When it comes to discussions around weight, health, and wellness, you often hear people say:

“Weight is just a number.”

And that is very true.

There are countless examples of people who weigh a certain amount and have a BMI that classifies them as overweight or even obese. Yet, when you look at them, you know that number does not tell the entire story. They may be an elite athlete, a professional football player, or someone with incredible strength and conditioning.

Weight is one number.

But it is not the only number.

And if we are serious about our health and wellness, there are many numbers we should be paying attention to.

This week at the AENC Annual Meeting, I was standing in line for breakfast at the Embassy Suites, home of the famous made-to-order omelet station. A buddy of mine in front of me was placing his order.

“I’ll have an omelet with bacon, sausage, cheese, and just a few veggies.”

As we chatted back and forth, it became very apparent that green vegetables were not exactly his favorite food group. As I ordered my all-veggie omelet with no cheese, my friend commented that he would not put spinach on anything.

“Hey, I’m just trying to keep my cholesterol down,” I said.

His response:

“Well, my cholesterol is normal, but I’m on medication for that.”

“I’ll turn 55 this year,” I added, “and I’m proud of the fact that I am not on any medications. I’d like to keep it that way as long as possible.”

Let’s go back to that original number: weight.

I am sure there are countless skinny runners who have an ideal BMI but may still have underlying health concerns. A number on a scale or a BMI chart does not tell the whole story.

Because health and wellness is a numbers game.

Over the past eight months, I have been focused on two major goals with my health.

First, I want to lower my weight and, consequently, my BMI.

Second, I want to keep my blood sugar in check.

When I recently visited my doctor for follow-up bloodwork after an earlier physical, we reviewed my numbers. My A1C was normal, but my fasting blood sugar was slightly elevated. Ideally, fasting blood sugar should generally be below 100, but mine had consistently been in the 115-120 range.

Before that appointment, I purchased a continuous glucose monitor to track my eating habits and better understand what foods caused my blood sugar to increase.

It worked.

When I returned to the office, my fasting blood sugar had dropped closer to 102, and I had also lost another five pounds.

Ideally, my doctor would like to see me closer to my target BMI weight of 180-190 pounds. At 238 pounds, I still have work to do.

But even he said something important:

If these other numbers continue improving, that is the real goal.

During that visit, though, I admitted I was still frustrated. I wasn’t losing weight as quickly as I wanted, and the number on the scale continued to fluctuate.

I felt like I was eating right.

I was obviously working out.

I exercise six to seven days a week.

Then my doctor asked me an interesting question:

“Are you tracking what you eat?”

He followed that with another phrase I had heard before but never really understood.

“Are you tracking your macronutrients?”

Honestly, I did not even know how to respond.

I had heard the term before, but I couldn’t really explain it.

So, I turned to my buddy Gemmi.

Macronutrients, or “macros,” are the nutrients our bodies need in larger quantities: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Together, they provide the calories our bodies use for energy while also serving different purposes, including fueling our brains and muscles, building and repairing tissue, and regulating important body functions.

Depending on your goals, the balance of those macronutrients changes.

Someone trying to lose weight will have very different targets than someone training for an Ironman.

Tracking these numbers has a significant impact on the other numbers we should be paying attention to.

But what about the numbers beyond the traditional ones?

The classic health numbers — BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose, A1C, and cholesterol — are important. But they are only part of the picture.

More people are also paying attention to additional indicators of health and longevity, including VO2 max, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and waist-to-height ratio.

The point is simple.

One number rarely tells the whole story.

We all know we have a “born on” date and an expiration date.

What we do not know is the distance between those two numbers.

And that distance requires ownership.

The reality is that healthcare is often designed to respond to problems after they appear. That is why we have to take a proactive role in understanding our own health, asking questions, tracking progress, and making informed decisions.

I am incredibly fortunate to have a physician assistant who knows me, listens to me, and is willing to have honest conversations about my health goals.

But at the end of the day, nobody can own my health except me.

And nobody can own yours except you.

Your health is one of the most important assets you will ever manage.

Pay attention to the numbers.
Understand what they mean.
And take ownership of the story they are telling.