Monday 10 August 2015

To BMI Or Not To BMI?

In the next thrilling instalment of my weight loss saga, I will soon be hitting 11st 3lb. At this point, I go from being obese to *just* overweight according the the NHS BMI table. Who knew this could be so exciting ;)?

It got me to thinking about the whole BMI thing. What is a BMI? Should I care about BMI?

BMI is your body mass index. It's meant to tell if your weight is right for your height. If you're over or under weight, you are susceptible to all sorts of health issues, so it's handy to know where you are. I know it's quite flawed. Athletes, for example, are likely to be heavy for their heights because they have lots of muscle which weighs more than fat. However, it's still useful to have some idea of what constitutes a healthy weight for your height, even if it's not entirely accurate.

For most adults, your BMI should be between 18.5-24.9. You can check yours out here.

Mine will be 30 at 11st 3lb. This gives me a toe hold into the 'overweight' category, which in theory makes me less likely to have a stroke or to develop diabetes. Obviously, nothing's as cut-and-dry as that. There won't be a magic point at which such risks just disappear, but the more weight I lose, the less likely I will be to suffer from these things - and the more likely I will stick around longer for my son. So, although it's not perfect by any stretch, it's good to have something else to aim for that inches me closer to a healthier me.

Did I mention that I've been wearing shorts and t shirts for the last couple of days? None of the neighbours have complained (yet) and no one has been ill. So all good ;)

Now. How am I doing today?

Not as well as I'd hoped because I've had a horrible head cold that has rendered me virtually useless. I've had a sore throat and have been forced to drink lots. By 'drink lots', I mean 'eat lots of ice lollies'. I've not been able to walk much either, so that's annoying. Despite this though, I haven't actually put any weight on, so that's good. I've pottered around the garden in a bid to be a bit active.

Menu

Breakfast: Yakult and a lovely fresh croissant with some marmalade.
Lunch: Roast chicken breast, spinach, cucumber, tomatoes and a dollop of mayo.
Dinner: Quinoa and salmon.
Snack: Ovaltine Options hot choccie drink. 
Drinks: 1.5l of tap water

This little lot adds up to about 920 calories according to FitBit. 

FitBit Stats From Yesterday

Steps: 10,279
Distance: 6.2 miles
Active minutes: 69

My Stats

Current weight: 11st 5.6lbs
Next weight target: 11st 3lbs (I will go from 'obese' to 'over weight' according to the NHS's BMI stats)

TOMORROW: Help! I Can't Keep My Knickers Up!

No comments:

Post a Comment