“Prescription for Life” will make you aware of how important weight is in keeping your body machine functioning at optimum efficiency. One of the most significant things you can ever do for yourself is to maintain an ideal weight. Are you at your ideal weight? Do you even know what your ideal weight is? Are you in the small elite group of 12 percent of Americans who are at their ideal weight?
There are many ways to figure what someone your particular age, or height, or body build should weigh, but when you get down to it, you will decide, and I won’t argue with you. There are average body weight tables you can find that give some idea, but you have to realize that the so-called average weight is probably too high for what you want to shoot for because so many Americans are overweight to begin with.
The most accurate formula that gives you a specific ideal weight to reach is strict, but gives the best idea of what to aim for when losing and maintaining your weight.
For men, use 105 pounds as a baseline for the first five feet of your height, then add 5 pounds to that baseline for every inch over five feet.
For women, use 95 pounds as a baseline for the first five feet of your height, then add 4 pounds to that baseline for every inch over five feet.
Again, this gives you an approximate ideal weight, but you will have to fine-tune it for your body build.
The most important aspect of the “Prescription for Life” strategy for eating is that your basic diet should be the same whether you are considering losing weight or maintaining your ideal weight — avoid saturated fat, trans fat, and dietary cholesterol, and emphasize high fiber cereals, fruit, whole grains, vegetables, salads, peas, legumes, beans, nuts, pasta, fish, and chicken. In addition, you should pursue a personal exercise program 5-6 days a week.
You can make adjustments to your eating when you know your ideal weight and have basic platform meals set in your mind. You change to smaller portions when you are losing weight, or you may eat some between meal snacks after you are at your ideal weight.
Nothing good ever comes from being overweight. There is a direct correlation between being overweight and dying from heart disease, as well as the top three cancers among Americans. It is no shame to be overweight. The shame comes when you stay overweight. So, find your ideal weight and make your “Prescription for Life” plan to reach it today!
“Scale” photo courtesy of keattikorn at www.freedigitalphotos.net
