I know, I know, I know. Another number. Like you don’t already have enough to keep up with, with all this weighing in and counting points and calories and nachos. But trust me, you want to know what your Body Mass Index is. It will open your eyes.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. It’s a number used primarily to determine your health risks for things like heart disease and diabetes. Huh? Being overweight is more than just tight jeans? Yes m’am, it is. When you’re not a healthy weight, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease. If you’re anything like me, you honestly don’t think about that kind of stuff. I mean, I’m 33 years old and I have 2 kids and other than being overweight, I feel pretty healthy. But I’m not.
Being overweight, which translates to a higher BMI, puts you at serious risk. According to the American Heart Association:
People with BMIs of 25 or higher are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors.
Excess weight increases the heart’s work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can make diabetes more likely to develop, too. Losing as few as 10 pounds can lower your heart disease risk.
While your BMI is a good indicator of your body fat and risk for heart disease, it does have some limits. If you are older and have lost muscle mass, or if you have a very muscular build, the number might be a little skewed. There are other ways to assess your risk. Click here to learn more.
My current BMI (taking into account breastfeeding) is 27.2. If I wasn’t breastfeeding, it would be 27.4, so not much a difference. I am considered Moderate Risk, Overweight. When I first started this weight loss journey 3 years ago, I was at a 33.3 – Obese. That number really woke me up. It scared the hell out of me and I was embarrassed to be considered obese. I mean who wants that label right? It also made me realize that it doesn’t take as much as you think to be considered obese. As I lost and kept track of my falling numbers on the scale, I also regularly checked my BMI. I did the happy dance the day my BMI fell into the Normal range. It felt like a true victory to me.
Here is a rundown of the numbers:
Underweight: Below 18.5 Normal: 18.5 – 24.9 Overweight: 25 – 29.9
Obese: 30.0 and Above