If you are pursuing a carreer in modeling you should take a minute and find your BMI. BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is the calculation used to see if a person is in a healthy weight zone for their height and weight.

Before I give you the formula keep in mind that this is only an approximation since a direct measurement is not taken and is based on research of what “most” people fit into.

The government has this definition of BMI from the cdc

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).^{1, 2} BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

Being above or below is considered unhealthy.

Here is how you figure it out…

Take your height in inches and square it ( multipty your height X your height) so if you are 5 feet or 60 inches it would be 60 x 60 or 3600. Write that down

Now get your weight in pounds.

Using a calculator take (weight) / (the number you wrote height x height) X 703

so your weight times height squared times 703. That is your BMI

Here is the formula again.

Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]² x 703

Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5’5” (65″)
Calculation: [150 ÷ (65)²] x 703 = 24.96

You now have a number, look at the chart below and see where you fit in

Body Mass Index Chart

 Here is another chart that shows BMI

If you find yourself in the high area of this chart, here is a wacky flip flop shoe diet you can try.

Posted: June 29th, 2008 under Health and diets.
Comments: none

Here are some diet tips I gathered up from all over. Most models absolutely have to watch their weight… their jobs depend on it. But, even if you are not a model, it’s normally a good idea to be fit.

•  Eat smaller meals more often, it raises your metabolism.
• Never starve yourself because that will only lower your metabolism.
• Always remember that fat is stored energy and one way to remove it is to use it by staying more active.
• Eat slowly and put small portions on your plate, remember that it takes a few minutes for your body to actually feel full. The perfect example of this is when I eat pizza. If I put 2 slices on my plate, i will eat them one after the other. If I grab 1 slice knowing I can get a second later, by the time I eat it, get up and walk over to grab another, I realize, I am already full and no longer want it.
• Eat sandwiches and use twice the amount of veggies, lettuce, sprouts, etc. The added bulk will fill you up and make the sandwich look huge without added fat or many calories
• Brush your teeth earlier than you would normally before bed. That may keep you from snacking because you would need to brush your teeth again if you ate anything… or at least I would.
• Brush your teeth, floss, gargle, or chew a stick of gum immediately after your meal to stop yourself from eating more.
• Stand near fatter people. They make you look thinner.
• Change 1 thing you eat or drink daily to a low calorie version.
  • If you drink soda, switch to diet soda, if you drink beer, switch to light beer, if you eat yogurt, switch to a lower calorie yogurt.
• Always take the stairs if you can.
• Chew sugarless gum while you cook to keep from snacking and tasting.
• Drink water before and during your meal.
• Work for your snacks. Before you eat a high-calorie snack, clean the bathroom or vacuum the house. Don’t eat until the faucets and sink are gleaming.
• Give yourself a manicure when a craving strikes, applying extra layers of slow-drying nail polish. It will keep your hands occupied and out of trouble until the craving fades.
• Tape a picture of your skinny self to the refrigerator for inspiration. Remind yourself what you can look like.
• Tape a picture of your fat self to the refrigerator for motivation. Remind yourself what you don’t want to look like.
• Do not weigh yourself daily. I never weigh myself at all. I know if I am losing or gaining weight and do not need a scale for reassurance. If you are the type of person that rewards themselves with food or eats out of disappointment (lack of weight loss), then maybe you could try weighing yourself once a month. That will give you something to look forward to and skip the reward or disappointment snacks.
• Always remember that diets do not work longterm, only lifestyle changes do.

Posted: June 9th, 2008 under Health and diets.
Comments: 1