What is a Healthy Weight?

While many of us are breaking into the fitness world for a second, or third time, some are starting their very first fitness program. It doesn't matter whether the program is organized, paid for, or a do-it-yourself one, common sense must prevail.

The first thing you need to learn is whether you need to loose weight or just firm up. The next thing you need to do is learn what your ideal weight should be. Most people have a warped sense of what an ideal weight is.

A woman with no breast and no butt, or pencil thin thighs, may be dangerously underweight. In fact, there are reports that suggest today's ultra thin teens may grow up to find they are unable to have children. Supper skinny is not healthy. It may look good on a cover girl, or movie star, but it is not indicative to a healthy lifestyle.

I was surprised to learn that my optimum body weight was 150, not the 120 I had been told at the gym. The person who did my chart calculated my height, bone density, and fat ration before coming up with the number. It appears that my big boned status, and all the extra muscle I have built up has increased my optimum body weight.

Actually, I was surprised to find that muscle weighs eight times more than fat. That means a well muscled leg will weigh a lot more than an under worked, underfed leg. This was great news for me, because I use to get sick trying to force myself to less than 150 pounds. I had been raised to believe that my 5'4" height meant I should be under 125 pounds.

Now I recognize the difference between an overweight body and a healthy one.