Losing Weight
What does being obese mean?
If your weight is substantially above what is healthy for a
person with your body composition, genetic background, and
overall health status (based on other risk factors you might
have), you may be considered obese. Being obese means you
are at increased risk for heart diseases, stroke, high blood
pressure, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and other disorders.
Your doctor can give you a good sense of whether or not your
weight puts you in the category of being obese. As a rule
of thumb, you might find the weight categories shown in the
following tables to be useful.
Ideal Weight for Women
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Height Small Medium Large
in Shoes Frame Frame Frame
--------------------------------------------------------
6' 138 to 151 lb 148 to 162 lb 158 to 179 lb
5'11' 135 to 148 lb 145 to 159 lb 155 to 176 lb
5'10' 132 to 145 lb 142 to 156 lb 152 to 173 lb
5'9' 129 to 142 lb 139 to 153 lb 149 to 170 lb
5'8' 126 to 139 lb 136 to 150 lb 146 to 167 lb
5'7' 123 to 136 lb 133 to 147 lb 143 to 163 lb
5'6' 120 to 133 lb 130 to 144 lb 140 to 159 lb
5'5' 117 to 130 lb 127 to 141 lb 137 to 155 lb
5'4' 114 to 127 lb 124 to 138 lb 134 to 151 lb
5'3' 111 to 124 lb 121 to 135 lb 131 to 147 lb
5'2' 108 to 121 lb 118 to 132 lb 128 to 143 lb
5'1' 106 to 118 lb 115 to 129 lb 125 to 140 lb
5' 104 to 115 lb 113 to 126 lb 122 to 137 lb
4'11' 103 to 113 lb 111 to 123 lb 120 to 134 lb
4'10' 102 to 111 lb 109 to 121 lb 118 to 131 lb
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From height and weight tables of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, 1983. The ideal weights given in these
tables are for ages 25 to 59. The weights assume you are
wearing shoes with 1-inch heels and indoor clothing
weighing 3 pounds.
Ideal Weight for Men
-----------------------------------------------
Height Small Medium Large
in Shoes Frame Frame Frame
--------------------------------------------------------
6'4' 162 to 176 lb 171 to 187 lb 181 to 207 lb
6'3' 158 to 172 lb 167 to 182 lb 176 to 202 lb
6'2' 155 to 168 lb 164 to 178 lb 172 to 197 lb
6'1' 152 to 164 lb 160 to 174 lb 168 to 192 lb
6' 149 to 160 lb 157 to 170 lb 164 to 188 lb
5'11' 146 to 157 lb 154 to 166 lb 161 to 184 lb
5'10' 144 to 154 lb 151 to 163 lb 158 to 180 lb
5'9' 142 to 151 lb 148 to 160 lb 155 to 176 lb
5'8' 140 to 148 lb 145 to 157 lb 152 to 172 lb
5'7' 138 to 145 lb 142 to 154 lb 149 to 168 lb
5'6' 136 to 142 lb 139 to 151 lb 146 to 164 lb
5'5' 134 to 140 lb 137 to 148 lb 144 to 160 lb
5'4' 132 to 138 lb 135 to 145 lb 142 to 156 lb
5'3' 130 to 136 lb 133 to 143 lb 140 to 153 lb
5'2' 128 to 134 lb 131 to 141 lb 138 to 150 lb
--------------------------------------------------------
From height and weight tables of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, 1983. The ideal weights given in these
tables are for ages 25 to 59. The weights assume you are
wearing shoes with 1-inch heels and indoor clothing
weighing 5 pounds.
Your frame size or body build is determined by the thickness
of the bones in your elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists. The
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company offers this method of
determining your body frame size: Extend your arm and bend
your forearm upward at a 90 degree angle. With your fingers
straight, turn the inside of your wrist toward your body.
Place your thumb and index finger of the other hand on the
two prominent bones of the elbow. Measure the space between
the fingers against a ruler or a tape measure. Compare your
measurement with the figures in the table below. Elbow
measurements less than those given indicate a small frame;
greater measurements indicate a large frame.
Height in Elbow Breadth for
1-inch Heels Medium Frame
--------------------------------------------
Women
4'10' to 5'3' 2 1/4' to 2 1/2'
5'4' to 6'0' 2 3/8' to 2 5/8'
Men
5'2' to 5'7' 2 1/2' to 2 7/8'
5'8' to 6'3' 2 3/4' to 3 1/8'
6'4' 2 7/8' to 3 1/4'
--------------------------------------------
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1983.
It is important to consider body composition. If you are
muscular and athletic, you may weigh more than a sedentary
person of the same height and frame size, yet you may be
trim, while your sedentary counterpart may be overweight.
If your weight comes from muscle, you may fall technically
into the overweight category yet not be fat. In general,
however, as you approach 20% or more above your desirable
weight, your excess weight usually comes from fat.
If you want to lose weight, you can begin with a safe,
healthy, well-balanced diet to lose weight. However, the
most effective weight management program is not a diet at
all, but a gradual change in your lifestyle, including your
eating and physical activity habits, which you can continue
for the rest of your life.
How do I lose weight?
To lose weight, focus on retraining your eating habits by
structuring how much you eat each day. The best source for
a safe, healthy, effective weight reduction program is a
registered dietitian or doctor. A plan for weight reduction
should provide adequate nutrition, a variety of foods, and a
reduction in calories.
An efficient way to lose weight is to improve the quality of
the foods you choose. For example, choose fresh vegetables
over carbohydrates and sweets. The best diet is one that
helps you lose weight slowly but steadily, so you can
maintain your ideal weight once you have reached your goal.
What are calories?
A calorie is a unit of measurement used to express the
energy value of food. Your body burns calories to use for
body functions and activities. Proteins, carbohydrates, and
fats contain calories and produce energy. To lose weight,
you should reduce the number of calories in your diet
without sacrificing nutrition. You should also use or burn
more calories through physical activity.
The average man needs 2500 to 3000 calories a day. The
average woman needs 1800 to 2300 calories a day. Most
weight reduction diets suggest 1500 to 1800 calories a day
for men and 1200 to 1500 calories a day for women. Eating
500 calories a day less than you need to maintain your
weight can result in a loss of 1 pound a week.
The rate at which you can lose weight depends on your body's
metabolism. This is the rate at which you use energy for
basic functions such as eating, sleeping, walking, etc. You
may increase your body's rate of metabolism by engaging in
physical activity on a regular basis. Weight loss may occur
more quickly at the beginning of a diet because the body
releases extra water that was retained.
What can I do to lose weight?
In general, follow these guidelines:
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