Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)
To determine BMI, use the following formula (or use the free calculator at nhlbisupport.com/bmi):
Weight (pounds) ÷ Height (inches)2 × 703 = BMI
| Example: | Female, 140 pounds, 5 foot 4 inches |
| 140 ÷ (64" × 64") × 703 = 24 | |
| Example: | Male, 185 pounds, 5 foot 11 inches |
| 185 ÷ (71" × 71") × 703 = 25.79 |
If your BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9, your weight is not likely to have a major effect on your health. If your BMI is 25 or more, talk to your GP about the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet.
Is it time to act?
The health questionnaire in Is your health at risk? is a screening tool to help you assess your physical activity and nutrition habits. Whether you find that you’re at high risk of becoming overfat or not, answering the questions may increase your awareness about your current habits. If you have decided that you could stand some improvement, try simply changing one of your undesirable food or activity habits instead of focusing on the scales. Use The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet for guidance. You will be amazed at how easily the fat will come off when you make even small changes, such as eating an apple before every meal.
Is your health at risk?
• Do you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day?
• Are you physically active at least 30 minutes per day, seven days per week?
• Do you eat fewer than three deep-fried foods per week?
• Is your waist measurement under 35 inches for a female? Under 40 inches for a male?
• Is your BMI under 25?
• Do you consider yourself at a healthy body fat level?
• Does your family history show healthy body weights without obesity?
If you can answer yes to most of these questions, you’re probably not at high risk of developing overfat-related diseases. If you answered no to at least three of the questions, your chances are greater for developing overfat-related diseases.
This is not a medically proven questionnaire to determine the risk of becoming overfat. It is used exclusively as a screening technique for increasing health awareness.
In the next chapter, we’ll look at other factors that determine if you’ll become overfat, and we’ll see how the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet can make a big difference.
Were we born to be fat?
Genetics play a role in your body type and how you store fat. Yet other factors greatly influence your risk of being fat or overfat—factors that you can change or prevent.
The big fat facts of life
Fact one: we can’t always blame our parents. Yes, our genes affect the rate at which our body accumulates fat and where the fat is stored. And, yes, a family history of obesity does increase our chances of becoming obese (overfat) by about 30 per cent, and of course our family affected our eating habits and activity levels when we were children. But we have 70 per cent control over how healthy and fit we are as adults—what we do to take control is up to us.
Fact two: No matter who we are, we all have an unlimited potential to make new fat cells, which means we all risk obesity and obesity-related diseases if we continue to overeat and under-exercise.
So now’s the time to start making changes. The thousands of people who have followed the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet have come from a variety of backgrounds. Most everyone who stuck with the plan has seen great results.
The difference between boys and girls
Have you ever wondered why men seem to lose weight at the drop of a hat and women seem to have more of a struggle? Or why building muscle seems to come naturally to guys but takes longer for us gals? Does “you are what you eat” ring a bell?
In my 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, I have observed that men and women have different preferences, which may influence how they lose body fat. When it comes to food preferences, for example, men tend to choose protein over carbohydrates. In terms of exercise, they go for the weight training every time—with as little cardiovascular training as possible.
My women clients, on the other hand, prefer carbohydrates over protein, and they choose walking for weight loss (cardiovascular training) instead of weight training.
Are you connecting the dots?
Muscle, fat, and metabolism
Because of their higher muscle mass, men tend to burn 10 to 20 per cent more calories than do women (who have higher levels of body fat). Think about this: 1 pound of muscle tissue burns 40 to 60 calories per day whereas 1 pound of fat tissue burns a measly 2 calories per day. No wonder these guys lose weight so easily. Their higher muscle mass endows them with a higher metabolic rate. But ladies, you can change all that by adding some muscle mass through weight training!
Use it or lose it!
As you age, if you do not use your muscles, you’ll lose them. The muscle tissue shrinks, resulting in lower metabolism and an inability to burn calories. Starting around age 25, you lose about 1 per cent of muscle every year, which results in a reduction of metabolism. So let’s do the maths.
Key Points from Part I
• Try to see the big picture. Having a balanced eating and exercise plan will help you become a fit, self-confident, full-of-life person.
• The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is a balance of lean proteins, low-GI and high-fibre carbohydrates, and essential fats.
• Eat three apples per day, one before each major meal.
• Apples are full of fibre—4 to 5 grams each—and fibre has been shown to be effective in weight loss.
• Being overfat, not just overweight, brings a higher risk of obesity-related diseases.
• Avoid the scales for measuring your fitness progress. Use the tape measure instead.
• Genetics has only a small influence on becoming overfat. You have 70 per cent control.
• Muscle tissue burns more calories than does fat tissue.
• Weight training builds muscle tissue.
By the age of 35, you will have lost approximately 5 pounds of muscle. For each pound of muscle lost, you lose the ability to burn 40 to 60 calories per day. So 5 pounds of muscle times 40 to 60 calories per day equals 200 to 300 calories less that your body is able to burn per day. By the age of 50, you may have lost 25 pounds of muscle, reducing your calorie-burning ability by 1,000 calories. You may begin to notice that you eat less, but you are getting fatter. Although this may be somewhat exaggerated, I think you get the point.
But