Healthy Weight

Obesity is an epidemic that has brought with it increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The current benchmark that is used to determine whether someone is obese or not is the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by taking height and weight into account. The problem with this measurement is that a muscular 250lb 6 foot person will have the same BMI as a non-muscular 250lb 6 foot person. But how many muscular people really care what their BMI is?

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 24.9	Normal
25.0 – 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

How does someone acquire and maintain a healthy weight? The science is simple: burn more calories than you take in. Oftentimes, people will complain to me that they do not eat that much and don’t understand why they cannot lose weight. That is where a food diary may come in handy to identify where the hidden calories are coming from or why someone’s metabolism is so low. An underlying medical condition can be contributing to a slow metabolism, such as hypothyroidism. I often recommend making small changes that can be sustained rather than a complete overhaul that is unsustainable. Consider the following to start:

1) Eat a healthy breakfast: Breakfast is important because it sets your metabolism for the day. Remember your body is a delicate machine that adjusts subconsciously to signals. If you skip breakfast you send the signal to your body that you are starving and then when you eat throughout the rest of the day the body tends to put those extra calories into storage (fat) rather than burn them. By eating a healthy breakfast you are signaling to the body that it is ok to burn those extra calories.

2) Cut out simple carbohydrate beverages: Soda Pop, juices, and alcohol have a lot of simple carbohydrates (sugar). These are a source of a lot of calories because people can throw back several 20oz sodas a day. The reason for this is because simple sugars easily absorbed and spike your blood sugar. Spiking blood sugar gives you a sudden burst of usable energy but this is problematic for three reasons. First, if your body is in starvation mode it sends those calories to storage rather than to burn. So use those drinks before exercise (soda pop is not conducive to exercise). Second, the quicker blood sugar spikes the quicker it crashes. Crashing blood sugar cause you to be hungry again and crave more. Third, repeatedly spiking blood sugar leads to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance eventually turns into diabetes.

3) Exercise at least 30 minutes a day or walk. Exercise not only burns calories but it also ramps up your metabolism. Your body is more likely to burn calories if you are active and less likely to burn calories if you are a couch potato. You don’t have to kill yourself on the treadmill to do this either. It has been shown that if you can walk 13,000-15,000 steps a day you will lose weight. If you cannot exercise, I often recommend wearing a pedometer. A pedometer will count your steps throughout the day. If you reach your goal you can reward yourself by relaxing and watching tv at the end of the day. If you haven’t reached your goal, you go for a walk.

4) Change your evening routine: Evenings tend to be a weak time of day when people tend to snack more. You can be good all day long and ruin it with a few treats in the evening. Remember, food is a source of energy to do work. If you are going to go to sleep soon there is no point in eating. It is best to eat a dinner with protein and complex carbohydrates so you do not have a spike of blood sugar and subsequent crash that brings cravings. Avoid simple carbohydrates (sugary drinks, white breads, white pasta, desserts). Your current routine has not worked for you up until now and so making a few simple changes can make a big difference. If you haven’t met your walking goal, go for a walk. Keep yourself busy so you are distracted and less likely to graze in the kitchen.

Once you have met these goals you will find it easier to lose weight. You may still reach plateaus and this is just the body resisting change. The body likes to maintain homeostasis and will resist weight loss. You have to persist and the body will find a new homeostasis. Building muscle mass will help with this. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn at once. That is why you see them focus so much on resistance/strength training during the Biggest Loser. This is also why men tend to lose weight easier than women Stay tuned for the blog focused solely on exercise.