THE IDEAL WEIGHT...

When setting about to lose weight, there are 3 questions to ask;

1. How much do I WANT to lose? 

2. How much do I NEED to lose?

3. How will I stay motivated? 

The “How much do I WANT to lose?” question helps define “Desired

Weight”. The “How much do I NEED to lose?” question focuses on 

either the FEAR (health related consequence) or the VANITY 

(appearance/comfort) related component. And finally, the “How will I stay

motivated?” question addresses those techniques that will help keep 

you committed to your weight loss plan.

When we talk about ideal, normal, healthy, and desired weight, this is

what we mean:  

Ideal Weight

The notion of an “Ideal Weight”  is very subjective and can be thought

of as a combination of the WANT and NEED questions. It is influenced

by many factors, including opinions, preferences, attitudes, and 

emotions.Objective factors (weight associated health risks, BMI, fat 

content, etc.) influence this “Ideal Weight”, which can be thought of as 

that which is best overall for YOU. In theory it should also be a “Healthy

Weight” and will more than likely fall in the normal range of the BMI.

Normal Weight

Those with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.0 are considered to be within the

“Normal Weight” range. Because this “Normal Weight” is discussed in

the context of the BMI it should be noted that it does not take into 

account a person’s body composition (degree of muscularity). This

index is most reliable if you are between 19 and 70 years of age, some 

exceptions being those individuals who are competitive athletes, body 

builders, pregnant or breast-feeding, or the chronically ill.

Healthy Weight

Today we talk more often about a “Healthy Weight” than we do about a

“Normal Weight”. A “Healthy Weight” itself is dependent upon many 

objective factors as well as your particular body type, which includes 

your height and waist circumference. “Healthy Weight” also addresses 

the weight associated health risks as determined by Body Mass Index.

Desired Weight

“Desired Weight” should be thought of as your weight loss goal. This is

the weight that you would be most comfortable with, which would have

the lowest weight associated health risks and would result in looking and

feeling your best.It is YOUR "ideal". It is your goal.

Motivation

In order to achieve your weight loss goal, motivation also must be

addressed. Motivation is best if it is VERY specific. My experience with

users of the CUPS diet^® reveals that those with the greatest success

have motivating factors usually based on either health or appearance.

If your primary motivation is health based then be VERY specific.

Sometimes it is not enough to simply say; “I want to be healthy.” You

need to select one VERY specific health related consequence that will

keep you motivated. However the level of FEAR of the consequence

must be justified and be preventable. Examples of specific FEARS are

dying from a heart attack, fear of being paralyzed after having a stroke,

or fear of amputation due to diabetic complications, etc... FEAR in itself

can be a very powerful motivator.

If your motivation is appearance, that is, VANITY driven, then again be

VERY specific. It is not enough to say, “I want to look better”. One of  

my success stories wanted to lose weight 25 pounds for his 50^th 

anniversary and be able to wear the suit he was married in. He did and

more. He lost 39 pounds. See "SUCCESS STORIES".. These concepts

are not mutually exclusive, as a combination of FEAR and VANITY can

be very, very, effective.

To keep motivated, use "Success Stories". These are steps along the

way that will help demonstrate that you are making progress toward

reaching your goal. They will vary depending on your BMI, current

weight and your weight loss goal.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that a reduction of 5-10%

of your current body weight will lower your risk for heart disease and

other health related conditions. For most people this level of weight loss

will be beneficial. This is a very reasonable and realistic goal.

Therefore, one of the most important of the “Success Points” is that of

being able to lose 10% of your current body weight with the CUPS

diet^®. After you have lost 10% of your current weight, then set another

10% weight loss goal based on this new weight, and so on, until you are

pleased with your weight.

“Success Points”

1. Lower Body Mass Index

2. Reaching a new 10 lb. weight interval

3. Improved weight status category

4. Lower associated health risks