Should I Lose Weight and How Do I Keep It Off?

Takeaways

Will losing weight benefit your health? One way to find out is by calculating your BMI.

Asian populations have lower BMI cut-offs for “healthy weight” (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m²), “overweight” (greater than or equal to 25 kg/m²), and “obese” (over 30 kg/m²) classifications than the rest of the world.

BMI fails to differentiate between fat and lean body mass. Alternative measurements like a body composition analysis could help you get a more accurate picture of your body fat percentage—and, thus, metabolic health.

In the long run, prioritizing fat loss over weight loss is better for your overall health.

If you haven't managed to lose weight via lifestyle interventions alone, weight-loss medications could help. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out more.

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If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’d likely be familiar with just how challenging and discouraging the process can be—especially when the numbers on the scale refuse to budge despite your best efforts.

You’re not alone in this struggle.

While 44% of the world’s population try to lose weight annually, less than 3% successfully lose weight and maintain it.

Whether you’re part of that 44% or looking to lose weight for the first time, it’s important to understand whether you need to do so in the first place. Knowing this is key to unlocking your weight loss goals and making sure you do it successfully, healthily and sustainably.

Before you begin your weight loss journey, ask yourself the following questions.

1) Is my weight in a healthy range? 

It’s important to note that while a majority of people want to lose weight, not everyone needs to lose weight from a health perspective. So, how do you know if you truly need to lose weight for health reasons?

One key indicator is your body mass index (BMI), a metric used to estimate body fat percentage.

The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. For example:

1. Every 1-unit increase in BMI is associated with a 4% increase in the risk of ischemic stroke and a 6% increase for hemorrhagic stroke.

2. Every 5-unit increase in BMI makes postmenopausal people 1.2 times more likely to develop breast cancer compared to people without obesity or overweight.

3. If you have a BMI of above 40, your systolic blood pressure can increase by more than 10mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by more than 5 mmHg

How to calculate your BMI

To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters (kg/m²). E.g., if you’re 79 kg and 1.62 m, your sBMI is 30.1.

Here’s how to interpret BMI values for adults aged 20 years and older:

• BMI of 18.5 to 24.9: Healthy weight
• BMI greater than or equal to 25: Overweight
• BMI over 30 kg/m²: Obese

Limitations of BMI

While BMI has been the standard that most health coaches and health practitioners use for the general world population, it has its limitations. According to research, certain ethnic groups may have a lower BMI cut off due to their smaller structure and different distribution of body fat.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined lower BMI cut-offs for Asian populations, because studies have shown that Asians have a higher percentage of body fat at a lower BMI, and Asians have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes at lower BMIs.

For Asian populations, WHO’s BMI classification for overweight and obesity is as follows:

• Overweight: BMI greater than or equal to 23

• Obesity: BMI greater than or equal to 27.5

Losing excess weight

Excess weight can have far-reaching health consequences and increase a person’s risk of developing other diseases like:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Diabetes

• Certain types of cancer

• Arthritis

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol levels

Excess weight is also associated with a shorter life expectancy, reduced health-related quality of life, and functional mobility impairment.

2) Is my goal weight loss or fat loss? 

Weight loss and fat loss are not the same things.

One of the misconceptions of weight loss is that it ties the goal too much to the number on the scale. However, if you’re in an already healthy BMI range, losing more weight can wreak havoc to your metabolism. What you’re probably wanting is reducing your body fat percentage.

But what if, you’re healthy and active and yet your BMI shows you’re obese? This is why BMI isn’t the only thing you need to be looking at. One of the limitations of BMI is that it doesn’t distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass. Someone with a higher muscle mass may have a high BMI and be classified as overweight or obese. Yet, they can be lean and muscular with low health risks.

Alternative body fat measurements

Beyond BMI values, girth measurements or skinfold measurements taken with a caliper could also help assess your body fat percentage. That said, the most accurate measure of your body fat percentage would still be with a body composition analysis, like a DEXA or BOD POD.

Losing excess body fat

No matter what you weigh, research shows that the more body fat you have, the more at risk you are for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) classifies women as obese if their body fat percentage exceeds 32%, while men are considered obese if their body fat percentage exceeds 25%.

This is why maintaining or gaining muscle mass has several benefits, such as:

• Improving heart health

• Regulating healthy blood sugar levels

• Enhancing mobility

• Increasing the calories your body burns at rest

• Improving body composition

In the long run, prioritizing fat loss over weight loss is better for your overall health.

What does healthy and sustainable weight loss look like?

Now that you’ve answered the two questions above and know that you have excess weight or excess body fat, what does sustainable weight loss look like?

If you want to lose weight, you need to consume less calories than your body burns. This depends on multiple factors including age, sex, weight and activity level.

However, if you want your weight loss results to last, the CDC recommends having a weight loss goal of 0.45 to 1kg (1 to 2 lbs) per week or about 1.8 to 3.6kg (4 to 8 lbs) of weight loss per month.

Related: Guide to losing weight

What if I’m not losing weight or keep gaining it back?

If you’ve adjusted your diet plan and exercise program but you’re still not losing weight, you may wish to look at other factors, including:

• Stress levels

• Quantity and quality of sleep

• Existing health conditions

• Any medications you take

However, if you’re convinced you’ve done everything right and still not seeing results. Or you’ve tried losing weight for years and have not had the sustainable weight loss you desire. Chances are there might be underlying health reasons preventing you from achieving your goals.

An often ignored component of weight loss is DNA. Our genes are responsible for 80% of body weight and while they can hinder our weight loss goals, it’s possible to work to overcome them.

Weight loss medications

When combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, using weight loss medication can lead to a 10% reduction in body weight. They work because weight loss medications act on a biological level, helping reduce cravings, regulate digestion, and alter the body's response to food leading to better, more sustainable weight loss.

Taking medication can feel like the opposite of your weight loss goal to be healthy. Dr Sue-Anne Toh, NOVI Health’s CEO and co-founder, thinks of medication as learning how to swim with calmer waters. When your biology is working against you, it can feel like too much work with too little returns; just like swimming against the current and waves constantly pulling you back. With medication, the waters are still and you can practice your swimming and reach your destination with more ease.

Tried everything to lose weight but nothing works? A medically supervised weight loss program, like NOVI Optimum Plus, might be the solution you’re looking for. Take the first step to reset your metabolism and lose weight for good.