BMI versus Percent of Body Fat - Who Wins, And How To Improve It |
This BMI thing is throwing more and more people into a panic attack than ever. Since the "new" formula came out last year, I guess now we're REALLY, REALLY overly fat as a nation. BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculator Buy low-fat this, non-fat that. Get the latest fitness and nutrition products from the infomercials. Get started on an exercise program. Go to a health club. And so on. People who normally thought themselves in fairly good shape (and most likely are) are now finding themselves a walking time-bomb for a heart attack. "Gee, I didn't think I was fat!" And you're most likely right. The people who suffer the most are the ones who are in great condition. They have more muscle, lower body fat, excellent aerobic capacity... but they weigh just a little too much for this BMI assessment to be happy with. The BMI has its heart in the right place. But there's a TREMENDOUSLY HUGE piece missing. WHAT IS BMI, ANYWAY? BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It's a relationship between your height and weight. If you score above 28 (women) or 27 (men), you're overweight and your risk of heart disease is increased. I call it the Bogus Measurement Indicator. Because that is what it is. Here's why. You keep exercising, watching what you eat, living a healthy lifestyle, and you get results; more muscle, lower body fat, excellent aerobic capacity (sound familiar?). Your body weight may stay the same, or even go up (especially in men). Muscle weighs more than fat, so now that you have more muscle and lower body fat, you're going to look like you lost 25 pounds. But you didn't lose 25 pounds. And therein lies the problem of the Bogus Measurement Indicator. I'll give you a prime example: me. I'm a short person at 5' 7" (my wife says 5' 6") and I weigh 210 pounds, but my body fat is 13% - which is considered in the athletic range for body fat. Now according to the Bogus Measurement Indicator, my rating is a whopping 46. Right. I don't think so. THE MISSING PIECE - % BODY FAT. The winner is: % Body Fat! But then you probably deduced that by now. Body fat guidelines are: Men - between 12-18% What you need to be more concerned about is how much weight you're carrying in FAT. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat - and besides, IT LOOKS A HELL OF A LOT BETTER, doesn't it? Get hung up with the BMI, then your concern is with just losing weight. Which could lead to crash dieting, poor eating habits, no strength training, then low-self esteem and discouragement. Get hung up with losing body fat, your concern focuses on developing muscle, increasing aerobic capacity, melting off ugly fat, looking leaner, eating healthier, feeling like a million bucks, etc. Which one do you want to focus on? The answer is obvious. DECREASING BODY FAT. The best way to melt and keep fat off in the long run is... strength training. Depending on your goals and your level of commitment, 3-6 days of strength training per week. Start your workouts with your largest muscle groups first (back, chest, and legs) then finish with the rest (shoulders, calves, biceps, and triceps). Supplement your strength workouts with aerobics, 15-30 minutes a workout, 3-6 times a week. Make sure you're challenging yourself! AND you must compliment it with fat-burning nutrition. And that means BALANCE. The Big 3. Spreading your calories out during the day among 4-6 mini-meals. Drinking your 8-10 glasses of h5O every day. Taking your nutritional supplements faithfully. EVERY DAY, stick with the program. You CAN do it! You've seen out-of-shape develop nice-looking bodies, WHY NOT YOU? Isn't it funny how some of us believe others can achieve this success, but not our own selves? By Garrett J. Braunreiter, BA, CSCS, The Energy Coach |
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