Know Your Body Before Starting Your Weight Management Plan
There are many people who wanted to lose weight but never really exercise and take care of their diet. Are you one of them? Achieving your dream body figure is never easy, it requires determination and effort. And more importantly, you should understand your current body condition in order to lose weight efficiently.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
BMI (Body Mass Index) is often used internationally to measure body fats.
The calculation formula is:
BMI = weight[kg] ÷ height2[m2]
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underweight | Normal | Overweight | Obese | Extremely Obese |
| <18.5 | 18.5-24.9 | 25-29.9 | 30-34.9 | <35 |
However, BMI is a general index mainly dependant on our body weight. If you are planning to Lose weight, it is important to know the number of calories that you burn every day.
Firstly, you will need to calculate you Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The algorithm for BMR is different for men and women:
66.47 + (13.7 x weight [kg]) + (5 x height [cm]) - (6.8 x age)
Women's Basal Metabolic Rate:
655.1 + (9.6 x weight [kg]) + (1.8 x height [cm]) - (4.7 x age)
In addition to basal metabolic rate, the daily activity level should be taken into consideration as well.
| Physical Activity Chart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Exercise | 1-3 days/week | 3-5 days/week | 6-7 days/week | Extreme physical activity |
| BMR x 1.2 | BMR x 1.375 | BMR x 1.55 | BMR x 1.725 | BMR x 1.9 |
Depending on your activity level, multiply your BMR by the number corresponding to your activity level to get the average number of calories your body burns per day.
Excess calories: will be stored as fat and muscle
Insufficient calories: use up fat and muscle
Balanced Calories: no weight gain or loss
If the calories that you consume are more than that of your daily calories burned, the excess calories will lead to weight gain. So, managing your calories consumption is very important in weight management.
