Every day millions of Americans are stepping on the scale. What's the reason? What does weight actually mean? It is a measure of health?

How do you know what your weight should be? Do you just kind of take a guess? Is there anything scientific about it?

Some experts say it's not a good idea to weigh yourself very often. They say if you just eat right and live a healthy lifestyle you'll be OK. Don't obsess over the scale.

I say that's a bunch of bull. I feel that if you don't know where you are at any given moment, you can't properly plan where to go. The scale is a device that simply measures something (how much downward force you are placing on this planet) and gives you the information in order for you to make future decisions.

I weigh myself at least two times a day. Why? Because I am totally in tune with my body. By weighing myself, I have gotten to know my body very well. I understand exactly how my body will respond if I eat certain foods. Or if I decide to lay off exercising for a few days. It gives me the power of choice.

But getting back to my original question. How do you know what weight is healthy? You need to know what your BMI is or your "Body Mass Index." BMI takes your weight and height into consideration and is an very important screening tool for obesity. It has been absolutely proven that obese people are more prone to certain disease processes such as diabetes, heart disease and more, and do not live as long as those who are of a normal weight.

Determining your BMI is very simple. You just need to know your height (in inches) and weight. Once you know both of these, follow the steps below to see where you are (you will need a calculator):

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR BMI

Your BMI estimates how much you should weigh, based on your height. Here are the steps to calculate it:

• Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
• Divide that answer by your height in inches.
• Divide that answer by your height in inches again.

For example, a woman who weighs 270 pounds and is 68 inches tall has a BMI of 41.0.

Use the chart below to see what category you fall into, and whether you need to be concerned about your weight.

BMI	CATEGORY
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 - 24.9	Healthy
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight
30.0 - 39.9	Obese
Over 40	Morbidly Obese

OK, so there you have it. If your BMI is 25.0 or greater, you need to make some changes. Please don't let things get out of hand because it becomes increasingly more difficult to fix. If you are for some reason at a point where you think it's too late, let me tell you... I believe it's NEVER too late to make changes in your life.

Check for my upcoming blog on how you can actually "Impress the World With Your Body in Seven Days!