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ОглавлениеWHAT IS THE RIGHT SIZE?
The old adage ‘you can never be too rich or too thin’ is one that is held in much too high a regard in our society. Of course you can be too thin and striving for a size that is not realistically achievable is not only a soul-destroying business, it’s also a dangerous game. You’re dicing with your health and are at risk of developing disordered eating behaviours or even a full-blown eating disorder.
So what is the right size? Well judging from a recent survey, which revealed that 63 per cent of people lie about their weight, with 22 per cent not even telling their partner, most of us think it’s smaller than whatever size we are! Realistically, the majority of us know when we’ve put on a few too many pounds, and have a clothes size we secretly hanker after or have something hanging in our wardrobe that we’d really like to fit into again one day. This plan is geared towards dropping a clothes size, but it can still work for you if you need to drop more than one size – provided you stay with it for long enough. And if you are significantly overweight – and more than half the UK population is now classified as such – you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour by taking steps to lose those excess pounds.
Obesity is now recognized as a serious medical condition with many associated health risks, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, gallstones, osteo-arthritis of weight-bearing joints, sleep apnoea, reproductive disorders and some cancers. Professor Philip James, chairman of the Obesity Task Force, describes obesity as ‘the biggest global health burden for the world’. And while the UK may lag behind the US in rates of obesity, we’re gaining ground rapidly. In 1980, the average British man weighed 73.7kg; for a woman the average was 62.2kg. By 2000, those figures had increased to 81.6kg and 68.8kg respectively.
ASSESSING YOUR BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
BMI is a simple way of assessing your body weight status. It’s not foolproof, however, as it does not distinguish between fat and muscle. It’s also not a good measure of progress as you get fitter, as increased muscle mass may actually make you heavier rather than lighter, although you will be substantially fitter and trimmer and slipping into a smaller clothes size.
Use the formula below to determine your BMI and then check this against the BMI categories to see whether you are already a healthy body weight or if you have a more significant amount of body fat to lose.
To obtain you BMI, measure your weight in kilograms and your height in metres and then divide your weight by your height squared: W/H2 = BMI.
For example, if you weigh 63kg and are 1.70m tall, you multiply 1.7 by 1.7 to give you 2.89, then divide 63 by 2.89. This gives a BMI of 21.79, which, as you can see from the categories on page 8, would put you within the normal weight range. (If you want to make life easy, you can calculate your BMI automatically without having to do the maths at my website www.joannahallonline.com)
BMI CATEGORIES
Underweight = under 20
Normal weight = 20–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obese = 30+
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
Although BMI has been widely used since the 1980s to estimate body shape change and the risk of various obesity-related diseases, using the waist circumference measurement is simpler and has been shown to indicate obesity-related risks just as well as BMI. Developed by an expert panel on obesity and health risks, the waist circumference method of indicating health risk classifies a healthy waist circumference as being below 102cm/40in for men and 88cm/34in for women.
As well as being simple, the waist circumference measurement also gives a more accurate picture of an individual’s body fat distribution. And since the Drop a Size for Life plan is concerned not solely with measuring weight on the scales but more with clothes size, girth measurements are the best way to monitor your progress as you follow this plan.
TAKING YOUR GIRTH MEASUREMENTS
The charts opposite shows the usual measurements that are taken – if you wish you can use it to record you own details when you begin the plan. The body fat measurement is not essential but it is helpful. Body fat can be measured using skin fold calipers or, more conveniently, using a body fat monitor – these are similar to bathroom scales but they determine your percentage body fat, giving a truer idea of what is going on in your body.
| For Women: | |
| Weight | |
| Body fat (if known) | |
| Chest | |
| Waist | |
| Navel | |
| Hips | |
| Thighs |
| For Men: | |
| Weight | |
| Body fat (if known) | |
| Chest | |
| Waist with belly button contracted | |
| Waist with belly button relaxed | |
| Hips | |
| Thighs |
HOW TO MEASURE
Chest – measure with the tape flat across the nipple line
Waist – measure around the narrowest part of your midriff (for men, pull your tummy in for the first reading and let it go for the second)
Navel – measure around the midriff directly over the belly button
Hips – measure across the top of the buttock cheeks
Thighs – stand with feet together, measure 20cm/8in up from the top of your kneecap and take a circumference measurement of your thighs
SOME COMMON QUESTIONS
Can I drop a size just on my bottom half?
Unfortunately, you can’t choose where the weight comes off. You might want to lose a size on your hips and gain one on your bust – no can do! The body loses fat from all over, not just from where you want it to. And the idea that you can ‘burn’ fat from specific areas – a concept known as spot reduction – is a myth. In fact, in one study, subjects performed a vast number of sit-ups over a few weeks and lost not a single gram of fat from their abdominal regions. However, an appropriate exercise program will help to firm up slack muscles and create a streamlined, balanced silhouette. This is one reason why exercise is such a crucial part of your DAS plan.
How long will it take to drop a size?
To drop a dress size, you need to lose at least 2.5cm/1in off your bust, 4cm/1.5in off your waist and 4cm/1.5in off your hips – that’s a total of 10cm/4in. Men need to lose at least 2.5cm/1in from the waist and the same from the chest – a total of at least 5cm/2in. The amount of effort and time you are willing to put in will dictate how long it takes to drop a size (you can read more about this in section two) but don’t be too impatient for results. Bear in mind the story of the tortoise and the hare. You can drop a size very quickly if you want to and if the time is right for you. All the volunteers who took part in the research for my previous book, Drop a Size in Two Weeks Flat!, dropped a whole size in just 14 days – and many of you have written to me to tell me you have too. However, it may not be the right time for you to drop a size in just two weeks and you may find it a lot more pleasurable and attainable if you take it a little more slowly. If you do it slowly you’re also more likely to sustain the weight loss.
Will I always be able to stay at my new size?
In a word, no. As we age, physiological and metabolic processes slow down, often resulting in weight gain. This doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably gain weight, never to lose it. Life is continually changing and there will be times when it will be very hard to stay at your new size – you may even find that occasionally you gain a size. Conversely, there are times when the weight seems to just fall off without much effort. Learning how to respond to your body’s needs, both physically and mentally, will enable you to stay within a healthy weight range – and to return to your ideal size – throughout your life.
TAKE A REALITY CHECK
It is important to realize that how much weight you want to lose and how much is realistic in a given time frame may be two different things. Being realistic about what you can achieve is vital. How much time are you willing and able to put in? How many changes can you make at once? Weight loss isn’t an all or nothing thing. Just because you won’t fit into a size 10 by your next holiday, does that mean it’s not worth doing at all? Think of approaching weight loss in terms of bite-size goals. What can you do right now? Now may not be the right time to go the whole hog, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything towards dropping a size.
Imagine you’re relaxing with a group of friends, enjoying a bottle of wine and a bowl of tortilla chips while discussing the latest diet you’ll start next Monday. The good intention is there, but it isn’t a ‘now’ intention. Ask yourself what you can do now? Well for a start you can stop hogging the wine and eating most of the tortilla chips! You can ditch the sugar from your tea. At lunchtime, forgo the mayonnaise, butter and other added fats. Ask for skimmed milk in your cappuccino. Walk to school to pick up the kids instead of driving. It’s the drip-drip effect – all these small things are positive steps towards your ultimate goal. Do what you can do now – and praise yourself for it.
