The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle; regular exericse and better eating habits
Did you check your BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a scale to make a quick estimate which weight category you fall into; underweight, normal, overweight or obese. While it tells you whether you are overweight or obese, BMI is not an accurate predictor of how healthy your body really is.
What can you do if you find yourself on the overweight or obese part of the scale? Do not worry! Stress can only exacerbate weight gain.
What are the factors you should consider?
A BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 falls within a healthy weight range.
A BMI of 25 to 29.9 falls within the overweight range.
A BMI of 30 or higher falls within the obesity range.
People can be overweight for many reasons such as having extra water content, bone, muscle or too much fat.
People who are categorized as obese with an excess amount of fat are at risk for many health problems.
There are three classes of obesity:
Class 1: BMI of 30 to less than 35.
Class 2: BMI of 35 to less than 40.
Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. This Class is considered as severe obesity.
What can you do to minimize your risk of health complications?
Create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Engage in a physical activity daily. 30 minutes or more of regular exercise is known to have many health benefits.
Learn about new and healthy foods and how you can incorporate them in your daily diet.
Control your portion sizes.
Cut out sugary and processed foods from your diet.
Avoid eating foods high in saturated fats and fried foods.
Eat healthy snacks.
It takes time to develop new behavior and practices so do not be disheartened. You do not have to give up all of your favorite foods in order to lose weight! Track your calorie intake and eat smaller portions of the things you love. Watching your diet along with a regular exercise program will help you on your journey to becoming healthy. Dropping your weight slow and steady is the best way to maintain it long term.
Why should you be active?
Being physically active can include taking a walk in the park, joining a yoga or fitness class, or lifting weights in a gym. Find what feels good for you.
Maintaining a physically active lifestyle can reduce your risk of stroke, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and improve Polycystic Ovary Syndrome symptoms. It has many health benefits which include:
controlling hypertension; physical activity is shown to lower blood pressure
lowers stress
maintains healthy bones, muscles and joints
improves heart function
uplifts your mood and allows better sleep