How to Improve a Body Mass Index

You walk into your doctor's office for your regular, run-of-the-mill check-up, get on the scale and wait patiently while he dabbles with his pen and paper. No worries, you know you're at a healthy weight. Or so you thought until he tells you that your BMI is too high and you're overweight. So what is a BMI and how do you lower it so you're not overweight anymore?

Instructions

1. Know what your BMI should be. BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a medical measurement of how underweight or overweight a person. It is a height to weight ratio that is not always accurate because it does not take into account a person's muscle mass, only their overall weight. A BMI under 18 is considered underweight, 18 to 25 is considered to be normal weight, and over 25 is considered overweight. Your doctor can easily tell you what your BMI is currently. Only you will know whether or not you have any healthy muscle mass affecting it, or if it is pure weight that needs to be shed.

2. Increasing your weight. While this is very rarely addressed, some people do suffer from a BMI that is too low for their height, meaning they are underweight. If this is the case, you need to build muscle. Begin downing some high protein shakes, increase the amount of lean meat you eat and add a strength training program to your exercise routine. The smartest way to go about this is by speaking with a certified personal trainer and nutritionist so that you can obtain the greatest benefit from your workouts. Building lean muscle will increase your weight and increase your overall health as it burns more fat and calories during times of rest.

3. Look at what you're eating. If what you need to do is lower your BMI, as is most usually the case, then you first must examine your diet. Count the number of times you pull through McDonald's every week, watch how many chips you choose to eat and see if you're piling on too much gravy when you have those mashed potatoes. Eating too many foods that have a high fat content will surely sabotage anyone's BMI. Once you have made yourself aware of the eating habits that have raised your BMI, you can then take steps in lowering it. Even making one change a week will make a difference. Instead of deep fried, opt for grilled. Rather than chips, choose almonds. Every little bit helps.

4. Limit your caloric intake. Even if high fat foods are not the problem, high calorie foods could be. While some might think they are one in the same, they are not. You could eat something relatively healthy for you, such as a turkey sandwich, but if you are not watching the portion sizes of everything you are piling on that sandwich, it can soon become a dietary disaster. Everything has to be eaten in moderation, and if you take in more calories then you are working off, those calories will remain dormant in your system, turn into unwanted pounds, and result in an increased BMI. By lowering the amount of calories you take in, you will begin to burn off excess fat and pounds, in turn lowering your BMI.

5. Exercise. This is extremely important when attempting to achieve any weight loss goals, including a healthy BMI. Implementing an exercise routine that you can stick with will not only help burn fat and calories, resulting in a lower weight and BMI, but it will improve your overall health as well.