How To Calculate Body Mass Index - BMI Calculator

How To Calculate Body Mass Index - BMI

An easy way to calculate your average Body Mass Index, to assess your excess body fat, is by using this free Body Mass Index calculator from the CDC. Determining your BMI will give you a pretty good idea of your general weight range for your size and height. Weighing in at 200 pounds on a 6'2" frame, I'm unfortunately dipping into the overweight category. I wish I could say that I was 200 lbs. of bone & muscle, but I'd be fooling with my weight loss efforts if I did. You can play around with the Body Mass Index calculator, leaving the height the same and adjusting the weight, until you find a general weight that throws you into the normal weight (healthy) category. This can assist you with any future weight loss efforts. There is also a BMI calculator for kids should you be concerned about your children being overweight. As a general rule, the higher your BMI number, the more you are at risk for life-threatening health conditions.

Definition of Body Mass Index

So what does Body Mass Index mean and how accurate is BMI? Your Body Mass Index number is a general guide to how much actual body fat is being carried on your body. The number you calculate from the Body Mass Index calculator is not a definitive number. You would need further testing to get a more accurate number. Some of these tests for measuring body fat may include, among others, a skinfold thickness test, underwater weighing and computer tomography.

Tips to Help You Lose Weight

• Make a commitment to lose weight. If you get off track, get back on quick.


• Don't set unattainable weight loss goals for yourself.


• Eat Healthier. Add more whole foods to your diet.


• Exercise regularly to burn more calories.


• Change your habits. If you do what you've always done, you'll get...well, you know.


• And have your doctor schedule a BMI test to assist you in getting that Body Mass Index score back down into the normal, healthy range.

Read more

How To Get Free Business Consulting Advice

If you're just starting a new business, or even if you're an established business in need of excellent advice, you can get free business consulting from a source of professionals that most likely have the answers to your questions. The Small Business Council of Retired Executives, better known as S.C.O.R.E., is an online mentoring group of retired successful business executives that will consult with small businesses for free. They can give you recommendations and help on a variety of small business subjects. Everything from writing a business plan to securing a business loan.

If you're an entrepreneur just researching starting a new business, the S.C.O.R.E. website is an excellent place to learn tips on how to jump start your new business, finding out if you can afford to start a small business and even tips to help your new business survive. All of these business consulting resources couldn't be found with a better price tag. Free!

Read more

How To Save Money on Electric Bills - Heating & Cooling

Below you'll find some pretty simple tips on how to save money on electric bills. A few of these tips you may have heard of before and it should go without saying that the more energy we use the higher the electric bill. To save money, your goal is to limit energy use in your home as much as possible...conserve energy. What that means is, sometimes we have to go out of our way to save an extra dollar or two. That could be anything from getting up out of bed at night when you forgot to turn off a light to setting your thermostat higher in the summer to save on cooling costs. If you want to really save on your electric bills, you need to be somewhat willing to compromise.

Save on Cooling Costs

• Your biggest savings from cooling costs can be found right at your thermostat. The closer your thermostat is set to match the outside temperature of your home the more money you will save. If you can set your thermostat around 77-78°F in the summer, you should see a reduction in your next electric bill. If you can manage to set your thermostat even a few degrees higher, all the better.



• If you're going to be sitting or working in one place for any length of time, have a fan blowing towards you to help you feel cooler.



• If your heating and cooling ducts are uninsulated, try to have them insulated as soon as possible. And be sure to check for any leaks at least once a year.



• You can also have a programmable thermostat installed that will help to lower your daily energy use. A programmable thermostat can be set at different temperatures for different times of day. This is very helpful for controlling cooling costs.



• Closing the curtains during the day, when you're not at home, helps to save money on cooling costs.



• Have your air conditioning unit serviced regularly.

Save on Heating Costs

• Pretty much the same principle applies to heating costs in winter as it does to cooling costs in summer. For winter, keep your thermostat on as low a setting as is comfortable. Should you get a chill, you can wear more clothes in winter to make your body feel warmer and drinking warm liquids always seems to help.



• If you live in a rural area and have access to plenty of land with trees, you may want to consider heating with wood.



• Inspect around exterior windows and doors for any cracks that may have developed. If you find any, apply caulking to reseal.



• Be sure you have adequate insulation in your attic. Don't know what the recommended insulation R-Value is for attics in your area? Use this ZIP Code Insulation Program from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Water Heater Savings

• A fair amount of money can be saved annually by lowering the thermostat on your water heater by a few degrees.



• Install a water heater blanket on your water heater to help prevent heat loss.



• Make sure you don't have any water leaks, especially from the hot water lines.



• Insulate approximately 6 feet of the water lines that enter and exit the hot water heater to help prevent heat loss.



• Maintain the efficiency of your water heater by draining about a gallon of water from the bottom of the water heater tank several times a year. This helps to prevent any buildup of sediment.

Read more

How To Report an Earthquake

Have you ever felt what you thought was an earthquake and wanted to report it somehow? If you honestly think you felt an earthquake, you can report seismic activity to the United States Geological Survey website. Click on the Report Unknown Event button and you'll be taken through a series of questions to make your report. You will be asked such questions to help determine if it was indeed an earthquake. And if so, the intensity of the quake. You can also view other earthquakes that have been reported around the globe. So if you ever think you feel an earthquake, now you know where to go to report it.

Read more