The Starting Line

I have to admit that I've completed a small amount of research before beginning this project.  With any fitness program, I'd assume, it's a good idea to know your starting point.  Let's face it, a major reason for blogging about my weight loss journey is so that I can monitor my progress.  So, I turned to a BMI (body mass indicator) to find where I am now, health-wise.

I highly recommend WebMD's BMI Calculator Plus.  Just like the site claims, it's a "health and weight calculator that gives personal results on six different weight and fitness measurements." Since I'm getting started, this calculator helped me understand my body's needs.  As I continue this journey, I'll turn to it again as my body changes to, hopefully, track my personal success!  You simply plug in factors like your age, weight, height, gender, and pants size, and it does all the math for you.  If you're like me, someone else doing the math for you is always the best idea.  WebMD's BMI Calculator also provides calorie and exercise suggestions for the amount of weight you'd like to lose (or gain) each week.

Here are my results:

My Body Mass Index (BMI) is: 28

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy for adults. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 and above is considered obese. A 28 is pretty depressing at first.  Then, I remember that my BMI was over 30 just months ago.  Still, I have some work to do.

My Waist-to-Height Ratio is: 0.49 --- My Body Shape Indicates: Healthy

A waist-to-height ratio under .50 is generally considered healthy. This ratio may give a more accurate assessment of health for people who are muscular or for women who have a "pear" rather then an "apple" body shape.  Apparently, while I'm not crazy about my shape, it's a good one.

My Healthy Weight Range Is: Between 122 & 164 pounds for your height of 5' 8.

122?  I think I'd look like I was about to die (or at least break in half) if I lost 60 pounds.  Then again, I've heard that because most Americans are either overweight or obese, "healthy" people often look too thin to the average person.

 

My Resting Metabolic Rate is: 2,456

Your body needs energy to function, and your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns simply by living. Regular exercise increases your RMR.  I'll definitely be getting plenty of that.

 

According to WebMD, my Daily Target Caloric Intake to lose two pounds each week is: 1,456 calories.

However, I won't be shooting for that number.  I'll actually be shooting even lower.  More on my daily calorie count later though...

After figuring all this out, WebMD recommends that I achieve a heart rate between 97 and 145 beats in 1 minute when exercising to achieve weight loss.  It also recommends a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity such as jogging or running three days a week (which I'll do) and to incorporate strength training into your routine (which I'll think about).

So, to recap, here's my starting point...

Personal Summary

• Gender: Male
• Height: 5' 8"
• Age: 27
• Current Weight: 184
• Current Pant Size: 33
• Weight Goal: Lose 2 pounds per week
• BMI: 28
• Waist to Height Ratio: 0.49
• Healthy Body Weight Range: 122 and 164
• Target Heart Rate: 97 to 145
• Target Caloric Intake to Meet Weight Goal: 1456

You know what they say about knowing being half the battle?  Let's hope that it's true.  If so, I'm almost half-done...