If you’re serious about getting into shape, then you’re probably looking for the best way to lose weight. Maybe you’ve tried going on a diet – but then you find yourself binge eating all the healthy food once the diet is over, and then you’ve got to start all over again. Or, maybe you’ve tried doing some workout routines – but then you find yourself injured, or not inspired, and you start seeing little results that wear off quickly. Or, you try a combination of the two, but then you find yourself struggling with boredom.
What you need is an easy-to-follow strategy that’ll help you achieve your goals, quickly and with minimal effort. And that’s exactly what you’ll find here. We’ve laid out a foolproof plan that’ll help you lose weight – as much as you can, according to your Body Mass Index (BMI). Keep reading for more information on how BMI works, and how much weight you can realistically expect to lose.
BMI Basics
If you’re not familiar, BMI stands for “Body Mass Index,” and is a way of measuring whether or not you’re overweight. It’s actually a fairly simple formula:
- Your weight in pounds x 2 for men
- (Your weight x 1.8) + 4 for women
- Then, divide that total by your height in inches.
So, for example, if you’re 5’7” and weigh 160 pounds, your BMI would be 32 (160 x 2 for men, or 160 x 1.8 for women, plus 4 for women).
As you can see, if your BMI is above 25, you’re considered overweight. A very common misconception is that a high BMI always indicates you’re overweight – this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many health problems associated with being overweight, and a high BMI is just one of them. Another important fact to keep in mind is that there are different cut-offs for defining “overweight” based on your height:
- For those who are 5’6” or below, 160 pounds is considered overweight. For those who are 5’7” or above, 170 pounds is considered overweight.
- For males who are 5’8” or above, 180 pounds is considered overweight.
- For females who are 5’8” or above, 190 pounds is considered overweight.
In short, if you’re 5’6” or below, you’re underweight; if you’re 5’7” or above, you’re overweight. It’s important to recognize that there’s no such thing as a perfect weight, and that everyone’s body is different. What’s important is knowing your own body and how it functions. Only you can decide what healthy and happy weight means for you.
How Much Weight Can You Lose Based On Your BMI?
Once you know your body type and BMI, it’s easy to figure out how much weight you can lose. Consider the following example:
- If you’re 5’7” and weigh 165 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 10 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
- If you’re 5’8” and weigh 175 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 15 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
- If you’re 5’9” and weigh 180 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 18 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
- If you’re 6’0” and weigh 200 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 24 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
- If you’re 6’1” and weigh 205 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 28 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
- If you’re 6’2” and weigh 210 pounds, you’re within a healthy BMI range. You can therefore expect to lose about 32 pounds before you start noticing effects from the exercise.
As you can see, based on your BMI, you’re able to lose anywhere from 10 pounds to 32 pounds. Remember: this is just an estimate. You’ll have to do some research and find out how much weight you should realistically be losing, based on your body type.
Find Out How Much You Should Be Losing With These Tips!
Now that you know how much weight you can lose based on your BMI, it’s time to find out how much you should be losing. Use these tips to find out how much weight you should be losing, and how much exercise you should be doing to get there: