Did you know that the ideal weight varies from one person to the other? It is not as simple as looking as the height and weight of an individual. It also incorporates certain factors such as gender, age and body frame. Don’t be confused with body image advertising. More often than not, advertising just creates unrealistic expectations on what a perfect body should be like to promote their products. But just the same way, you still need to maintain your ideal weight to keep yourself healthy and strong. It is important that you follow the rule in maintaining a healthy weight.
What is your ideal weight? What’s your weight right now? Are you overweight or underweight? Check your ideal weight using the Ideal Weight Calculator from Calculator.net.
Weight Management
Weight management is all about balancing the calories that you consume with those that you burn. If your food intake is greater than what you burn then you gain weight. In the same way that if what you eat is less than what you burn, you will not have enough energy to do your normal physical and even mental activities.
Your body needs energy to keep moving. It gets the energy that you need from calories from food. The calories that you eat are then converted to physical energy that fuels your every movement. This why it is never a good idea to do crash diets. Although crash diets can lead to weight loss, it can also result to loss of energy and fatigue.
On the other hand, those calories that were not used are stored in the body as fats. Excessive calorie intakes and physical inactivity can lead to weight gain.
As a general guideline, 3,500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat. So, if you want to lose one pound, you need to burn at least 3,500 calories.
Eating junk food is not the same as eating healthy food. Although you will get the same amount of calories, you will not be getting the same potential amount of energy. Junk food also do not contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. Thus, choosing the right kind of food is necessary to maintain that healthy weight and body.
The chart above from the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health shows how long you need to exercise when you eat certain kinds of food.
The recommended daily calorie intake varies depending on a person’s age, gender, height and physical activity. The recommended calories per day is 1,600 to 2,400 for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult men.
In a nutshell, the rule in maintaining a healthy weight is to eat only what you can burn. It is also important to eat the right kinds of food. If you are not used to eating healthily, it is fine. You can do it slowly. Just take baby steps to optimal nutrition.
Updated Version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.16.2018