Do You Know Your Numbers?

 

We live in a world of numbers. Phone numbers, addresses, account numbers, dates, bank balances, distances, times. Most of us are pretty familiar with the numbers we need to navigate through the tasks and routines of our day-to-day lives. But what about the numbers that tell the story of our wellness and health?

Our health is a world of numbers too but all to many of us don't know the ones that tell our story. 

When I work with someone who is eager to lose some weight, I usually begin by asking about numbers. What do you weigh now? How much weight do you really want to lose? Almost everyone knows these numbers.

But when I ask about the calories that they consume on an average day or how many they burn off between their daily routines and exercise, most don't have any idea. You can't create a calorie deficit that will produce weight loss if you have no idea how many calories you consume and burn. 

Many people, especially older people like me, are concerned about eating too many carbohydrates or not getting enough protein. But when I ask how much they are consuming day-to-day the most common response is a blank stare.

Hypertension is called "the silent killer" because it typically presents no symptoms until your blood pressure has reached a problematic level and already harmed your health. Yet even the people who know what a good blood pressure target is (hint: 120/80 or lower) rarely know what their own blood pressure is. Some may remember it from their last doctor visit (not the best reading, it tends to be high) but have no idea what it was yesterday.

If you want to improve your health in some way, it makes sense to know where you are starting from. There are apps and tools and inexpensive equipment available to everyone these days that can provide you with the numbers you need to know with very little effort on your part. Do you know your numbers?

Here is some advice from the American Heart Association on the ones that you should know. If weight loss or nutrition are your focus, here are some great tools you can rely on.

Ignorance is not bliss. It's ignorance.