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It’s the beginning of the year and chances are that you are one of the many people who make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Before you begin your quest for the ideal body, it is important to determine your healthy weight.
To determine a healthy weight for your body, CDC recommends that you find out your BMI- Body Mass Index.
If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the "underweight" range.
If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the "normal" or Healthy Weight range.
If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the "overweight" range.
If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the "obese" range.
Another way to assess your weight is to measure your waist circumference.
Male waist circumference should be no more than 40 inches.
Female waist circumference (not pregnant) should be no more than 35 inches.
EAT RIGHT! To maintain weight, the number of calories you consume should equal the number of calories your body uses/burns. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume and to gain weight, you should consume more calories than you burn.
For more information on eating right visit: http://www.mypyramid.gov/
EXERCISE! Physical activity is just as important as eating right. CDC recommends adults engage in 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
For more information on physical activity visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html
Weight Control Information Network: http://win.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: http://www.smallstep.gov/index.html
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