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Why I Think BMI is B.S.

June 22, 2010 in Health by admin | No comments

bmi-comparison

Who knows what BMI is? Show of hands?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the number doctors and other health professionals use to classify people into health categories. BMI is also a height/weight ratio, which means it doesn’t mean jack in terms of health.

To figure out your BMI, you divide your weight in kg by the square of your height in meters. Or you can just click here and let a website do it for you.

The number you get lumps you into a classification:

BMI Categories:

* Underweight = <18.5
* Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
* Overweight = 25-29.9
* Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Here’s the problem with BMI: say you have a male bodybuilder that is 5′6 and weighs 200 pounds. He works out every day, has no health issues, crazy muscle mass and almost not body fat. Then you have another man- a sedentary couch potato who is also 5′6″ and 200 pounds, but has almost no muscle, excess body fat and type II diabetes. Since both of these men are the same height and weight, they would be lumped into the exact same health category, based on their BMI.

Something’s wrong here.

So when people try to tell me that being overweight is unhealthy, the first thing I say is “what is your definition of overweight?” and the second thing I say is “according to who?” If they use a BMI overweight classification to back it up, that doesn’t take the quality of your body mass into account, I’m not convinced. The majority of experts aren’t convinced either.

A growing number of professionals believe that a person’s genes and lifestyle dictate their health- not their dress size.

As with anything, extremes are never good.  Someone with a BMI of 35 is going to be obese and unhealthy about 99% of the time.  On the flip side, someone with a BMI of 10 is dangerously underweight, and is also 99% likely to be unhealthy.

The inbetween is where it gets cloudy, and where these calssifications are false.  Someone who is 20 pounds overweight (by doctor’s standards) is going to have a higher BMI than someone who is at the ideal weight for their height, but does that mean they are more healthy than the first person?  Maybe.  What if the ‘overweight’ person competes in triathlons and eats a clean diet, while the ‘healthy’ weighted person has never broken a sweat in their life and gets their 3 squares from a drive thru?

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer and editor of the fitness website, PhysiqueSpeak.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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Everyone, Yes, Everyone, Needs to Exercise

April 6, 2010 in Fitness by admin | 1 comment

exercise

Most people don’t think about exercising consistently until they need to lose weight.  (Ever think that perhaps you got to the point where you needed to lose weight was because you didn’t exercise?  Just sayin’.)  That’s when they call up a gym, or a personal trainer and vow to diet and exercise like until they drop the weight and then can quit.

It doesn’t work that way.

Exercise isn’t only for those who need to lose weight, and it definitely isn’t something you do for a while until you hit your goal and then stop.  Exercise isn’t about weight- losing and maintaining your weight is a side effect- it’s about taking care of your body and improving your health.

Exercise isn’t a quick way to scorth the calories from Twinkies past, it’s a way to keep your body running in top condition.  It’s training for a disease free life.

Everyone needs to exercise.  Fat, thin, sick, healthy, injured, athlete, young and old- everyone needs to exercise consistently.   Try and think of someone that doesn’t need to exercise.  Go ahead, toss ‘em at me.

Skinny!  Thin does not equal health, and lack of muscle strength will lead loss of bone density and decreased performance in everyday tasks.  Next.

The Already Fit!  In order to maintain that fitness, you must continue to exercise.  Cardiovascular function will decrease and that awesome six pack will fade.  Next.

The Woman That Just Hit Her Weight Loss Goal!  Congrats!  But to maintain that weight loss you need to consistently hit the gym and continue to eat a healthy diet.

Plus, I’m pretty sure none of the people above want to get cancer, osteoperosis or have a stroke. 

We sit, A LOT, today, and hitting the gym is like making up for all those hours we spend motionless in front of computers and TVs.  If you don’t counteract it, everyone, you will shrivel up and break down.  No exaggerating. 

Get moving.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA.  Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com.  To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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That Beer Belly Ain’t So Cute

April 1, 2010 in Health by Dave | No comments

daly

The weight loss industry is geared towards women, with all their diets, gadgets and products, because they know women face the most social pressure about their weight, but men’s bodies face relatively little scrutiny. In reality, women are more likely to make healthy nutrition and exercise a part of their daily lives than men, and in terms of health, more men are walking around with dangerous fat deposits that many laugh off as just a big ol’ beer belly.

Men and women carry fat differently; while women tend to gain weight in their hips, giving them those lovely pear-shaped curves they are always trying to get rid of, men gain weight around their abdomen. Abdominal fat deposits, or visceral fat, is the most dangerous of the two, and a huge indicator of one’s risk of heart disease.

This is not to say that women cannot have dangerous abdominal fat, as a diet high in saturated fat and a sedentary lifestyle will cause anyone to gain visceral fat.

What’s the big deal? Those with excess abdominal fat are at a higher risk of heart disease, dyslipidemia (high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol) high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.
Because of this, over all body fat is not the only thing to worry about. Waist to hip ratio, and waist circumference is also a priority because the bigger the difference in hip to waist circumference, the higher the risk.
Waist circumference is easy to measure and according to The National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, a healthy waist circumference in men is around 102 cm (40 in) or less, and for women 88 cm (35 in) or less.

The good news is visceral fat is more metabolically active, which means it responds better to diet and exercise than other body fat. You can lower your waist circumference, and thus, your risk of an early death, but eating lots of whole grains, which have been proven to shrink belly fat in patients faster than a regulated diet with processed grains, and get in plenty of exercise to get your belly fat burning into high gear.

Men need to pay attention to their bodies, too. Women may face more social pressures to look a certain way, but how you look can be a big red flag for what’s going on inside of your body- even for men.

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Hate Counting Calories?

March 17, 2010 in Health, Nutrition by Dave | No comments

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Image via: http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Counting calories is great for people who have absolutely no idea how much they are eating in a meal or for the whole day.

Consider this: a scone at Starbucks contains around 500 calories. The average person needs to consume around 1,800-2,000 calories per day. With that one snack, it’s not even a meal, you have consumed about a quarter of your calorie allotment for the day. The worst part? You haven’t received any nutrients. You got sugar, saturated fat and refined carbs, none of which are good for your health or your waistline.

The goal is to get to a point where you don’t need to count calories. No one should have to count calories the rest of their life. For some, it is a necessary process to teach yourself how your body reacts to food, and what proper portion sizes and meals look and feel like.

The ultimate goal is to get to a point where you are concerned about the quality of your food, not the quantity.

A calorie is not a calorie. Some calories are not equal to others, when you consider their source. A calorie from a carrot is not equal to a calorie from a cookie.

Calories are an important part of the weight loss and maintenance equation. First thing is first, you can’t over eat. But once the amount of calories is under control, the quality of those calories is what’s really important. That calorie will build your health: it provides nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water to sustain and nourish your body, helping it, and your metabolism run efficiently. That cookie? It’s going to break you down, offering nothing to your health: just empty calories that pack on the pounds and drain your energy.

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Eat Clean and Workout Dirty

February 19, 2010 in Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition by Dave | No comments

Eat clean and work out dirty.

Say it again.

Eat clean and work out dirty.

The secret to success.

Eat clean:  No junk.  No extras.  Think fresh, natural, unprocessed and in it’s natural state.  If you can’t pronounce an ingredient in it, it’s not clean.  If it comes wrapped in cellophane, sealed in a bag(most of the time) or a box  or is microwavable, your aren’t eating clean.  If you can pick it from a plant, from the ground, or if it was once attached to an animal, you are eating clean.  Eat like a caveman.  Cavemen didn’t eat sauces, add cheese or have a dinner roll before their meals.  They didn’t bread, dip, smother, drench or fry their food.  They didn’t eat sugar, bleached flour or trans fats.  They ate when they were hungry and stopped when they were full. Eat ingredients not things made from ingredients.

Workout dirty:  Get nasty.  Sweat.  Grunt.  Yell.  Swear. Let it all hang out. Success is cooked in a messy kitchen.   You aren’t supposed to look good working out- working out is supposed to make you look good.  If you don’t have pit stains, smell like crap, messed up hair and a beat red face that’s grimmacing more than smiling, you aren’t working out dirty.   Using the mirrors to check your appearance instead of your form, you aren’t working out dirty. Get on the floor, get off the floor, faster, jump up on benches, drop dumbbells from exhaustion, test yourself, see what you’re made of. Make a bet, push yourself and encourage others.  Don’t worry what people will think. Don’t be intimidated- You’re an animal act like one.

Eat clean and workout dirty.

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Snacks that Travel With You

January 22, 2010 in Nutrition by Dave | No comments

healthy_snacksPeople generally eat the most unhealthy foods when they are stuck in a bind or short on time.  You hit the drive thru to grab something quick on your way home of in the middle of a busy day, you grab a scone in the morning on the way to work instead of making a healthy breakfast at home, or you stock up on freezer meals that basically prepare themselves.

Stocking up on healthy snacks and stashing them in the places you need them most will keep you from consuming unnecessary calories and fat just because you don’t have anything else on hand.

In order for this to work, you have to have portable snacks that you can easily stash anywhere you need them: your car, your purse, your gym bag, brief case, etc.  Here are some delicious, low calorie, healthy and portable snack ideas you can take anywhere:

* Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins on top

* Low-fat cheese sticks or cubes

* Hard boiled eggs

* Trail mix- make your own with your favorite nuts and dried fruits

* Half a turkey or tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread

* Yogurt and granola

* Healthy fiber rich, whole grain cereal. Eat it right out of a baggie (Quaker Oatmeal Squares are great plain.)

* Dried fruit

* Any fresh fruit is already portable (apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, etc)

* Whole wheat crackers with low fat cheese

* Skim milk latte (order a “skinny” at Starbucks, they are made with fat free milk, sugar free syrup, 90 calories for a tall)

* Air popped popcorn- sprinkle with taco seasoning, cinnamon, or Parmesan cheese

* Fat free Graham crackers

* Baby carrots with hummus

* Peanuts

* Raw almonds

* Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread

* Leftover chicken or turkey slices (great cold.)

* Cottage cheese with sliced tomatoes- add pepper for more flavor

* Fruit smoothie in thermos

* Veggies with a packet of low fat dip

Yeah, you guessed it: you are going to have to put in a little prep work.  But just like anything worth doing, if you put in the effort, you’ll get the results.

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The Big Hairy Audacious Goal- what it means for you in 2010.

December 29, 2009 in Fitness, Motivation, Tips and Tricks by Dave | 1 comment

Who is this post for?
If you’re in decent shape. You’ve reached you initial goals that got you off your butt in the first place. You’ve been training for a while maybe even a long while. You’ve got a handle on your eating and while training isn’t exactly easy you’d like a bit more motivation. Lets call it the “what’s next?” question.

It’s time to set your Big Hairy Audacious Goal(BHAG). I stole the BHAG from business management but it works for individuals too. The BHAG is something far from easy but reachable with much effort. You’ll use what you have now and build upon this foundation to get to the BHAG.
Examples of BHAG’s-

1.Triathlons: any distance is a challenge. Combine Swimming, Cycling, and Running and you’ve got a goal you can believe in. Type A+ personalities do this at your own risk of addiction.

2. Road Races: 5ks- Marathon’s(Cowtown Marathon is right here!) to Marathons in Europe(couple of clients did these in 2009 and loved! the travel and adventure).

3. Ultra-Marathons: got a marathon under your belt? Go longer like 50k or 50 miles to start. The El-Scorcho 25k and 50k is right here in Fort Worth during the summer. I do this one myself. And I get nausea just thinking about it! Good Times!

4.Trekking, Mountain Climbing- You can put these trips together yourself or go to a trusted provider like Backwoods Adventures(Fort Worth) and hike Yellowstone National Park or Utah parks or Trek on one of 4 different Continents.

5. Adventure Vacations: where you have to show it off like Hawaii. Or a Vacation where you have to use it or lose it like Scuba Diving, Skiing, or Snow Boarding

7. Adventure Racing, Mud Runs, Urban Races: all different terrains and all require you to adapt to ever changing environments and challenges.

Two big factors actors make the BHAG so effective to reaching the next level.

First you have to tell others about the event or trip. These type of events can’t be done in private. This is the accountability factor. In a good way. “I’ve already told everyone” will get you out of bed many many mornings.

And the second big factor is the deadline element.It’s the forcing mechanism behind the goal.You’ve made the investment in registration, travel and hotels.
You cannot move the date of the trip or the start of the race back. It’s your deadline. You will surprise yourself at what adjustments you’ll make to be ready on time.

Chose your BHAG. Set the dates. Make the reservations. And tell your friends.

BTW you will never “be” ready. And there never is a “right time”.
So
just
do
it
NOW.

Hope this helps some of my veterans and those coming in that need that extra motivation. 2010 is your year baby. Let’s make it a good one!

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

P.s. I know you’re thinking “What about the cost?” A very smart friend of mine says “Collect Experiences Not Things”. With this philosophy he lives a life most people only dream about. Because he got it right. This is an investment in you. To see how good you can really be. I think you’ll surprise yourself.

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