Jun 25th, 2012

Category: Generally Wicked

Your Magic Number

What should you weigh? It’s a general question that requires a very specific answer. We all are shaped differently. We all have different bone structure yet society tells us with the lovely GENERIC charts what our ideal weight is. So what do you do when you are trying to figure out what you should weigh?

According to Jillian Michaels, my all time favorite work out guru you should do the following:

First, ignore the BMI calculators. BMI figures determine the amount of fat you have on your body according to your weight and height but It fails to distinguish between fat and muscle, so the BMI will ultimately give you an incomplete sense of the shape you’re in. How does the BMI god know if you are 5 ‘ 5” and weight 150 because you are big boned and don’t have an ounce of fat on your body or if you are 5’ 5” and weigh 150 because you have a beer gut? It doesn’t. So the best advice, IGNORE it.

Next, you figure out what YOU should look like. But Queenie, how do I do that, you ask? It’s easy breezy.

• Step 1 – grab one of those lovely cloth tape measures. Don’t look at it like it’s your biggest enemy. It is going to HELP you.

 

• Step 2 – Wrap that sucker around your waist, right smack at your belly button line. Don’t yank it tight but don’t let it drape off of you either. You want it firmly there without you having to hold it up. Take note of that number. That is your waist number.

 

 

• Step 3 – Now, place your feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart. Find the widest part of your hips. Wrap that tape measure around that part of you. Don’t cringe. It’s not THAT bad. Now, write down that number. That is your hip measurement.

 

 

• Final step – Divide your hip by your waist measurement. This gives you your waist to hip ratio.

 

 

For women this number should be .80. For men, it should be .95. This gives you a more accurate way to figure out what you should weigh.

This past week, I have re-evaluated and made some adjustments to my nutritional choices. I have made adjustments to my work out routines. I also looked at my BMI numbers.  The important thing to think of as you examine your goals and your numbers is that each person is different. Several factors play into the equation of “ideal”. Don’t listen to magazine ads or media trends. Listen to your own bod. Period.

___________________________________________

Don’t forget to join us this week over at Blog Talk Radio. We will be joined by Shiree Cano. We will be dishing about clean eating and sharing tips on ways you can do that easier.