Using Numbers to Measure Your Health

Special Report

Plus Bonus – The Truth about Exercising Copyright ©Rosie Bank 2015

*Indicates see reference at end of this Special Report

ccording to the Center for Disease Control obesity is epidemic, serious and costly. More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. You probably are already aware of this crisis. Who doesn’t

know someone who is a part of this tragic national statistic?

There are numerous strategies for approaching this health/disease crisis and to eliminate your risk for the diseases associated with obesity. Let’s look at how to use numbers to measure your health, ascertain and reduce your risk, and to make choices based on your own stats.

We all know about weighing

ourselves. However, the number

on the scale is not conclusive in

terms of measuring your health

and determining your risk of or

protection against disease.

Intuitively you know what your

ideal weight is. You know when

you tip the scales and you know

you’re your “skinny jeans” fit you

comfortably. However, there are

more considerations in terms of identifying optimal health. Plus, just the

A

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number that is your weight is misleading. A 5’ 6” person who is heavy boned

and somewhat stocky will weigh more than someone of the same height who

has light bones and less mass. However, the heavier person may not necessarily

be at greater risk or less healthy just because her or his weight is higher.

***

Beyond weight, there are three other measurements that are very useful for

determining your health insurance and disease risk.

1. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's

weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for

most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to

health problems. BMI essentially measures the amount of fat in a

person’s body relative to the rest of the entire body. In our culture that

idolizes thinness, it is interesting to note that being “normal” is healthier

than being too thin.

You can see by this chart where you fall. As a reference point, being

overweight or obese increases your chances for all chronic, degenerative,

lifestyle induced diseases. These are cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes and

all associated conditions. See below for some recommendations to

improve your numbers and increase your chances to stay healthy.

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As a quick reference, BMI below 18.5 is underweight. BMI 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal weight. BMI 25 – 29.9 is considered to be overweight. Over and above 30.0 is considered to be an obese BMI.

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2. Your waist circumference is the next thing to measure. The reason why

this is such an important number is because central obesity is a critical

clinical warning sign for the diseases mentioned above. Belly fat in excess

tends to increase a variety of cancers because it can penetrate the viscera,

or internal organs, and release a variety of cancer “messengers”. This kind

of fat, also called killer fat, can create hormonal dysregulation, throwing

off hunger and satiety signals from

our body. This means that your

body’s natural and normal

mechanisms for recognizing when

to start eating, when to stop, and

when you are full are off-kilter. This

is one reason why deprivation

dieting is devastating to your body

when it’s trying to regulate itself. It

makes matters worse for anyone

who wants to feel normal and confident around food and quantity. Excess

belly fat is also part of a complex called Metabolic Syndrome*, which is a

clinical pre-condition for diabetes. Can you see why this would be an

important area to target to improve your health and reduce your risk for

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disease? Measure your waist. The goal for men is 40” or less. For women,

35” or less is the goal. It is very interesting to note that finding your pants

to be loser around your waist is potentially more reliable as a pro-health

indicator than what the scale reads.

3. Get out the tape measurer for your waist/hip ratio. For men 90% is ideal.

Women 85% is the magic number. This number also is useful to determine

your health to disease risk ratio. The goal is to achieve the recommended

proportions. If your numbers are higher than the aforementioned, you

can target the se ideal numbers when making lifestyle adjustments, which

will be discussed below. Can you see how clearly this can guide you

towards making great strides in your health?

***

Where to start, and what to do?

The following action items will get you on track with your weight, your health,

and these critical measurements. What this means to you is feeling and looking

so much better, you might not recognize yourself. That might be a good thing!

Plus the peace of mind that comes with having nailed your health… you can’t

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even put a price tag on that. My clients report a feeling of relief that they never

imagined possible before getting their bodies to support them in life and at

work.

1. Download a BMI AP* on your smart phone. Or use the charts on line or in

this article to determine your BMI. If you are in the normal range,

continue with your activity level,

food choices, and lifestyle. If your

numbers are off, you have your

work cut out for you. Get your tape

measure out to determine your

waistline and your hip to waist

ratio. Use these numbers to know

where you stand and what you need to focus on. Try not to be

discouraged with what you discover. Knowledge is power, especially

when you use it to propel you to take action.

2. Pay attention to portion control. If you tend to take in too much quantity

(you feel stuffed and uncomfortable after you eat) reducing the amount

of food you eat per meal will make a huge

difference. This is not a diet. It’s being more

conscious and adopting a pro-health strategy

that you can live with for an indefinite amount

of time. Also identify the quality of food and

avoid a diet loaded with simple carbs and junk.

Fruits and veggies rule. Pretend you are a

health nut when you make your food

selections. If you have any tendencies toward

binge eating, get some help. Binge eating disorders are extremely

common, can wreak havoc to your life, and can be addressed working

with a professional.

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3. Avoid fad diets and go for lifestyle modifications. Never ever try to starve

yourself or use gimmicky approaches to trick your body into getting

healthier. Everything about crash diets is wrong, including your body

knowing to hold on to every calorie you feed yourself while in deprivation

mode. Astonish yourself with being normal around food, and make taking

care of yourself a regular practice. Remind yourself that you are worth it

every single day.

4. Consider working with a health coach*. He or she can guide you to

creating a plan given your lifestyle, goals, concerns, and food preferences.

Getting healthy is not always one-size-fits-all. A customized approach

works wonders. Also, a trained professional can make the process so

much easier, predictable, and enjoyable.

Bonus section: The Truth about Exercising

Although moving your body every day is among the

smartest things you can do to stay healthy, be aware

that you can’t exercise enough to make up for an over-

indulgence of food. Since 75% of the calories you burn

happen when your body is at rest, there is no

reasonable amount of exercise to compensate for

overeating. The trick is to get your furnace

(metabolism) to burn at a steady rate throughout the

day. This is called the resting basal metabolic rate. It

will vary depending on how efficiently your body uses

its fuel and energy storages, and how much fat is on

your body. The point is to raise your basal metabolic rate in order to keep your

body in an efficient calorie burning state. You will always burn more calories

percentage wise while at rest then you will through physical exercise. But

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ironically, exercise will improve your resting metabolism, thus giving you more

energy throughout the day. This means that the more regular exercise you get,

the more your body will stoke its own furnace (burn calories) when you are

doing sedentary things. Talk about a great deal. This is for me an example of

how incredibly wise our bodies truly are. Personally, I adore this “feature” of our

bodies.

Here is a critical take-away from this Special Report. The reason why almost

everybody feels much better when they exercise is because of what happens

when your body goes into burning energy (the furnace I referred to) versus

storing fat. It’s a stone cold fact that the more you move the more you will want

to move. It feels infinitely better than being sedentary, or lethargic in your body.

Not everyone gives himself or herself the chance to experience the contrast, but

when they do, the difference is unmistakable. So, even if you don’t love to

exercise, a trick that works like a charm is to learn to love how you feel when

you move. Go for that feeling, and you will get past the barricades you may have

created between you and shakin’ your booty every day.

Ideally, your approach to movement

and exercise will include a

combination of some strengthening,

some flexibility, and some

cardiovascular work. By building

muscle, your “chassis” feels more

supportive during the day, which can

give you huge amounts of

confidence. Increasing your

flexibility helps with posture and a sense of feeling much more comfortable and

relaxed throughout the day. As a yoga teacher and practitioner for many

decades, I can testify to the fact that being flexible in your body helps you feel

more open to life, ideas, and people in general. Getting your heart a good

workout provides protection against every disease and can even prolong your

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life. That’s another place where your get a return on the energy you expend.

Throw in all of those feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters* and you have

a slam-dunk as a good deal for living more happily, confidently, and

enthusiastically in your body.

***

Please put some of these ideas into practice. I would be thrilled to hear what

you learned, what you loved, and what made a difference for you.

From the bottom of my healthy heart to yours, I wish you astonishingly radiant

and vibrant health, and just the right numbers to tip the scale in your favor.

With love and encouragement,

Rosie

Rosie Bank

Certified Holistic Health Coach

Author, Feel Great Lose Weight

www.rosiebank.com

www.rosiebank.usana.com

650-740-9500 voice/text

Ambassador for Institute for Integrative Nutrition

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*References

Metabolic Syndrome

BMI AP

Consider working with a health coach

neurotransmitters