I am a 29-year-old woman of large build. I exercise five times a week. I run, cycle, swim and go to the gym (using a HRM to keep me in the HR zone set by a personal trainer). I eat sensibly. But I am 77kg and, for my height of 169cm, overweight according to my BMI (27). I look a healthy size. Should I get my BMI down, or not panic about the numbers?

BMI measures weight in relation to height, and is used as an indicator of excess weight and obesity. To find your BMI, measure your height in metres and weight in kilos; dividing the weight by height squared. A normal BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9. Between 24.9 and 29.9 is considered overweight; above that, obese.

While you are wise to be aware of your BMI, it has limitations: it does not distinguish between muscle and fat, nor where your fat is distributed. It is also not a good measure of progress as you get fitter, since increased muscle mass may make you heavier.

If you are after body shape change, it’s essential to monitor progress. But since you are doing so much exercise, and are weight-conscious, I’d recommend measuring your waist circumference monthly and weight weekly.

Recent evidence suggests waist circumference may be a more practical measurement; it correlates closely with BMI and shows where your fat is. Waist measurements of more than 100cm (39.37 ins) for men and 88cm (34.65 ins) for women represent a significantly increased medical risk.

If you are still concerned, pay a little attention in two directions: first, portion size. Cut back just 150-300 calories a day, or the equivalent of a large sweetened full-fat latte coffee. Second, increase your daily physical activity by an extra 100 calories, roughly equivalent to walking an extra mile a day. You’d be surprised how the consistent application of these two can reap big benefits.

Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall.com). Send your exercise questions to: Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER ([email protected]).

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