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How heavy should I be?

A simple, yet commonly asked question. We all want to know what our ‘ideal’ weight is and how much we need to change to get there. There are a number of ways to work this out.

Measuring your BMI

If you go to your GP or clinic they will measure your BMI which stand for Body Mass Index. This is basically a score based on your height and weight and it is calculated by using the following simple equation;

Weight (in KG) divided by Height (in Metres) squared ²

So for example let’s say someone is 1.75 metres tall and weighs 80kg. The equation becomes

80 divided by (1.75 x 1.75) which becomes, 80 divided by 3.06 = 26.1 (too easy huh?)

This person would have a Body Masss Index of 26.1. Now we need to work out what the score means. The chart below shows the meaning behind BMI scores.

Considerations

Due to different body types, changes in muscle and water, and various other factors the BMI is not always 100 percent accurate. A BMI of 30 is likely to tell a story but 25.5 or 26 is no cause for concern.

Simon Lesser works as  a full time Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist.  He works with a range of clients from a private  gym in Bournemouth, Dorset – for more information call 07748 914368 or visit simonlesser.co.uk

Specifically we run 12 week weight loss courses covering nutrition, exercise and behaviour.

Glycaemic index or `GI` as it is commonly known measures the speed that a specific food releases it’s energy. GI has been around for many years but only more recently has it had such good coverage.

The Glycaemic Index works on a scale of 0-100 with a high score indicating a faster release of energy. Pure glucose or something like table sugar would get a score of 100. Foods are often rated high, medium or low GI depending on their rating and it’s the low GI foods that help us lose weight.

Why GI works

Slow releasing foods are more likely to be utilized as energy, keeping energy levels steady and reducing hunger levels. Conversely high GI foods release quickly, sending energy levels into a rollercoaster effect and if we don’t use these calories then they are stored as body fat.

Slowing the release of foods

There are numerous resourse that give you the GI of particular foods and these are a good guide. Adding protein to meals is one of the best ways to slow the release of the meal. Food that are high in fibre like fruit and vegetables also tend to be low GI.

Cholesterol, a wax like substance found in human cells gets plenty of bad press, linked to fat clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. A certain amount is needed for good health – essential in the formation of cell membranes, to help sex hormones work properly, in digesting fats and for the production of vitamin D. As always you can have too much of a bad thing, and too much choesterol is certainly a bad thing!

Good v Evil

Special carriers made from proteins transport cholesterol around the body – when combined with cholesterol they are known as lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins; Low density lipoprotein (LDLs) carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells of the body, literally dumping it in the arteries. LDLs are therefore undesirable and often referred to as bad cholesterol. High density lipoproteins (HDLs) do exactly the opposite. They carry excess cholesterol back to the liver in order to break it down and remove it from the body – they are referred to as good cholesterol.

The figures

When cholesterol is measured, the reading normally given is `total` cholesterol, the sum of HDL & LDL added together. The ratio of LDL to HDL is far more important. A high total cholesterol may not be a bad thing as long as there are high levels of good HDLs in relation to bad LDLs. A qualified hospital blood test available through your GP will show the individual cholesterol measured.

As a guide, ideal levels are – Total Cholesterol Less than 5.2, HDL Cholesterol greater than 0.9, LDL Cholesterol Less than 3.4

Ways to reduce your cholesterol

Around 75% of cholesterol is actually produced by the liver with only 25% actually coming from the diet. This figure is surprisingly low, but we can clearly have a positive impact on cholesterol through diet and lifestyle.

• Eat fruit & oats – as these foods contain pectin, one of the only substances to actually reduce cholesterol. Have a bowl of porridge for breakfast and snack on fruit during the day, particularly apples.
• Take regular exercise – as it increases HDL good cholesterol and also keeps weight in check.
• Stress, smoking and saturated fats – are well known baddies which will all have a negative effect on cholesterol so reduce them as much as possible. Saturated fats are high in many animal products including meat and dairy products. Also, cooking methods and food choices may need to be radically adapted.
• Eat plenty of fibre – as cholesterol is removed via stools!! No fibre in the diet means that up to 94% of cholesterol is reabsorbed.
• Fruit and vegetables – These foods are cholesterol beaters containing antioxidants to disarm free radicals and help prevent heart disease.
• Vitamin B3 & Lecithin – This vitamin and protein are found in many foods including eggs,or can be supplemented to increase HDL and actually break down cholesterol to be removed from the body.