Know Your Numbers

As much as I hate doing this, I have learned that it's important to know where you are in order to know where you're going. Avoiding the truth does no one any good. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'll share with you my numbers and invite you to know your own. You'll find the calculators I used on the right side of this blog.

I already know where I am at. Yesterday, I weighed in at 208 lbs. What I need to know is where I need to be. According to HealthStatus

"According to your height of 5' 2" your ideal healthy weight is 122 pounds. Your recommended weight range is between 109 and 136 pounds."

Alright, so at the very least, I need to lose 208-136 = 72 lbs. At 208 lbs. my BMI is 38 which means that I am obese. I got the calculator from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. By the way, BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is widely used to place people into healthy, overweight, and obese groups. However, it's been argued that this measure is too simplistic and that should not be taken alone. To read more about this controversy, click here.

A different measurement that may be more accurate in understanding where we stand is the Body Fat calculator. I use the calculator from HealthStatus.

"Body fat percentage means different things on different levels. Actually, 5% body fat can cause serious health problems for the average person. Conversely, 25% fat can either be healthy or unhealthy depending upon your age and gender." 

I'm 33 years old so...

"For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent."

"Using your measurements of a 40 inches waist and weight of 208 pounds your body fat percentage is estimated to be 53.10 % using the U.S. Navy body fat formula, or 41.69 % using the formula developed by the YMCA"

Either way, I am way over. That's disheartening but at the same time I think knowing this will help me push through; pass on that cookie, or skip the butter; and get me off my butt.

Finally, there's the BMR Calculator which calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. 

My BMR is 1696.1 calories which is great because I try to exercise a little and my daily intake is around 1200 calories a day so I am creating a deficit everyday and therefore losing weight. You'll find that as you age, you BMR lowers. That sucks! But it's a fact of life that our metabolic rate goes down as we age. These are things we need to know.

Well, now I know my numbers and when I feel like ordering french fries or stopping for a Caramel Macchiato, I can remember these numbers and hopefully I'll feel less inclined to go for it. Do you know your numbers?