Choose Your Own Adventure

Good morning! Are you ready for this?

Have you ever heard that Baz Luhrmann recording, "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen"? Turns out it was written by a woman named Mary Schmick and published in the Chicago Tribune in 1997. She puts forth a wealth of practical advice in words flavored with indulgence and humor. I love to hear it whenever it comes on the radio. One line catches my attention every time, "You are not as fat as you imagine."

If only I could have believed that when I was younger. As the years accrue, so do the pounds and I would be overjoyed to weigh what I did back then. Thank heavens, our understanding of health, fitness and nutrition have evolved. It used to be, you just starved yourself - counting calories, 500, 800 or 1,000 per day. Everything about dieting was cut-and-dried ...and harrowing. Now and then a weird diet came along where you could fill your tummy, but it usually involved eating only one food or a bizarre combination - such as the all-you-can-eat-popcorn-and-grapefruit diet. Oh, my! Think about the digestive repercussions!

Way, way back, diets called for only a couple of basic measurements such as height and weight, and sometimes bust, waist and hip. Now I see where some programs have you take all of the following:

neck

bicep, right and left

forearm, right and left

wrist, right and left

bust (with bra at the fullest point)

waist (see directions below)

hip (at the fullest point)

thigh, right and left

calf, right and left

ankle, right and left

I hate to admit it, but I measure all of the above. Though it isn't necessary, it IS gratifying to see those inches coming off incrementally as the weeks go past. Bottom line, regardless of anything else you monitor, the critical measurement to take is the waist.

So, if you answered yes to the original question above, take a little time and record your measurements. If you are not ready today, that's OK, you are still preparing yourself to take the first step. Take the time you need.

Here are RealAge's instructions for measuring your waist. "Some more measuring tips: First thing in the morning, after you’ve gone to the bathroom, disrobe, start the tape at your belly button and loop it around your middle, keeping the tape level all the way. Suck in your tummy like you’re trying to impress someone at the beach, but don't hold your breath. As you exhale, note the number. Women's waists should be 32.5 inches or smaller; men’s, 35 inches or smaller. Any larger is dangerous, and health risks skyrocket for women at 35 inches or more, 40 inches for men."

If you would like to read more on the topic of the waist measurement and it's indication of health, follow the link cited below. There is also more information in the Drs. Oz and Roizen book, You On a Diet.

Tomorrow, we'll figure out BMI.

Sources:

RealAge. (2011). How to Measure Your Waist. Retrieved from http://www.realage.com/blogs/doctor-oz-roizen/how-to-measure-waist?click=main_sr

Wikipedia, Inc. (2012). Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_Sunscreen