Friday, August 11, 2017

Cutting My BMI in Half

I'm on my way to cutting my body mass index (BMI) in half. I've chosen to blog about my weight loss experience in BMI rather than pounds or kilograms to allow readers to more easily compare my weight, and subsequent weight loss, to their own. To that end, I've created a table of weights (in pounds) for BMIs from 19 to 49 matching heights from 4' 8" to 6' 9". In the following table, most people can find their height in the first column, move to the right to find the column with their weight, and then look up to the first row to find their BMI. Give it a try, if you dare.

Body Mass Index:
19202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849
4' 8"85899498103107112116120125129134138143147152156161165169174178183187192196201205210214219
4' 9"889297102106111116120125129134139143148152157162166171176180185189194199203208213217222226
4' 10"9196100105110115120124129134139144148153158163167172177182187191196201206211215220225230234
4' 11"9499104109114119124129134139144149153158163168173178183188193198203208213218223228233238243
5' 0"97102108113118123128133138143148154159164169174179184189195200205210215220225230236241246251
5' 1"101106111116122127132138143148153159164169175180185191196201206212217222228233238243249254259
5' 2"104109115120126131137142148153159164169175180186191197202208213219224230235241246252257262268
5' 3"107113119124130135141147152158164169175181186192198203209215220226231237243248254260265271277
5' 4"111117122128134140146151157163169175181186192198204210216221227233239245251256262268274280285
5' 5"114120126132138144150156162168174180186192198204210216222228234240246252258264270276282288294
5' 6"118124130136143149155161167173180186192198204211217223229235242248254260266273279285291297304
5' 7"121128134140147153160166172179185192198204211217223230236243249255262268275281287294300306313
5' 8"125132138145151158164171178184191197204210217224230237243250256263270276283289296303309316322
5' 9"129135142149156163169176183190196203210217223230237244251257264271278284291298305311318325332
5' 10"132139146153160167174181188195202209216223230237244251258265272279286293300307314321328335342
5' 11"136143151158165172179186194201208215222229237244251258265272280287294301308315323330337344351
6' 0"140147155162170177184192199206214221229236243251258265273280288295302310317324332339347354361
6' 1"144152159167174182189197205212220227235243250258265273280288296303311318326334341349356364371
6' 2"148156164171179187195203210218226234241249257265273280288296304312319327335343350358366374382
6' 3"152160168176184192200208216224232240248256264272280288296304312320328336344352360368376384392
6' 4"156164173181189197205214222230238246255263271279288296304312320329337345353361370378386394403
6' 5"160169177186194202211219228236245253261270278287295304312320329337346354363371379388396405413
6' 6"164173182190199208216225234242251260268277286294303312320329337346355363372381389398407415424
6' 7"169178186195204213222231240249257266275284293302311320328337346355364373382391399408417426435
6' 8"173182191200209218228237246255264273282291300309319328337346355364373382391401410419428437446
6' 9"177187196205215224233243252261271280289299308317327336345355364373383392401411420429439448457
6' 10"182191201210220230239249258268277287296306316325335344354363373383392402411421430440449459469
6' 11"186196206216225235245255265274284294304314323333343353363372382392402412421431441451461470480

Now, to understand my level of obesity, find the weight (in pounds) that corresponds to your height and a BMI of 43. Yes, my BMI was, at the time of my medical crisis, almost 43. On December 5, 2016 I arrived in the emergency ward of my local hospital thinking my BMI was probably 36 or 37 (given what I thought I weighed). Sadly, I found out that my BMI was nearly 43. The doctor thought my BMI was 45 because the height listed on my driver's license isn't very accurate.

BMI categories:

18.5 to 25 - Normal

25 to 30 - Overweight

30 to 35 - Obese Class I

35 to 40 - Obese Class II

over 40 - Obese Class III

At the time of this writing, my BMI is under 33 - a reduction of about 10 points of BMI in 9 months. I am now in control of my eating, continuing to slowly slim down even more, and expect that within a year my BMI will be under 25. I'm not sure if I'll actually get down to 21.5 or not but I will get under 25 come hell or high water. My current goal is to be overweight by Christmas: BMI between 25 and 30. I'll be very happy to just be overweight and no longer obese.

And so I shall be blogging about my weight loss journey from BMI of almost 43 to BMI of under 25: perhaps cutting my BMI in half.

If you are in a hurry to know my diet then I'll describe it to you in this paragraph. I don't eat anything containing refined sugars, anything deep fried, any processed meats, any snack foods, or anything battered or breaded. I stick very close to the Canada Food Guide although I gravitate more towards veggies than fruits. I'm not a fundamentalist so I do sometimes break the rules but for the most part I do conform to the diet I have described.

If you want to know how I manage to stick with this diet, well then you'll just have to read through the coming posts to understand my journey.

6 comments:

  1. hah, I'm a 34, I'm winning! wait....

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    Replies
    1. I wish I had never gotten over 35. I knew I was more than just overweight but to find out I had reached Obesity Class III really sucked.

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  2. Hey Heather! It's Strega from TA! I spent the last three years droppping weight using low carb rules. Started at 310 (inspired by the difficulty of wiping own arse) and I'm currently 196. Had no idea about BMI

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    Replies
    1. Congrats! Do you find your energy feels higher now? I'm feeling amazing these days. Weight still falling slowly - been using a counter top steamer to cook at home lately.

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    2. I'd say it evened out my energy so I no longer have peaks and troughs. I didn't really have problems being fatter (other than the toilet stretches).

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    3. My ankles used to ache really bad after work so glad to not have that anymore. Since cutting added sugars out of my diet, my energy and alertness gotten a major boost.

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