The Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates how much fat you are likely to have. It can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters.
Here's your weight category based on BMI:
Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
Normal weight: BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9
Overweight: BMI is between 25 and 29.9
Obesity: BMI is 30 or over.
The higher the BMI, the more fat you are carrying. If you are obese, your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or high cholesterol is higher. As you can't change your height, reducing your BMI is equivalent to losing weight. Losing weight will likely lower your BMI and reduce the risk of some health problems. Here are some tips to help you lower your BMI.
How to lower your BMI?
1. Set realistic goals
If you are trying to lose weight, it is necessary to have an achievable goal. Your very step is to stop gaining weight. Then you should concentrate on losing 5 percent of your weight at the moment. You may first think that losing 5 percent of your weight is an insignificant goal but if you are a 200lb person, that means you will have to lose 10lbs. Moreover, it will reduce your chance of getting diabetes by 50 percent.
Each time you lose 5 percent of your weight, you should take some time off for your body to get used to your new routine. You only move to the new goal of weight loss when you're confident at achieving your goal.
By setting a target, you are more likely to stay on track.
2. Change your diet
Diets are variable depending on the person. You can speak with a dietitian to get tips for your meal planning and learn about what to eat.
You have to cut out processed and high-calorie foods. Processed foods are heavy in empty carbohydrates which are as bad as sugar when it comes to causing obesity and high BMI. These kinds of foods also contain a level of salt and sugar. You can go for whole wheat or whole grains.
Try to switch from sweetened drinks to water. Avoid adding sugar to your beverages.
Eating lean meat such as chicken breast can be beneficial when losing weight as it contains more protein and less fat and carbohydrate. At the same time, it also keeps you full in a long time period.
Increase healthy fruit and vegetable intake into your diet. Fruits and vegetables can add nutrition to your body and they are low in calories.
Foods like potato chips, processed meats, red meat, and sugary beverages were associated with weight gain, while those like fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and yogurt were associated with weight loss.
3. Exercise
Diet and exercise is the best combination for weight loss. You should add regular physical exercise to your daily routine. If you are obese, it is recommended to exercise 150 minutes per week. This can come in different forms such as walking, biking, swimming, jogging.
In case you are not sure where to start, you can join a gym and try some exercise machines or equipment. Or you can find workout videos on the Internet and practice at your own home.
Start slowly and then increase the amount of your workout until you get used to more intense exercise. This will help you burn calories, build lean muscle tissue, and lower your BMI. However, do not move into a workout routine too quickly because it may cause some physical problems. Instead, start at a slow and steady pace.
4. Consult your doctor or personal trainer
You should seek guidance from a doctor because an aggressive weight loss schedule may do more harm than good. Your doctor will assess your current status and medical history to give you the right medication to help you on your way to lowering BMI. You should also bear in mind that you may come across some side effects of the meds you are taking.
5. Self-monitor
Reducing your BMI takes hard work. And there's a fine line between frustration and motivation. You should keep a record of what you're eating how you're doing and check it daily or weekly and focus on the positive changes that you are making. By keeping track of your schedule, you will feel proud of what you do. This will then increase your likelihood of success. Small changes do make a difference, and they add up.
Final Thoughts
Getting your Body Mass Index into a normal range can help you reduce a lot of health risks. However, lowering your BMI or weight is not an easy task if you have a significant amount to lose. But if you change your everyday habits, you are more likely to get closer to your target BMI and weight.
"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."