164 |
138-178 |
| 5'9" |
129-169 |
142-183 |
| 5'10" |
132-174 |
146-188 |
| 5'11" |
136-179 |
151-194 |
| 6'0" |
140-184 |
155-199 |
The Weigh-In
When your weight is under control, getting on the scale is easy. If you don't like the way your clothes fit lately, getting weighed will be the last thing you want to do. But keeping a record of your starting weight and weighing yourself weekly will help keep you on track. When your clothes start to feel loose around the waist and hips, you'll want to know how much you've lost.
Meal Replacements
Recipes