The Blood Type Diet Tutorial

Lesson Eight: Achieving your ideal weight

Choosing foods by blood type is about total health. Weight loss is simply a pleasant side effect of beneficial food choices. As our bodies get healthier, there are various plateaus we will go through where the glands and hormones start to reset and normalize their functions. During these periods, it is common not to lose weight. In addition, lectins blocking insulin receptors on the surface of cells do not willingly let go. Patience and minimizing the use of all avoid foods is called for during this healing period.

Let's take a moment to discuss the difference between 'weight' and 'body composition'. We routinely hear people refer to their weight and their desire to lose weight. Unfortunately, this is a very unspecific goal. A more appropriate goal would usually be to lose fat. What is the difference you might ask? Body weight consists of other components besides fat. These include muscle tissue, bone weight, and water primarily.

Clearly losing weight in your bones would not be a healthy goal. We are all familiar with osteoporosis and the need to sustain thick strong bones, so we are probably in agreement that this is not the type of weight we would like to lose.

Similarly, if we were to look at all of the advantageous functions muscle tissue contributes to on behalf of our health, including being the primary furnace to burn fat, we would be in agreement that losing muscle tissue would not be a good form of weight loss either. In fact, we find that health suffers not so much from too much weight, but from too much body fat and too little muscle. As such, it is much more important to know the amount of muscle mass you have rather than to solely focus on your weight.

Although less dramatic than most 'crash diets', losing weight by eating for your blood type is characterized by an increase in you muscle mass, which actually increases your metabolic rate, minimizing the chances of 'yo-yo dieting'.

We've gathered a few resources to help you out.

RESOURCE: Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Key Point: Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the commonly used ways to determine when extra pounds translate into health risks. BMI is a measure, which takes into account a person’s weight and height to gauge total body fat in adults. Someone with a BMI of 26 to 27 is about 20 percent overweight, which is generally believed to carry moderate health risks. A BMI of 30 and higher is considered obese. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of developing additional health problems. You can calculate your BMI using one of the calculators available on the website.

RESOURCE: Caloric Requirement Calculator

Key Point: Although exact calorie-counting is not a mandatory requirement for following the Blood Type Diet, keeping within an optimal caloric range may enhance your rate of weight loss. You can calculate your average caloric requirement by using the Caloric Requirement Calculator available on the website.