Make losing 10 percent of your body weight a priority if you are overweight or obese. Rather than having a standard rule stating how many pounds you need to lose, because people have different ideal body weights, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Obesity Education Initiative recommends initially losing 10 percent of your body weight. Even if you are 100 lbs. overweight, losing this relatively small amount of weight will be beneficial to your health. Try to lose 10 percent of your weight in the next six months by eating a more healthy diet and exercising.
Step 1
Weigh yourself. Always weigh yourself first thing in the morning to get a consistent and accurate result.
Step 2
Subtract your current weight from your original weight. Example: original weight = 240 lbs., current weight = 200 lbs.; 240 - 200 = 40 lbs. lost.
Step 3
Calculate decimal weight lost. Divide your weight lost by your original weight to see your weight loss as a decimal. Round your answer to three decimal places. Example: 40 lbs. lost / 240 lbs. original weight = 0.167.
Step 4
Convert decimal to percent. Multiply your decimal weight loss by 100 to find your percentage of weight loss. Example: 0.167 x 100 = 16.7 percent weight loss.
Tips and Warnings
- Always show your work. It is easy to get lost or make mathematical errors when calculating your weight loss percent; writing everything down will help keep you on track or make it easier to find where you made a mistake.
- Weight cycling, repeatedly gaining and losing weight, is not effective for improving your health, according to Carol Porth in "Essentials of Pathophysiology." This is why NHLBI recommends losing weight for six months and then practicing weight maintenance to avoid gaining it back.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
References
- National Institutes of Health: Aim for a Healthy Weight
- "Essentials of Pathophysiology"; Carol Mattson Porth; 2007
Member Comments