The number one 2013 New Year’s resolution for most Americans is to lose weight. According to the American Heart Association, 149.3 million Americans are overweight or obese. Of those 149.3 million, 75 million are obese. What is the difference between being overweight or obese?
A normal BMI for a person ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. An overweight person has a BMI of 25 or greater. Once the BMI reaches 30, the person is considered obese.
Like many of you, I have always been fat. But, I rarely paid attention to how fat I was. The reason was simple. I didn’t want to know.
Before I knew it, I surpassed overweight. I surpassed obese. I entered the dangerous category of “Ohmigod!” As in “Ohmigod, how did I get so big?!” Upon seeing a picture of myself, “Ohmigod, is that ME?!”
Do you know where you are on the overweight, obese or ohmigod scale? Do you avoid doctor’s appointments because you dread stepping on the scale? Do you have a scale at home? When is the last time you stepped on it?
Whether you need to lose 10 or 100 pounds, you need to embrace the scale! Don’t take it from me. Take it from the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have maintained significant weight loss. They have determined that most successful maintainers get on the scale at least once a week. Some even weigh themselves daily.
I am the last person to tell you that your weight should dictate your life. In fact, I named my blog Weightlesschronicles because I believe that the quality of your life is not represented by the number on your bathroom scale.
However, I am committed to success. In order to reach your weight loss goals, you need to understand where you stand. Don’t wait for that “ohmigod” moment in your life. Take that scale out, and use it as a tool to your success!