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Fitness Formula
January is the month
for belt tightening, and beginning those health enhancing resolutions.
Many of you will make sure your gym membership is paid up and get back
to working out on a regular basis with the goal of dropping a few pound
and checking your body mass index to see how many you need to lose.
But did you know that BMI is not the only thing to consider when
embarking on a fitness program? I have compiled the following
information for anyone interested in improving her fitness level.
Body Mass Index
(BMI)
-
Ratio of height to
weight. Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches
squared.
-
Multiply the
resulting quotient by 705. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered
overweight.
-
A BMI of more than
30 is considered obese.
Weight vs. Body
Fat
-
BMI doesn't tell
the whole story...you need to know how much of your weight is body
fat.
-
Overweight doesn't
necessarily mean fat
–
it could be muscle weight.
-
If you can pinch
more than an inch above your navel you may be considered over fat.
Body
Circumference
-
This is the best
way to determine whether or not you are at your ideal body
weight/mass and for tracking body changes. Periodically measure
the circumference of your upper arm, waist, chest, hips, and thighs.
Record these readings and recheck every four to six weeks.
Finding the
Number of Calories Needed to Lose Weight
-
Take your healthy
body weight and multiply it by 10. This number is the amount of
calories you need on a daily basis to maintain your heartbeat,
breathe, and regulate other basal metabolic functions.
-
Select an activity
factor that corresponds to your activity level. Multiply that
factor by your healthy body weight.
-
Add the numbers
from both of the above to arrive at the number of calories you need
to eat to lose weight.
Sedentary 3 Moderately Active 4
Active 5 Very Active 7 Extremely Active 10
Healthful
Diet:
Your
diet should be as low in fat as possible (no more than 20% of total
daily calories) to lose weight. Carbohydrates help burn fat so your
best weight loss diet is high in carbs; i.e., vegetables, fruits,
breads, cereals, grains, and pastas. In addition, carbs provide
you with fuel for energy. As for protein, choose fish, skinless
chicken, turkey, and lean red meat such as sirloin or round cuts.
Avoid fried and sautéed foods and eat more steamed, broiled, grilled,
baked, and boiled foods. Drink plenty of fluids
–
especially filtered water. And don't skip meals.
At Feel Better
Therapies the focus is on helping clients regain or maintain body
balance, through nutritional counselling and relaxation therapies. If
you would like help with your fitness or wellness goals, just
call our office for an appointment.
Please note:
Many companies now have insurance coverage for nutrition counselling,
while others have fitness allowances that can be used to reimburse
employees for the cost of their consultations. Before
making an appointment, please familiarize yourself with the details of
your coverage. You may be pleasantly surprised at the amount of
coverage you have.
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