Tag Archives: BMI

Second Weigh In Results

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How did it go? Check for yourself:

second weigh in
Results of the second weigh in

I did alright – lost one pound! It’s a movement in the right direction. I am so glad that I didn’t gain anything. I tried not to think about it too much beforehand but I was worried that I might not see any progress. This was encouraging. Now if I can do that 30 more times, I’d be good to go!

I realize that I didn’t tell you why my BMI was overwhelming. If I were six foot tall, it wouldn’t be an issue. I’d be in the normal range. Since I’m 5’3″ – not so much. I’m way past the growing stage so getting taller isn’t an option. Losing weight is the only solution to bring down that BMI.

I read the Jillian Michaels newletter everyday. This week she says BMI is not the only method to use to calculate desirable weight. Here is an excerpt:

Today, the medical industry has set its weight guidelines according to the waist-to-hip-ratio method, which is a much more accurate way of arriving at an ideal goal weight. Follow these steps to find yours:

  • Get a tape measure and measure your waist right at the belly-button line.
  • Standing with feet hip-width apart, measure your hips at their widest point.
  • Now simply divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. This is your waist-to-hip ratio.

The ideal waist-to-hip ratios are 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men.
www.jillianmichaels.com

Now I have to go check my waist-to-hip ratio. Who knows – maybe that number will make me feel less “obese” – what an ugly word. I will keep searching for the best information so that I can arm myself with facts that will work for me. But this hip measurement has me worried. Why do men get an additional leeway of .15. If anything, women should get that leeway because we generally are curvier. Having a rounded rear asset is supposed to be a good thing.

Next – waist-to-hip ratio (something else to add to the list of things that don’t make me smile)

Weigh In

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I said I was going to do it and I did. I weighed myself this morning and to my surprise, I didn’t pass out. But I wasn’t happy.

First time on the scale
First time on the scale

I had mixed feelings seeing that number. First, it wasn’t as high as it had been in the past. Before I was treated for a thyroid condition (and I definitely will get into that in a later post), my weight had ballooned up to 195 lbs! I felt like I was bursting out of my own skin. But after many years and multiple doctors, I am being successfully treated with thyroid medication. So the number is reflective of the progress that the medicine has made helping get my body to start working again. If you suspect a thyroid condition, run, don’t walk, to an endocrinologist. I’ve gone to GPs, internists, and other specialty doctors only to find out this is the very one I needed all along.

Okay, back to the weight. It wasn’t bad enough that I was feeling overweight, looking overweight, and now seeing the actual number confirming I was overweight but I had to go and check out my BMI (Body Mass Index*). I’ve tried Jillian Michaels program in the past and was shocked at the results of my BMI score. Not only did I fret over the number but the text was a slap in the face – not only am I “above” the healthy range but I’m in the obese category. WHAT? When did that happen?

Now I have to face up to it. What do I do next? It’s time to modify the eating and exercise. Modify the exercise – did I really just type that??? I have to START the exercise. I’m not what you’d call motivated to exercise in general. But no matter what anyone says or does, it comes down to calories in, calories out. I no longer have an excuse not to exercise. I will say that I am not going to push myself past my comfort level. I know that if I make it too hard for myself I will just quit. Jillian may be a hard body but she’s not me, a mature woman with years of excuses why not to exercise.

And the biggest reason why I can’t use excuses any more, like “I hate going to the gym” or “I get bored exercising by myself” because my dear, sweet husband bought me a state of the art treadmill for Christmas. God bless him. Really. It’s a mixed blessing. I know he bought it to help me but now I have to use that thing. I’m sure I will have much to say once I finally get on that thing. It has so many bells and whistles that I am sure I will fall down just from the learning curve.

Tomorrow – first day on the treadmill <sigh>

*What does BMI mean?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an established measure utilized by physicians and health experts to determine weight status (i.e. underweight, overweight or within a healthy weight range).