Find Your BMI - Body Mass Index Calculation Made Simple

Here's how to find your BMI quickly and easily!

On the website of the National Institute of Health you'll find a handy free BMI Index calculator.

All you have to do is simply enter your current height and weight then click on Compute BMI. Your BMI will appear in the heart-shaped area of the pink figure.

There! That's all there is to it!

Once you find your BMI, you'll want to determine what the number means.

BMI, as you may or may not know, stands for Body Mass Index.

BMI is a pretty good indicator of a person's body fatness. It's generally used to screen for potential health problems based upon your weight category. However, while BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness, the correlation can vary by race, age and sex. That's why it's important to also check with your physician or health-care provider, for further assessments.

Okay, here are the BMI categories, as shown on the National Institute of Health website:

• Underweight = <18.5>
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Let's say your BMI score was 27. Using the table shown on the NIH website, a score of 27 would put you in the Overweight category.

Now that you've calculated your BMI, and have your score, it's time to take action!

You need to determine if you are ready and motivated to lose weight. Do you have the necessary support from family and friends?

Do you have the time and effort it requires to dedicate yourself to improving your health and well-being?

And finally, do have a plan of action? Do you know what diet plan and exercise routine is best for you?

As you can see, finding your BMI is just the beginning of your journey to a healthier, happier, more energetic you!

Now that you've calculated your BMI, find the Best Diet Plan For YOU with my handy Free Diet and Exercise Plan chart at: http://dietplansthatwork.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caro_Leigh

Burn Stomach Fat Naturally

To say that many people are obsessed with how their stomach looks is something of an understatement. Nothing defines health and fitness in this day and age quite like a firm toned stomach and because of that many people will try just about anything to burn away excess stomach fat.

What most people don't realize is that they can lose weight by simply increasing their metabolism without the need to buy the latest gut busting exercise machine or taking the latest fat burning diet pill.

There are two important parts to any program that burns stomach fat naturally:

1. A Healthy Diet – The nutritional value of the food we eat has a large bearing on how our metabolism works and how much fat we store away. Eating right is probably one of the more misunderstood parts of how our metabolism works.

When people go on a "Diet" they cut back on the amount of food they eat. This decreases caloric intake, which makes sense for those who are trying to lose weight. The problem is if too many calories are cut the body will actually slow its metabolism to safeguard its energy stores. This can have the opposite effect that is wanted.

The point is the body needs a certain amount of calories to fuel its daily processes. If it gets less then this it goes into starvation mode and hoards every bit of energy it can.

The type of calories can have more of an impact on fat levels and metabolism then how many are eaten. Eating healthy nutrient dense foods can cause an increase in metabolism simply for the fact that the body has to expend more energy digesting and metabolizing all the nutrients for use by its cells. These include foods that have high amounts of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. In contrast processed foods with lots of refined sugars are easy to digest and are quickly and easily turned into fat storage.

2. Exercise – This can be divided into two part, cardiovascular exercise and resistance training. Cardio or aerobic training is a good way to burn excess calories just by doing simple physical activities. While this type of exercise is not stomach specific it is good for overall body fat reduction, which is the key to losing weight because you can't lose fat from specific areas.

Resistance or weight training is the perfect way to not only burn stomach fat but also firm up those all important abdominal muscles. By weight training your major muscle groups you bring your core muscles into play. These include the abs which helps stabilize the midsection while training. Another benefit that many people overlook is the large amount of calories it takes to maintain lean muscle mass. The more you have the more calories you will burn even while resting.

If you want to burn stomach fat naturally then the best way is to increase your metabolism with a combination of a healthy diet and an exercise program. By doing these two things you will soon have a trim and toned midsection that you can be proud of.

To learn more about the ways to burn stomach fat naturally visit Killer-Ab-Workout by clicking here and for more information about how your metabolism works please visit the website Metabolism by clicking here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Bicknell