Most of the time, people live in illusion, especially regarding their health. You may be one of these people who simply feel that your body is fit; however, when you check, you will be surprised to see your clinical results.

This is because many people do not consider obesity a big problem, and you could even find a minority of people living under the impression that a fat body is a healthy body. However, the fact is simply the opposite: obesity is known to cause some medical ailments and disorders, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart issues. So, if you are among the ones overweight, you are simply at risk of getting some medical ailments in the future. So, it’s essential to keep a check on your body weight, which is being tracked by a system called measuring the BMI, or body mass index. Once you know your BMI, or body mass index, you will decide on your further weight loss course. So, let’s catch the weight loss and body mass index.

Understanding BMI or Body Mass Index

As per medical and health experts, BMI, or the Body Mass Index, could be called a statistical measurement used to measure the levels of obesity and overweight at the population level. It helps calculate the body weight in terms of height, and you could see some people providing a competent indication of the total body fat. It is generally quoted as simple and easy to use in calculations and for noninvasive measurements. So, if you look at its formula, the BMI equals your total weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height. If you do not want to calculate manually, then don’t worry. You could find several smartphone or web applications to calculate this figure. As per this calculation, the health experts categorize the people into four different divisions. People with 18.4 BMI are called underweight, while ordinary weight people fall into 18.4-24.9 BMI, whereas people with a BMI ranging from 25 to 29.9 are regarded as obese, and lastly, the ones with 30 and above could be called the ones that are morbidly obese.

Weight Loss and Body Mass Index- what’s the catch?

The BMI tests are among the best ways to measure your body’s composition as it relates to your overall body fat. It helps in knowing the fatness and thinness so that the health experts can easily discuss the overweight and underweight found with the patients. It has, therefore, become one of the best ways and numerical authority for diagnosing the menace called obesity worldwide. When an obese body can bring problems in the same way the underweight body encounters issues, which include hypertension, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, breast, endometrial, and colon cancer.

But at the same time, just because your BMI falls into any one of the categories of higher health risk, it simply doesn’t mean that you have been at a greater risk for several diseases than people with healthy BMIs. If you are classified as underweight, obese, or overweight, the doctor would enlist you in a couple of risk factors for several diseases along with a couple of predictors, including getting the waist circumference and checking the level of physical activity, so that he or she can embark on a more precise kind of diagnosis. Hence, it could be said that BMI alone is not the only factor that is considered an accurate indicator of a healthy and unhealthy body. There are several other factors as well, which the doctors consider, as stated above, to come out with the precise diagnosis.

Is BMI system still valid?

Although BMI may not be the only factor to consider, health experts cannot discount its significance. By calculating your body mass index, you could still get some basic idea of your overall health and, therefore, chalk out some tangible solutions. This will undoubtedly help you make your body fit and healthy.

Final word

Body Mass Index, or BMI, could be obsolete to certain doctors, yet its importance cannot be denied. To play it safe, you must understand the catch of weight loss and BMI and go as per your calculated body measurement index.

Whenever I see the newest “flavor of the month” fad diet that thousands of people flock to, all I can do is roll my eyes. These same people saying, “This is the one, I’m going to stick with it this time!”, were the same ones flocking to the “Greatest, Easiest, Fastest, Bestest Diet” from last month…and the month before that…and before that…you get the point. They are searching for the proverbial “magic pill” that’s going to instantly transform them into a leaner, healthier version of themselves.

I’m here to tell you point blank, there is no magic pill! If you can’t accept that, then please don’t read any further, there may be no hope for you. As with anything of any value, it takes hard work and dedication to change your body. Sure, the main reason for wanting to trim the fat for many people is purely cosmetic, and that’s fine, but the increase in your overall health and benefits of your new more efficient body will GREATLY outweigh the physical aspects. It is truly a win-win situation – you can “have your cake and eat it too.” (PUT THAT FORK DOWN! It’s a figure of speech, not an open invitation to stuff your face!)

Lose your weight

Before I get into the details about what you need to do and what you need to avoid to lose weight, I can hear you asking, “What about liposuction, isn’t that the magic pill I’ve been looking for?” Wow, you clearly weren’t listening above, there’s no magic pill! Liposuction is costly and potentially dangerous if there are any complications, not to mention the failure some people must feel admitting to themselves, “I want a quick fix, because I’m not determined enough to change, and I’m willing to risk a lot of money and potential long-term health problems instead.” That’s why many liposuction patients put the weight right back on, because they weren’t willing to change what made them fat in the first place, and now their bodies have gone through two strenuous “getting dangerously fat” phases. Even if the surgery goes as planned without any complications, now you’re a skinny fat person. What I mean by that is if you haven’t taught yourself the eating and exercising habits needed to lose weight the natural way, then you are probably just as unhealthy now as you were when you were overweight.

Secrets of losing weight

OK, so hopefully if you’re still with me, and you’re ready for the real “secrets” to losing weight. First and foremost, don’t try to overanalyze your eating right away. A lot of the fad diets have you adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing every calorie to the point you need an accounting degree just to keep up. All of the complication and hassle of spending more time picking and preparing a meal based on numbers is usually the reason people give up on their diet. It’s great to get into macronutrients, weighing your food, and analyzing every crumb when you become extremely lean (I’m talking cover model lean). But right now, you just want to concentrate on building a solid base, or rather UNbuilding. Just like a sculptor who starts out with a giant block of stone (yes, I just compared you to a giant block of stone), you don’t start chiseling the fine details of the eyes and face right away. First you have to chisel away the large chunks of stone to get a basic overall shape or outline. And just like the sculpting example, it’s relatively easy to start hammering away the large chunks, compared to chiseling the fine details when you get closer to your ideal weight.

So, are you ready to start hammering?

Introduction

Everyone wants to lose weight. For those who are fat and are happy anyway, it’s a lie. This might seem harsh, but it’s the truth. That is why most folks who put on that happy happy happy “game face” of theirs tend to explore several diets secretively.

There are several of them, such as Leptin, Paleolithic, Vegan, Raw Food, and so on and so forth, and most folks who try this do it because they would like to get that hourglass figure of that pretty model in a fashion magazine that they spend their free time reading up on. You don’t need me to tell you that is often why people get started on a diet for all the wrong reasons.

Sadly, going on a diet isn’t the only thing one must do to lose weight, as exercise is just as important to get into shape. Sorry, but that’s the truth!

Diet and Exercise – Hand in Hand?

However, it is important to note that if one cannot control the food they eat, the exercise wouldn’t help your cause either. Another truth is that most folks who stuff themselves with foods that exceed the recommended 1200-calorie limit are the ones who are performing beginner workouts. One hardly loses 500 calories in doing so.

And there’s another thing with most diets – a lack of realism! Right from eating meat, one has to stop all kinds of food that the body has gotten used to, causing withdrawal symptoms and so on and so forth.

When did losing weight take on a hypochondriac-like approach?

Most solutions to seemingly complex problems are simple enough, and the same is true with losing weight. (The complexity lies in understanding how your body responds to different diets.)

All one has to do, in most cases, is eat a little lesser than usual… Yes, it’s as simple as that.

A Simple Weight Loss Meal Plan

Again using the word ‘diet’ here can be considered pretentious. Still, one can always consider three important factors in getting sufficient nutrition without overdoing it. This article focuses on a simple weight-loss meal plan. Here is how you can do it:

1) what

What you eat can be determined by using the simple food pyramid, or if you cannot think for yourself, you can visit a dietitian for further information. And stick to it, for heaven’s sake. Losing weight is a long-term thing, and it is unrealistic to expect results within weeks (much like all those programs over the internet that promise to give you results if you follow their workout routine).

2) when and

This is another simple aspect of maintaining a good diet. It’s as simple as the phrase “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and a dinner for a pauper” uttered by one of America’s pioneering nutritionists, Adelle Davis.

I’m sorry, but you’re not on a diet if you don’t eat enough on time…

3) how much

This is the one factor that varies from person to person, and for this, hiring the services of a dietitian is not such a bad idea if you are serious about losing weight.

In Closing

A diet doesn’t help people lose weight (and stay that way). It’s only when you realize that nutrition and exercise together are an important (and daily) part of your life then it doesn’t become just a means to an end (in the form of a diet) but a standard for life. Well, most people who care for their nutritional needs are rarely the fattest.