Atkins Diet: How did you determine what your goal weight is?

I deal with the question how to determine what your goal weight should be. Certainly the problems with using BMI are well known. It has no idea of body composition or if your body is 15% Body Fat or 30% Body Fat. It has no idea if your heart is in shape or not.

If you have no idea where to start, you might try a virtual model site:
http://www.mvm.com/cs/
They give you a virtual image of yourself of what you might look like at a weight.

The height weight charts are another possibility for setting an initial target:
http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

The best way in my opinion is to use Body Fat Percentage. Body measurements while not as accurate as a dunk test do provide an easy cheap way to get an idea of where your Body Fat % is. Electro-resistance scales do as well. Here are the promised sites for taking measurements and telling BF %:
Most comprehensive - http://www.linear-software.com/online.html
Army method - http://www.the-master-runner.com/military-body-fat-calculator.html
Excel spreadsheets to track results:
http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=319
http://rapidshare.com/files/97892415/Weight_Loss_Trackers.zip.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Atkins Diet
• Low Carb
• Goal Weight
• Bowulf
• Weight loss

[reeltroutstudio]

Thanks Kent! It's so awesome to have a role model like you and Jimmy Moore to follow along with and see that I can do it, too!

[bowulf]

@reeltroutstudio I am just happy that my success can lead to others' success. It's one more piece of motivation for me to go out and run or lift when my inner lazy self would rather stay at home. :-)

[mrsnoelani]

Hey I know this is unrelated but is it okay that I put 2 teaspoons of real sugar in my coffee this morning? It said on the bag that it's 8 carbs but I'm wondering if it's the fact that is sugar that's bad not the amount of carbs? Gah I'm confused can I have sugar?

[bowulf]

Added refined sugar is a bad thing. If you are at goal, perhaps it might be fine, but I would still have hard time believing one would intentionally a refined sugar to their meal even at goal.

I would personally suggest eliminating all added sugars (especially if you are on Atkins) to one's diet. They do nothing for you other than satisfy a sweet tooth, which prolongs cravings and the like. Check out my video on does Atkins eliminate all sugar -- the short ans is yes to all refined sugar.

[snapfla]

Ken, thank you for graciously giving your time and knowledge in videos and responding to comments. There are few people as encouraging and genuine as you are. And I'm amazed at your achievement, and in such a short timeframe! You are truly an inspiration and a blessing to all.

[bowulf]

Sorry you are full of it. There are professional athletes with 6-8% body fat that are listed as obese by BMI. BMI simply takes a measure of your weight and your height, and that's it. It's completely worthless as a body composition or analysis.

It's only use is to guide people without a clue to lose weight - whatever weight that is either muscle or fat. BMI doesn't care.

[zencor]

No i dont use a spell checker, but i see that your quick on assumptions...

My BMI is at 26, and according to the test result i am a bit overweight... well i am at 7,3 % body fat...

[reidradionc]

BMI attempts to set you close to an appropriate body fat percentage Zencor. Oh, and you spelled moron incorrectly. I guess your fingers are too fat to use spell check. LOL!

[zencor]

You must be a true morron...

BMI is the most irrelevant number...

fat% is the only number that matters, put your bodyfat% against your total weight!!! There you go idiot...

[reidradionc]

BMI is the most important number.

[myweight]

Kent, I know that I have been on again off again but I am ready to start again. Your videos have always been an inspiration to me.

[NickEMT]

Great vid Kent. I'm 5'10'' and 180. I look great but still 17.5% bodyfat. I think I need to start working out.