Use our free BMI Calculator
At How To Lose Weight Fast, we’ll never tell you what you ‘should’ weigh or ask you to share your personal information with the community. Your weight loss journey is precisely that: your journey!
If you’d like help deciding your weight loss goal, though, our free BMI calculator will come in handy. It gives you an accurate BMI score, which is a measure of your mass relative to your height. Please note that the information you enter is private. We will not share your results with anyone other than yourself.
CHECK YOUR BMI WITH THE CALCULATOR BELOW
BMI CALCULATOR
WHAT IS BMI?
BMI is a simple measure of weight in relation to height – hence the name, body mass index (BMI). It is used to broadly access the risk of weight-related health risks.
A higher percentage of body fat is proven to be linked with severe health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, some cancers, and can result in early death.
Underweight individuals are those with a weight that is considered lower than what is deemed to be healthy for a given height. It’s a nod to a possible eating disorder, like anorexia or bulimia.
WHAT SHOULD MY BMI BE?
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH):
- A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight.
- A BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 is considered ideal.
- A BMI of 25 – 29.9 is considered overweight.
- A BMI of over 30 is considered obese.
It’s important to note that a BMI calculator is not always the best measure of health-related problems. While it may give you some idea of your health in relation to your weight and height, it doesn’t account for age, gender, and muscle mass. For example, a bodybuilder or athlete may be considered obese because of their weight. However, their fitness will differ dramatically from someone of the same weight, who alternatively does little, if any, exercise.
It also doesn’t account for body fat distribution. This is important because having more fat in the upper portion of your body in comparison to the lower is linked to health problems, like type 2 diabetes and heart failure.
Think about it this way: one person may have a high portion of fat in their legs while another may have an even distribution of fat across their entire body. Both have the same BMI, but one is at more risk of health problems than the other.
Typically, while a BMI calculator is not a definitive measure of health-related problems, it is a great starting point for most people.
HOW TO LOWER BMI
To lower your BMI, you’ll need a strict diet and fitness regime that you stick to long-term. Crash dieting and overexerting yourself to lose weight fast will not work. If you’re looking for a sustainable method to lower BMI, follow these steps…
1) Set realistic goals. Don’t set your expectations too high – you don’t want to lose weight too quickly, as you’ll only pile on the pounds later. It’s all about balance. Once you find a routine that you feel comfortable with, it won’t feel like weight loss. Rather, a healthy lifestyle choice that lowers your BMI.
2) Exercise. Exercise will help lower BMI and prevent weight gain. We’d recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, you can, of course, build-up to this with short bursts of exercise that fits in with your lifestyle. It’s best to start with aerobic exercises, like swimming or walking and progress to strength training, which involves lifting weights to maintain muscle mass.
3) Meal prep. Lowering your BMI is all about getting into the habit of eating healthy. Don’t expect exercise alone to be enough. Meal prepping is a great way to avoid the temptation of grab-and-go eating often done out of convenience.
4) Talk to your doctor. Some people struggle to lose weight because they suffer from a more serious medical condition. If your BMI is above 30, which is considered obese, it’s worth asking your doctor for medical support. You may have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), which means that your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Common signs of underactive thyroid are tiredness and weight gain.
5) Get inspiration. To stay motivated and keep on track with your lowering your BMI, look for online inspiration. The How To Lose Weight Fast community is a great place to start, as our site is jam-packed with informative content that will give you the confidence needed to pursue your weight loss goals.