How to Maintain a Healthy BMI for Life

Why Maintaining a Healthy Weight is Important?

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for a healthy life because being underweight or overweight can make you more prone to chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, etc. In the long run, it can increase the risk of more serious health problems, such as strokes, organ failure, reproductive health issues, and even cancers.

Maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for regulating triglycerides, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol, which are essential for the smooth functioning of the body. If you are overweight or obese, it is important that you lose weight for a healthy life. You should look for ways to reduce BMI naturally to aid the process.

Similarly, the focus must be on increasing BMI safely for underweight individuals. And if you are in the normal weight category, it is essential to know how to maintain your weight without losing or gaining.

What is the Ideal Weight I Should Maintain?

If you are wondering, what is the ideal weight for a person? There is no one-size-fits-all answer for it. This is because, despite the BMI chart being universally the same, the interpretation of BMI varies from person to person.

Despite a difference in their muscle mass and fat distribution proportions, the ideal BMI range for women is the same as for men. You must determine what weight is healthy for your age and body after taking into account various health factors. Similarly, weight gain during pregnancy is different from normal weight gain. Hence, monitoring BMI during pregnancy is important to keep track of healthy weight gain.

Working with medical practitioners or dietitians can help you understand how much weight you should gain or lose to lead a healthy life. For instance, according to recent research, losing 5% to 10% of your initial weight in approximately 6 months is recommended for those on a weight-loss journey. Remember, it is essential to continue measuring your BMI throughout the course to accurately evaluate your progress.

How do I Maintain a Healthy BMI?

Now, let us look at how to maintain a healthy weight or BMI. The healthy body weight is the one that ensures the ideal BMI range stays between 18.5 and 24.9. You can use a BMI calculator to know the accurate BMI value per your weight and height.

You can ensure a healthier lifestyle by making simple changes like eating healthy and staying physically active. Here is how to maintain a healthy BMI for life:

Eat a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet includes the right proportion of calories and nutrients. It provides vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and macronutrients necessary for the body’s proper functioning. This ensures that you do not suffer from malnutrition and become underweight.

Pro Tip: Avoid junk or highly processed foods. Reduce the intake of sugar and unhealthy fats. Controlling portion size can be helpful in reducing calorie intake and preventing weight gain.

Stay Physically Active

Exercising regularly helps improve metabolism and burn calories, which helps to maintain a healthy weight. You can start strength training or include simple activities, including brisk walking, cycling, swimming, skipping rope and playing a sport.

Pro Tip: Try to engage in physical activities for at least 3 hours or 150 minutes a week. Incorporating fitness activities naturally into your daily routine can be highly beneficial. For instance, taking stairs whenever possible, walking during breaks, etc.

Sleep Well

Poor sleep can lead to weight gain by increasing the feeling of hunger and lowering metabolism. Sleeping well helps maintain leptin (the hormone that makes us feel full) and ghrelin (the hormone that makes us feel hungry) levels.

Pro Tip: Avoid eating meals right before bed and ensure you sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours to improve your sleep for a healthy BMI.

Reduce Stress

Stress triggers the production of cortisol, leaving you feeling hungrier and craving for high-calorie foods, thereby accelerating the weight gain process. Reducing stress helps lower cortisol levels, resulting in reduced food cravings.

Pro Tip: Indulge in mindfulness activities like breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, prioritizing sleep and connecting with nature.

Knowing What You Are Eating

Reading labels helps you understand the calorie content and nutritional value of what you are eating. This lets you keep a tab on how many additional carbs or hidden sugars you consume without even realizing it, ultimately helping you to reduce their intake.

Pro Tip: Avoid crash diet courses as they may result in quick but ineffective weight loss. These diets may be nutritionally imbalanced and can hinder the long-term goal to maintain a healthy BMI.

FAQs

Q1. Is a BMI of 25 chubby?

Ans: The ideal BMI range for a healthy adult is between 18.5 and 24.9. A person with a BMI of 25 falls at the beginning of the overweight category. Although people with a BMI of 25 may not be considered chubby, it usually depends on what their height is.
Q2. What are the three ways to maintain BMI?

Ans: The three main ways to maintain a healthy BMI include eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. In addition to this, you can maintain a healthy weight by reducing stress, controlling your portion size and avoiding processed foods.
Q3. What are the 3 C's of weight loss?

Ans: The 3 C’s of weight loss are Change, Commitment and Consistency. This means making necessary changes in your eating habits and lifestyle, and being committed and staying consistent with it.
Q4. Is a BMI of 22 skinny?

Ans: No. A BMI of 22 is not considered skinny as it falls in the normal weight range for adults.
Q5. Can stress impact my BMI?

Ans: Yes. Stress can directly impact your BMI as it often increases appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods. More stress is thus associated with more weight gain and a higher BMI.
Q6. At what BMI do health problems start?

Ans: Health problems can start at a BMI that is not within the ideal range of 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI below 18.5 can lead to malnutrition, anemia, etc., and a BMI above 24.9 can be an indicator of chronic diseases like high BP, diabetes, heart issues, etc. A BMI of 30 or above can be a sign of more serious, underlying health problems.
Q7. How to reduce BMI from 35 to 25 naturally?

Ans: To reduce BMI from 35 to 25 naturally, you must reduce your calorie intake, eat a balanced diet, add more fiber, exercise regularly, reduce stress, sleep well and avoid processed foods.

How to Maintain a Healthy BMI for Life

FAQs

Q1. Is a BMI of 25 chubby?

Q2. What are the three ways to maintain BMI?

Q3. What are the 3 C's of weight loss?

Q4. Is a BMI of 22 skinny?

Q5. Can stress impact my BMI?

Q6. At what BMI do health problems start?

Q7. How to reduce BMI from 35 to 25 naturally?