Discover Your Perfect Weight With Your Body Mass Index

When you see photos in fashion magazines it is easy to daydream about how nice it would be to be “your perfect weight”. Determining your perfect weight is no easy task however! There are many components that help determine your ideal weight including genetics, height, bone size and even personal comfort have some bearing on personal weight goals. As you start your weight loss journey, you should have a clear idea of what your goal weight is so you can work towards this goal.

One way to determine your perfect weight in very general terms is by calculating your BMI (or body mass index). Body Mass Index is a calculation commonly used to determine the percentage of body fat on any given individual. Body mass index is based on a comparision between height and weight. There are many online calculators to determine your BMI quickly and easily. In fact, you can even use this Body Mass Index Calculator right here on this blog. Alternatively, Your physician can calculate your BMI for you. Average BMI is between 18 and 24. A BMI under 18 indicates underweight status. BMI of 25 – 29 indicates overweight status and BMI of 30+ indicates Obesity. Determining your Body Mass Index can provide an indication of what your goal weight should be. Make a few calculations and see how much weight you should lose to attain a healthy BMI.

When determining your goal weight, you should also consider genetic influences. If your mother and grandmother were generously proportioned with ample padding on hips and thighs, then your genes are probably working against you. The two most common body shapes are ‘apple’ (where extra weight is concentrated around the abdomen) and ‘pear’ (where extra weight is concentrated in the hips). Contrary to popular belief, the ‘hourglass’ figure common to fashion models is quite rare at around 5% of overall body shapes. It should be noted that trying to attain an hourglass shape would not only be impossible for most individuals, it would also be extremely unhealthy. People with apple body shapes experience a greater risk of serious health issues, since excess belly fat is connected to elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease and onset (type 2) diabetes. It is important to understand your body shape so you can work with it rather than trying to do the impossible and change your overall body shape.

The last component that influences your perfect weight is personal preference. Perhaps your body mass index indicates that a healthy weight range for you is 125-140 pounds. But are you comfortable at 140 pounds, or even 125 pounds? Maybe you feel too skinny at 125, or maybe at 140 you have those little folds of skin at the sides that chafe together and make you uncomfortable. For this reason you need to consider personal comfort in addition to appearance when determining your weight loss goal. If you have lost weight and are comfortable and healthy, you may like to start maintaining – even if you have not attained your perfect weight as suggested by the body mass index. It is important for you to be comfortable with yourself. Keep looking in the mirror – only you will recognize when you have attained your perfect weight.

This article does not constitute medical advice nor should it be substituted for professional medical advice. This post titled “Discover Your Perfect Weight With Your Body Mass Index” is intended for informational purposes only.