Sometimes you're sure you are overweight, but you aren't sure how much.
It's likely that you and other people you know have differing opinions on what it is to be overweight. Trying to determine exactly how many pounds you need to lose is a very subjective matter. But looking at it from a health standpoint and adopting physician's standards, we can begin to figure out how unhealthy we are, based on weight. The body mass index, or BMI, is a popular way to determine this.
Scale for Weight
The first tool you'll need is an accurate scale to measure your weight. Obviously you won't be able to know how many pounds you need to lose if you don't know where you start.
Scales are available in various types, but the tall balancing scale you see in a doctor's office may be the best bet for those who are seriously obese and need to lose a lot of weight. Those who weigh in excess of 300 pounds may not be able to get a reading from the digital scales available at your local department store.
Measuring Tape for Height
If you weigh 180 pounds and you are over 6 feet tall, there is little chance that you are overweight. However, on someone who is 5 feet 2 inches tall, 180 pounds is considered as overweight. You'll need to get a tape measure and get someone to assist you in obtaining a height measurement. It's best to stand against a wall and have the person measure from the bottom of your bare feet against the floor to the top of your head. Stand with good posture and look forward to get an accurate measurement.
BMI Calculator
Once you have your height written down in feet and inches and your weight written down in pounds, use a body mass index calculator to do the work for you. These calculators are available in several places on the Internet, including the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website, listed in the resources section of this article.
The result of the calculation is an estimate of body fat and an indicator of health risk from weight-associated diseases. Any result of 25.0 and higher means you are overweight. A BMI above 30 is considered obese. Any answer in the 18.5 to 24.9 range is considered a normal body weight. Experiment with the weight input until you see a number within the normal range, then subtract that weight from your current weight, to find out how many pounds you should lose.
