A tape measure is better than a BMI

For those of you who don't follow Australian Football this is Lance 'Buddy' Franklin. One of the games better known players he moved from Hawthorn to Sydney last year for the record fee of $9,000,000 over 10 years. As you can see in this photo, he is all muscle. But not according to his BMI.

The BMI score for Buddy is 26 which means that he would be told that he is overweight. He would also be told that this extra weight could cause some health issues and that he should try and lose some weight to get his BMI below 25.

The reason that Buddy's BMI reads high is because it can only go on weight and height. It can't tell if that weight is muscle or fat. It also can't tell how old a person is, which is important because as you get older your bones become less porous and weight more. When I used to do health checks on older people they frequently had higher BMI scores even though they were of a healthy weight.

This is a photo of Dr Michael Mosely. You may have seen one of his documentaries or read one of his books. He wrote the "Fast Diet" where you have restricted calories for 2 days a week and eat what you want the other 5 days. Whilst his BMI was within normal limits a MRI scan showed that he was a 'TOFI', which stands for 'thin on the outside, fat on the inside'. In other words he had fat around his vital organs. The photos of him before and after he lost a little weight on the 5:2 (fast) diet show that he lost some weight around his abdomen and a repeat MRI scan showed that he has reduced the fat around his organs.


A BMI also doesn't tell you where the fat is, if there is any additional fat, which is very important because fat around the buttocks and thighs doesn't have the same health issues as fat around the abdomen.

Fat around the abdomen is a better indicator of possible health issues for several reasons. These include an indication of fat around the vital organs causing pressure, reduced effectiveness and poor health outcomes. It can also cause breathlessness because it impacts on the lungs.

Using a tape measure offers an indication of abdominal fat and internal fat.  For Europeans the recommended waist measurement is less than 80 cm for a woman (88 for men). This measurement changes for different geographic characteristics. This measurement allows for differing body types such as a pear or apple. You may have an hourglass figure with a smaller waist and larger hips or be almost straight up and down. Whatever your shape type your waist should still be less than 80 cm and you can measure this easily on a weekly or monthly basis.

If you are currently working towards weight loss you can measure other areas such as your hips and thighs to chart your progress. Using a tape measure for waist measurements is a simple and effective way to ensure that you are maintaining your weight.

At present there is a debate between medical professionals about using a tape measure in preference to a BMI score and it will take several years for the change to filter through, however the evidence appears to be mounting in favour of the simple tape measure.

Enjoy reaching and maintaining your healthy weight goal

Sarah

Cream and jam

Have you ever enjoyed freshly made scones with cream and jam? The scones have to have been made within the last few hours, the cream must be freshly whipped and the jam needs to be of excellent quality. Only then can you truly experience a cream tea.

Being on holiday in the UK has presented me with several opportunities to rediscover this afternoon treat but there have been some disappointments with dry scones, poor quality jam and tasteless cream. Fortunately there was also an amazing experience which restored my faith in the cream tea.

You may be asking yourself why a woman who runs workshops and coaches other women about weight management is doing even contemplating consuming a cream tea.

The answer is that one of the habits of slender women is to be able to learn how to balance their day and week. Slender women have learnt how to be mindful of checks and balances. A cream tea in the afternoon followed a very light breakfast and lunch and a light dinner. It became an alcohol free day because it fitted in with the day. I could have chosen to enjoy a cream tea and a glass of wine with dinner because I would have chosen to have a light day the next day.

Life is precious and making the most of special moments, such as being on holiday catching up with family and friends creates many such moments. It is possible to maintain your weight and still enjoy your holidays.

To help you learn how to do this I am creating an on line program which will be launched at the end of August. You will be able to learn the habits of slender women, including how to learn the mindfulness of checks and balances.

Enjoy your time with family and friends
Sarah

Eating on holiday

I am on holiday for a few weeks and it can be difficult to find the balance between enjoying all the delights of the holiday including food and drink, and maintaining a healthy weight.

It can be difficult when people around you are eating cake, ice-cream and choosing high calorie food. Being on holiday isn't just about resting, relaxing and having fun, it is also about not having to worry about many of the issues that cause us stress at home. For many people this includes having to be mindful of what they eat.

There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you don't gain too much holiday weight and can still enjoy yourself:

• Continue to drink plenty of water
• For every sugary drink have a drink of water, including alcohol and soft drinks
• Choose one meal to really enjoy and be a little more mindful for the two other meals
• Choose one small treat each day
• Eat small portions of your favourite holiday foods (this means that you don't miss out on any of your favourite foods and at the same time you don't over eat)
• Continue to eat lots of vegetables (not potatoes)
• If possible have one non-animal food meal a day
• When on holiday for more than a week have one day a week for eating less

The important thing to remember that this is YOUR choice. You can choose to forget all about eating mindfully and continue to loose weight when you return home.

Enjoy your next holiday

Sarah

Surviving airline food

Having just spent over 21 hours in the air, in coach class, I was reminded of the horrors of airline food. It is the kind of thing that I forget about until I have to fly and it doesn't take long after take-off to be presented with a range of low-fibre, high salt/fat/sugar foods.

One of the big problems is that due to various regulations the food that you can take on the plane with you is very limited and the food that they can serve you is also pretty limited. The dry air and cabin pressure add to issues with trying to deliver fresh tasty food.

It can be a bit of a dilemma when presented with a tray of food. On the one hand you may be bored and/or hungry but if you eat it all you may feel even more uncomfortable. Also if you have been working towards a weight loss goal you may feel disappointed after you have eaten it all. The longer you fly the more you struggle with the food.

So here are a few tips to help you survive airline food even on the longest trips.

• Choose all the salads and fresh fruit that you are offered
• Avoid the desserts unless they are fresh fruit
• Fill up on the main course (where possible) and then choose the crackers without the cheese in preference to the sweet dessert
• If you want to drink alcohol with your meal choose red or dry white wine over spirits
• Drink water every time it is offered (you can usually fill up your own water bottle in the departure areas)
• If you are in transit use the time to walk around to help with digestion, blood flow (especially to your lower legs) and you can also get more fluids such as a cup of herbal tea
• Refuse meals if you aren't hungry and have already eaten on the flight, or if in transit you are now flying in the middle of the night and have already eaten as much as you normally would during the day

Once you reach your destination enjoy re hydrating with lots of water and herbal teas and eat something light. Your body will tell you when your digestion system has recovered and you can start to eat normally again.

Enjoy your travels

Sarah