12 - Maintain your ideal body weight . . . and how to know "what is my ideal weight" for your overall good health

Reason for this Goal and what is my ideal weight?:     A healthy body can take many forms and appearances.   Most people would agree that maintaining your ideal body weight not only ensures you look and feel good, it also is indicative that you are not overconsuming junk food or too much food in general.  

The authors of the book, Blue Zones, researched groups, around the world, that have the longest life spans, and they found that people who ate small portions and maintained an ideal body weight were much more likely to live longer and healthier.  

Low caloric intake and eating less is viewed to be one of the best and scientifically proven ways to live longer and healthier.

What is my ideal weight?

There is no consensus or universal ideal weight that you can simply look up, as there are numerous factors play a role, including:

• Age (young, middle age, senior)
• Amount of muscle mass (especially if you are an athlete)
• Height (short, average or tall)
• Sex (male or female)
• Body Shape (small build or large build)

The generally accepted ways of determining what is my ideal weight include: 

1. Use a Body Mass Indicator (BMI) calculator - This is a simple calculation that measures your weight in relation to your height.  A BMI ratio of between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal.   Higher is overweight and lower is underweight.  Search out a BMI calculator to help you with this calculation.
2. Your waist-to-hip ratio  - This is one of the best (and easiest) ways to determine if you have a healthy weight and size.  For males, a ratio below 0.9 is considered optimal with over 1.0 a health risk.  For females, a ratio below 0.8 is low risk and above 0.9 is high. 
3. Your waist to height ratio - A person who has a waist measurement that is less than a 0.5 factor (1/2) of their height, is generally considered to be of a healthy weight. 
4. Body fat percentage - There are common available weight scales that also measure body fat percentage. An acceptable range for males is between 18 and 25%.   For females it is between 25 and 31%.  
5. One that you feel and look good at - Most of us intuitively already know, if asked what their ideal body weight should be.  It is the one that you feel good at because you feel good and look good (in your eyes, not someone else's)

If you are fortunate, you are already at your ideal body weight.  If you’re not, or aren’t sure what your ideal body weight should be, see your doctor.  

As you get older, it seems to get harder and harder to maintain your ideal body weight.  But with a commitment to the 10 health goals suggested here, you will be on the right path to achieving your ideal body weight.  

The results will speak for themselves.  One of the biggest benefits is that you will wake up and feel good about yourself each day.  

Anyone concerned about their weight and what their ideal weight should be should ultimately consult with a health professional.    

This site will be expanded in the future to provide reference links to good sites that have reputable and reliable tools and guides.  

Suggested Target Goal:  Reach and maintain your ideal body weight for 1 year.
Outrageous Goal:   Maintain your ideal body weight for life.

I’ve been fortunate to maintain my weight within 15 lbs of what I weighed 25 years ago when I was married.   It can be a struggle with the battle of the bulge, in spite of a good exercise program and reasonable health habits.  

Recently, I realized that my body weight is at the upper range of what it should be  (15 lbs on the upside of what is ideal). In seeing a Naturopathic Doctor as part of a goal I have for feeling my absolute best, he put me on a 2 week cleanse to help restore and reset many essential body functions including the good functioning of my liver.  

The positive side of this cleanse is that I'm returning to my ideal body weight and and feeling much better.   I'm feeling better about my weight, even though I had felt I was within my ideal range.  

I'm just realizing now that I was perhaps too lenient with what I considered the upper part of my ideal range. Keeping it at my optimum weight of course is a challenge that many of us constantly face.  I can tell you it is worth the effort. 

The focus on this goal is important for your long-term health. 

Return to health and fitness life goals. 

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Last updated: May 6, 2020