Day 8: How thin do I need to be?

There are charts based on body shape, height, and much else.  Some people, for example the author of Six Weeks to OMG don't specify a target weight, but just advise you to get to where you think you should be.  That's all very empowering, but I am trying to achieve a specific health outcome: to reduce my risk of developing dementia.  I need more than a "whatever you like" target.

A good predictor of health outcomes such as alzheimers risk - is the waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR).  An article from the BBC suggests that my current WHR of 0.912 is "extreme".  That's just what I didn't want to hear, but I am not surprised.  It recommends a WHR of 75-80% as "good" and less than that as "excellent".  I have not seen a WHR of 80% in over 25 years.  That in itself bodes badly for my health risks.

There are other measures of obesity - waist circumference and body mass index, for example - but WHR has the advantage that it's not just easy to do, but does take into account body shape (how much of a pear or apple you are).  That means that improvements improve the way you look, as well as your health.

If I were never to lose any weight from my hips, then an 80% WHR would be about 82cm (a reduction of 11cm), an a 75% WHR would be about 76cm, a reduction of 17cm - which is a huge amount of fat to lose!  Still, that is fat currently wrapped around my inner organs, and I'm sure it doesn't need to be there.

Progress
The good news is that my WHR is already a little better - on Day 1 it was 0.956, so in 7 days I have reduced my WHR by 0.044.  I have also lost 10 pounds!  The important thing this statistic shows that not only am I losing weight from thighs, arms and so on, but that I am also losing it from my waist - with luck from around my inner organs - and I'm losing it there faster than around my hips, so my shape is improving.

A 76cm waistline seem like a good target.  At 75% of my current hip measurement it would rate as "excellent", and even if I lose some hip circumference I may still qualify as "good" at an 80% WHR with luck.  That would mean a waistline of just over 28 inches - something I haven't seen in a while, but which would mean I could fit every item stashed away in my wardrobe.  That in itself would be a great reward!

For me, this is rapid progress.  The last time I tried the Atkins diet I did not lose any weight at all.  I had previously done Atkins and lost some weight, but not as much as 10 pounds in a week.  Combining low-carb diet, cold water, and morning fasting does seem to help speed the weight loss along.