If you are overweight, losing weight can help you feel better, look better and be healthier. Dietician Karen Miller-Kovach says losing 10 percent of your current body weight can help prevent diabetes. G. Ken Goodrick, associate professor of medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, says losing 10 percent of your current body weight can reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol, two risk factors for heart disease. Setting an attainable interim goal on your way to your ideal weight can make the process of losing weight less overwhelming. You can calculate your weight loss goal using a few simple calculations.
Step 1
Determine a weight loss goal of 10 percent of your current body weight by multiplying your current weight by .10. The resulting number is a weight loss goal for health improvement or can be a beginning goal. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs., 200 x .10 = 20, and you would need to lose 20 lbs.
Step 2
Calculate your weight loss goal of 10 percent of your current body weight by multiplying your current weight by .90. The resulting number is the weight you should attain to reach your goal; for some people it is easier to focus on attaining a specific weight rather than losing a certain amount. These are just two ways of looking at the same thing.
Step 3
Determine your ideal weight based on 100 lbs. for five feet of height and an additional increment above or below that amount based on your height and frame size. Determine your frame size: slender, average or large. Determine how many inches over 5 feet tall you are. Multiply the number of inches over 5 feet tall you are by the following amount: 5 if you have a slender frame, 6 if you have an average frame or 7 if you have a large frame. Add the resulting number to 100 to determine your ideal weight. If you are 5 feet 6 inches with a slender frame, for example, your ideal weight is 130 [(5 x 6) + 100] and your weight loss goal is the difference between your current weight and 130 lbs. If you are 6 feet 2 inches and have a large frame, your ideal weight is 198 lbs. [(7 x 14) + 100] and your weight loss goal is the difference between your current weight and your ideal weight.
If you are less than 5 feet tall, multiply the number of inches shorter than 5 feet tall you are by the number above based on your frame size. Subtract the resulting figure from 100 to determine your ideal weight.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are muscular, a healthy weight for you may be slightly heavier because of the density of your muscle tissue.
- These figures are for adults. Talk to your child's pediatrician before making any changes in his diet. A safe rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week.
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