3-17-08

The Weight-ing Game

How do I lose weight?  This is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear in my office.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight and one-third of those are obese.  Overweight is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-29.9 and obesity is defined as having a BMI of > 30.0.  Our BMI is calculated by a formula using your height and weight.  You can easily calculate your BMI here, or search the internet for many of the various free BMI calculators.  

So why should I be concerned about being obese or overweight?  Glad you asked.  Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of many health problems or diseases, such as:

The answer to the question above is simple.  I did not say easy, but simple.  I like to think of our body as a bank, a calorie bank.  Anything we consume has a certain amount of calories associated with it.  For our “body bank”, calories = cash.  If we have fewer calories going into the body bank than coming out, we lose weight.  Just as any bank that has a lot of cash (meaning more cash is coming in than going out) is considered “fat”, so is any body bank that stores more calories than it uses.  This means we have to know how many calories are going in versus what is being used.  A simple way to lose weight is to count the calories of everything you eat for one week.  If you buy something at a store, the food label will tell you how many “calories per serving” there are.  Starting the second week, figure out how you can cut 500 calories per day out of your diet.  If you can do this, you will lose on average 1 lb per week.  If you exercise, you will likely lose even more.  The only way to keep that weight off is to count your calories, consume less than you use, and keep exercising.   Think of it as a game, a “weight-ing game”. You will have good days and bad days, but if you keep fighting you will eventually come out the victor. 

*It is important to consume a healthy amount of calories, typically between 1200-1400 for women and 1500-1800 for men.  Please consult your primary care doctor before starting a diet and exercise program to make sure it is safe for you.  Most of the information above can be found at the CDC website: www.cdc.gov