All in One Fitness

How to reduce your BMI

Talking about the BMI can sometimes overwhelm people, especially as the conversation is often coupled with the talk of losing some body weight. The topic of one’s weight can be a sensitive one, especially for those who are obese or maybe considering liposuction. But just to ease the tension, it’s best to approach this topic with a clear understanding that the Body Mass Index (BMI) stays constant if we choose to let it. The good news is that you have control and if you chose to live a healthy lifestyle you can maintain your weight and BMI.

What is a body mass index?

You wouldn’t be reading this if you were not interested in what is the Body Mass Index or also known as BMI is all about. One’s BMI is a measure of body fatness. Due to its nature of measuring the excess weight instead of the excess body fat, factors like one’s age, sex, muscle mass, and ethnicity may affect the relationship between BMI and body fat.

So, does it mean when you lower your BMI, you’re lowering your body fat? For athletes, this may be the case as they tend to adopt a lean physique with intense body work out. But if you’re not an athlete, and you have a sedentary lifestyle then the case may be different. 

Your entire body mass index is composed of both muscle and fat mass. It’s good to lose fat mass, but if it is muscle mass that’s getting compromised because of lack of exercise, this could altogether affect your immune system and entire wellness.

Choosing to lower your BMI by lowering your fat mass is an admirable goal. However, there are no shortcuts to this. Here’s how to reduce your BMI without compromising your muscle mass:

1. Consume fewer calories than you burn

Follow the well-known idea of ‘you are what you eat’. If you are on the side of overweight or obese, you might be lacking control in terms of your daily calorie intake and unable to keep your weight at bay. Eating the right amount of quality calories is important, as well as exercising and having enough rest. Whilst it’s commendable that you are driven to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it is important to be realistic. Start by reducing your food intake little by little. If you used to eat 2 cups of rice, try having just one cup and a snack with nuts or a non-sugary fruit in between if it’s unbearable. Eliminating sugar will also drop the number of calories consumed. Choosing to consume fewer calories first also saves you from having knee injuries and unnecessary strains in the joints. Avoid eating in front of the TV. Sweating 15-30 minutes is also helpful, so set a yoga program or a cardio workout for you to follow instead. 

2. Set realistic goals

It’s important to create a habit out of your chosen change of lifestyle. To avoid rebounding to bad habits, set goals that are within your capabilities. As you consume fewer calories which the first step, you are putting a stop to increasing weight gain, so that is a very good first step. The next step will be to work through removing some existing weight. If you are interested in cosmetic surgery options then you could consider a fat transfer to breast augmentation procedure which involves removing fat from unwanted areas and relocating it to your breast area. Alternatively, you can increase your exercise. Get started by walking, it’s a great way to start your journey in to exercise and progress to more cardio activities from there. Cut additional snacks first before adapting to a new kind of diet. Lose a little weight, then get used to it. Maintain that weight loss and get used to your body before your attempt to lose more.

3. Self-monitor

Keeping a record of how you’re doing reflects each improvement you achieve. This also increases the likelihood of you progressing and achieving more. Generally, if an act receives positive feedback, then that act will likely be repeated. But because we are all complex and diverse creatures in all our own little ways, some people can view frustrations as equally helpful in motivating them. So if you get more motivated by setbacks, then take that as your turbo trigger to go the extra mile in order to achieve your goals.

Don’t forget to consult your doctor if all of your efforts are not achieving results. Getting a bit of medical advice will make sure you’re safe in getting into these lifestyle modifications in a healthy manner, most especially the adjustments concerning physical activities.