Weight management tools
There are a number of ways you can monitor your weight. Keep in mind that you weight and measurements can fluctuate slightly.
If you're looking to reduce your weight, you should be looking for a gradual, consistent improvement over time brought about by a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Body mass index BMI
There is no such thing as an ideal body weight. There is only a healthy weight range. The body mass index relates height to weight and helps to determine ideal body proportions. The score is valid for both men and women.
The scoring system below is for men and women:
- someone is classed as underweight if you have BMI of less than 18.5
- a normal weight range BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9
- someone is classed as overweight if their BMI is between 25 - 29.9.
Have you taken our questionnaire yet? We can calculate your BMI for you when you do.
Waist to hip ratio
Your waist to hip ratio checks to see if you're carrying too much weight around you middle.
Used together your waist:hip ratio and BMI are useful indicators of body fat and heart health.
We'll also calculate your waist:hip ratio when you start our questionnaire.
Calories
Calories are a way of measuring the energy value of food - and exercise. For example, there are 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate, while 20 minutes walking 'burns off' around 80 calories.
Your daily calorie intake depends on age. To stay at the same weight the average is about 2,000 per day for a woman and 2,500 per day for a man.
Our weight management questionnaire looks at how active you are, as well as your diet.
Your weight
Waist:hip ratio and BMI are more reliable indicators, but many of us 'jump on the scales' as a way of monitoring our weight and checking if it's going up or down.
If you do weigh yourself, use the same scales, wearing the same type of clothes and around the same time of day. Don't weigh yourself too often.
How do your clothes feel?
How tight or lose your clothes feel can be a very good way of keeping an eye on your weight. Just remember that we can feel more bloated on some days than others. Are clothes feeling consistently tight?
A useful indicator can be when you stop wearing a favourite item of clothing because it no longer feels comfortable.
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