Goods of the Body: Goals for a Healthy Weight
Posted By Brenda on January 10, 2008
What are you ‘weighting’ for?
Okay, it’s the start of the New Year, when most of us re-evaluate our health goals regarding our diet and exercise. How close are you to your goals? How much does it really matter? What resources are available to help you be successful?
Though jokes abound about the goals made at the New Year, there is value in taking stock of where you are, where you should be, and how to best achieve your goals. Why not now? It’s the time when more resources are handy, and most food stores even have healthier foods on special!
What is a healthy weight?
(1) Self magazine has an interactive calculator to give you an idea of ideal weight and body-mass index.
(2) An even better calculator is at RealAge BMI . According to Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD, “your waist size is more important than your weight. Because of its proximity to vital organs, belly fat is the most dangerous fat you can carry, and it is one of the strongest predictors of health risks (heart disease, diabetes, and more bad stuff) associated with obesity. Ditch the scale in favor of the tape measure. Measure your waist and aim small: Ideal is 32½ inches or less for women and 35 inches or less for men.”
So why not see where you ‘fit’ at these sites?
What are some tools to help you achieve your healthy weight? I tried numerous sites this week; these are my recommendations:
(1) You: On a Diet interactive program to build a menu plan is free and the recipes are yummy, though it only allows for limited customizing.
(2) If you are a Melaleuca customer, try Vitality For Life, which has a minimal fee but can be completely customized with the foods you enjoy.
(3) Avoid Webmd.com’s diet recommendations. Normally, I find good info on that site, but when I took their nutritional assessment quiz it was very disappointing, with out of date recommendations (not even distinguishing between white bread and whole-grain, for instance!)
Most importantly, set your goals, your meal plan, your exercise plan, and your supplementation and get started! Choose someone (spouse, friend, parent) that you are accountable to and report your progress to them daily, and weekly. When you fail, assess why and correct your plan to avoid repeating that failure. Remember, even losing 10 lbs. can dramatically reduce your chances of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
by Brenda
I'm Brenda, age 53; been married to my 'perfect match' husband for 27 years that seem like 5; with 3 wonderful adult daughters, and 2 great sons-in-law. I've been 'into' health and nutrition since the age of 19. My husband introduced me to working out at 25. I've managed a health food store in the past, and currently help my husband as he pastors our church, leads philosophy discussions, and teaches self-defense. We look forward to many more healthy years together!
Comments
Leave a Reply