Joe and Jane Average Don’t Exist – Part One: Weight Loss

In the last posts I have looked at some popular diet programs and also looked at some of the popular myths about fats. In mini series I will discuss the errors some people make when looking at getting fit and losing weight. Part One will look at measuring weight loss. This one is long so forgive me!! (But it is definitely worth it).

First I will start by saying ‘Every one is different’.

One of the reasons for the human race being so effective in populating the world is our diversity. This diversity should also be taken in account when you look at ‘living well’

A lot of people fall into the trap of thinking “Well Jane / Joe weighs only 60 kg’s and I am a whale at 75kg’s. I’ll have to lose 15kg’s.”

Well what is good for Jane or Joe is not necessarily for you.  I like to take an individual approach when looking at weight loss, and while I am at it, it should not be weight loss but body fat reduction!! Like I have said in earlier posts, people sometimes (well, I believe all the time) mistaken losing weight with what they are really after – losing excess body fat.

The key to my ‘living well’ philosophy is to us a ‘before and after’ approach. This approach is an individual one and doesn’t care for what Jane and Joe are doing. You simply compare where you are now and improve on that!

But beware, there are traps for the beginner and an example of this is ‘Body Mass Index’ (BMI). Your BMI is a measurement using weight and height to give a BMI factor. The optimal range (and I emphasis RANGE) is between 20 and 25. It is a good general indicator, but there in lies the problem. It is too average.

The formula for BMI is Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Metres) x (Height in Metres).
For example, if you weigh 70kgs and are 165cm’s tall (1.65 metres) your BMI

 = 70 / (1.65 x 1.65)
 = 70 / 2.7225
 = 25.71

Using BMI, to get you within the healthy range you only need to lose 2kg’s (or grow 5cm’s). However, what really you need to lose body fat which is different to simply losing weight.

If you are a 30 year old woman / man who weighs 75 kg’s, then so be it. If you want to lose body fat, weight and BMI are probably not the best guide to your progress. Yes it is a fairly easy, but weighing yourself only gives you some of the picture and it may be the wrong one!

If you lose the body fat and exercise you may not actually lose the 2kg’s. You might actually stay the same weight and therefore BMI. Confused?

Well by exercising you may actually build muscle as well as losing the body fat. (I will discuss this in subsequent part of this series)

So what is the best guide you may very well ask?  The best guide is a skin fold test. In a skin fold test various measurements are taken around the body (where fat deposits like to hang around). By taking the individual approach you would focus on reducing your measurements, not getting yourself into the Joe and Jane Average range.
Most gyms will be able to do this test as well as your local GP. So don’t be afraid to ask.

So what does that mean? It is simple ‘Everything in Moderation’, eat a wide variety of foods, limiting high processed foods such as take-away and pre-packaged meals, and most importantly EXERCISE. Get moving even if you only walk for twenty minutes a couple of times per week, it’s doing you good.

Now remember you cannot ‘spot remove’ fat deposits so the body fat will come from the whole body, so don’t be disappointed if you still have a little ‘belly fat’ for example, just keep hammering away, it will reduce eventually .

 Note: Always seek professional medical advice before embarking on any exercise or diet program