As the weeks fly by – the end of lockdown is growing closer and closer (YAY we hear you all cry). But are you the weight you’d hoped you would be once lockdown has been lifted? If not, you still have time to lose 2 stone in 2 months on our TotalFast Plan – that’s around 5 BMI points. As each risk category accounts for 5 BMI points, this means that you could reduce your health risk by summer.
BMI Explained
Your body mass index (BMI) is a measurement of body fat that uses your height and your weight to work out if you are a healthy weight or not. This gives a picture of how overweight or obese a person is. A BMI greater than 30 is considered obese; 25-29.9 is considered overweight; 18.5-24.9 is normal; and less than 18.5 is underweight. Sounds like a perfect calculation, right? Well there are some exceptions to the rule!
If you weighed a group of healthy, active rugby players and then worked out their BMI, it would show that they are obese. Confused? Let us break this down for you…..
BMI does not measure the % of body fat, and the majority of elite rugby players have minimal body fat. What these rugby players do tend to have is above average muscle mass. As muscle has a higher density than fat, it takes up less space. This means that 5lb of muscle will occupy less physical space than 5lb of fat on a rugby player. However, for some players it is an excuse to carry around excess weight. We can’t all be elite players, but we can all be the best we can be.
Other Important Measurements: Waist Circumference
Along with BMI, knowing your waist circumference can be very helpful. We asked our medical director and GP, Dr Matt Capehorn to explain how to do it.
“One of the most effective ways to identify your risk of developing / having type 2 diabetes is to measure your waist circumference, and it’s only a 10 second test. You can find your waist by using your fingers to find the top of your hips and the base of your rib cage. Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out and then use a measuring tape to measure your circumference. If you’re a woman with a waist circumference of 80cm or a man with a waist circumference of 94cm and have a BMI above 25 then you’re at increased risk from developing type 2 diabetes. If you’re a woman with a waist circumference of 88cm or a man with a waist circumference of 102cm and have a BMI above 30 then you’re at significant risk from developing type 2 diabetes.”
How LighterLife works
Losing weight with LighterLife is a great choice to make. Why? Because our programme has been developed by experts with over 30 years of experience working with people with weight concerns. LighterLife is much more than just a diet or weight-loss programme. LighterLife helps people change their lives, because we know the real secret to life-changing weight loss is all in the mind. Thinking about what you put into your mouth isn’t enough. What matters is what goes on in your head.
So what are you waiting for? Make the change and join our TotalFast Plan today. Imagine being 2 stone lighter when lockdown is lifted – body and mind. Your time is now.
