Sustainable Steps to Healthier Living After Significant Weight Gain (BMI 40+)

Fighting for Your Health — Taking the First Steps

Story time. Fair warning this could get a bit heavy (pun intended).

I’ve helped hundreds of people lose weight including myself; I lost 30kg (66lb) in order to join the army. One chap sticks with me. He was huge. Not just big, enormous. I’ve worked with some monster folk in my time, between strongmen, soldiers and the like, but this guy probably tipped them all off the scales. He’d been a rugby player, sumo wrestler, bouncer — all those jobs where being big was a plus. But life had hit hard, he kept eating like he was still in those gigs, and his health went downhill fast. He was too scared to even come into the gym, and said people laughed at him outside when he’d first tried to come. I doubted it, knowing how accepting and friendly my gym is, but when I saw him I was less dubious…people probably stared.

We started with a walk, 20 meters at a time, at which point he had to catch his breath. We just talked about small changes he could make. I gave him the similar advice I give lots of people, the advice that’s helped countless clients turn their lives around, get back to sports, and be better for their kids.

Sadly, it was too late for him. He passed away during the pandemic likely due to comorbidities. I can’t help but wonder if he’d made those changes sooner, things would have been different.

If you’re reading this, you’re hopefully ready to make real, lasting changes to your health. A BMI of 40 or above indicates significant obesity, and while quick fixes might seem tempting, sustainable lifestyle changes are the key to long-term success. Looking at the research, those who use quick fixes like Ozempic or surgery seem to fare better when they make these changes anyway, usually with the help of some coaching.

This article will guide you through practical steps to improve your health and begin a sensible weight loss journey, while thinking of diets, surgery and medications as potential tools, not miracles.

All About the Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI serves as a valuable initial screening tool for assessing weight-related health risks. While it doesn’t directly measure body fat, it offers a quick estimate of whether someone’s weight falls within a healthy range for their height. It’s crucial, however, to interpret BMI within the context of lifestyle factors like activity levels and muscle mass. Even though increased muscle mass can enhance quality of life, a high BMI due to excess muscle still places a greater burden on the cardiovascular system.

Ultimately, regardless of composition, carrying excessive weight, even if it’s muscle, statistically increases the risk of health complications and can reduce longevity, as the heart must work harder to circulate blood throughout a larger body. Many heavyweight bodybuilders with a higher than average BMI end up with suspicious heart problems.

In my experience, many detractors of BMI as a measurement could do with paying it some more attention and I will include myself in this statistic.

Author’s note: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight, and 890 million of these were living with obesity. This means 43% of adults worldwide are overweight, and 16% are obese. Obese people are more than 2.5 times more likely to develop high blood pressure and have an increased risk of certain cancers, including being 3 times more likely to develop colon cancer.