Whelehans Pharmacys Caroline Masters:Operation Transformation 2

Published: Tue 27 Sep 2016, 11:00 AM

Last updated: Tue 27 Sep 2016, 12:02 PM

Do your numbers add up to a healthy you?

Many decisions in life may take some ‘weighing up’ but when you decide to make the effort to eat more healthily and exercise more there are no cons. If your weight has increased you have to address this as soon as possible because if you do not you can put more work on yourself in the long run. There are no quick fixes to losing weight and often deciding to drink shakes or consume pills as a substitute for healthy meals delays your efforts for long term good health and can give a sense of failure when the weight returns. There are guidelines as to what we should be eating each day but it has become the norm for many of us to eat whenever and whatever we want. The nutrition clinic at Whelehans will help you with your personal plan so that you can be successful in your weight loss journey in a healthy and sustainable way.

I will explain a couple of terms which may help you to assess your numbers and help you to decide whether you could benefit from losing weight to improve your health and well-being or alternatively you can confirm that you are in a healthy weight range.

What is BMI ?

BMI stands for body mass index and gives an indication if you are underweight, overweight, obese or normal weight. Knowing your BMI may lead to a change in lifestyle as a higher number is an indication that you are at higher risk of serious illness such as heart disease and cancer. If you are very sporty and muscular your BMI may indicate a higher range but in general it can be used as an indicator.

To calculate your body mass index – get your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in metres squared

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>BMI</strong></span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Range</strong></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><18.5</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Underweight</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Advisable to put on weight to bring you into normal range</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">18.5 -24.9</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ideal</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Healthy weight - try to maintain</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">25 -29.9</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overweight </span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Could benefit from losing weight especially if nearer to the higher end of range</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">30 – 39.9</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obese</span></span>	<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Benefit from losing weight to try to get your BMI under 30 </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">40+</span></span>		<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If your BMI is over 40 you must take serious steps to reduce your weight to benefit your long term health.</span></span>

Each 6lb weight loss will reduce your BMI reading by 1 point and reduce your risk of serious illness so every 6lb weight loss is substantial.

Waist measurement

Your waist measurement is a good indication of how much weight is stored around your vital organs and is known as visceral fat. Calculate your height in inches and divide by two - your waist measurement should not exceed this number.

Assessment

In the nutrition clinic at Whelehans Pharmacy you can have an initial assessment- BMI will be calculated along with a body analysis which will calculate the percentage of muscle and fat and also check your visceral fat. Your blood glucose levels and blood pressure are also checked.

Find out your numbers today, call me, Caroline Masters, Nutritional Therapist, on 086 3994615 or email me at nutrition@whelehans.ie or call Whelehans Pharmacy on 044 9334591. Take that first step to a healthier you.

Assessment will take approximately 15 minutes at a cost of €10.

(Full consultations, 6 week weight loss programme and weekly monitoring also available)

Whelehans Nutrition Service also offers its clients affordable additional health checks such as food intolerance, cholesterol and haemoglobin checks and much more. The nutrition clinic at Whelehans is a private space where we will meet on a one to one basis to discuss your individual needs. It is a friendly, affordable, flexible service suitable for men, women and children.