Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Final "Get Fit After 40 Summer Challenge" Weigh-In...And a Rant

By now, most of you know that I don't weigh myself daily or even weekly...the numbers make me crazy and can totally ruin my day. I realize that for some people, they can look at what the scale says logically and not be all bummed out if it does not show a loss when you've been doing everything exactly right, but not me. So I try to limit myself to a couple times a month for weigh-ins.

This really helps, especially since my weight loss seems to be going very slowly right now - but the important thing for me to remember is that I am losing while eating intuitively. Which is huge for me! In the past month, I've had a ton of fruit, lots of salads and grilled chicken, my favorite Greek yogurt, berries and cereal combination, cheese, nuts and smoothies, as well as some items from my "don't eat this very often list" which included: a restaurant meal with pasta, a yummy hamburger and some fries, a piece of red-velvet cake at a party, Ben and Jerry's Lemon Sorbet in a waffle-cone bowl (ate about half the bowl) and I'm sure there was more, but this is what sticks out in my mind right now. So with all that, I weighed in today and was happy to see that I have lost 17 pounds since June 1st! Woohoo!!!

Now on to September - I've pledged to lose four pounds with Lori...I'm definitely feeling motivated to make the best food choices I can in order to stay on this downward path!

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And now, a BMI rant. I have been weighing myself using my Wii Fit - this lovely piece of equipment not only tells you your weight, but also your BMI - actually it does this first. Then it pudges out your little Mii figure to correspond with how FAT you are - and says "that's obese" in a snotty voice. So today, I finally made it to the simply "overweight" BMI category - and I'm about 30 pounds away from my chosen goal weight. Which made me go look up my goal weight on a BMI chart - and apparently I will still be "overweight" when I am at goal, according to the BMI chart gods. What I want to know is who died and made BMI king?!? What a stupid, stupid system! I chose a goal weight that I believe I will be able to maintain fairly easily, without having to struggle on a daily basis. I want a healthy lifestyle, not something that I have to continually starve myself for. And for this, I will still be "overweight" - really?!? I don't think so. There is way too much emphasis put on the BMI number and I reject it. I am not just a number on a chart...or a number on a scale. I am much more than that - I am someone who has lost a ton of weight, who now exercises on a regular basis, who eats healthy most of the time, who has made a major lifestyle change. And I will not be defined by some stupid chart that was invented back in the 1800's.

24 comments:

  1. I like how you said the voice was snotty. Like is there anyway we would interpret "that's obese!" in a cheery voice?

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  2. Great great job on the loss!!!! I've heard that Michael Jordan is considered overweight by the BMI chart if that gives you any indication! I think you should just continue to do what feels right!

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  3. Congrats on the loss, Shelley! You amaze me!

    The PC cops here are seriously considering sending our kids' BMIs home to the parents - just a little something more for our little hormonal wrecks to feel bad about. I'm with you - this s*cks!

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  4. You know this, but as a reminder, the BMI is really just one measurement of your overall health and fitness.

    You need to pick a goal that you can maintain without killing yourself while doing it!

    Can you put the scale on mute???!!

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  5. Are you healthy? Are you fit? Do you feel fine? Are you happy with how great you look? Those are the important things. The rest is just, well, not to be taken seriously.

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  6. So hard to have the BMI number rain on your weight loss parade. Annoys me, too. And that wii voice... argh!

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  7. And so it is! Its just a number. What's important is that you're eating healthy, exercise and be happy with who you are and you're doing perfectly well on that!

    xxx

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  8. numbers are numbers. All of them. Once you get there (to YOUR goal), see how you look and feel, and what your doctor says. Then decide if you give a damn about the BMI or not. ;)

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  9. 17 pounds since June? Wow! That is amazing!

    Eating intuitively is quite an accomplishment. I can't quite get that down LOL!

    Glad you are joining the challenge.

    And BMI? Phhhtttt.... it means nothing if you work out.

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  10. I was thrilled when I hit "over weight" I thought that sounded so much better than obese!

    I think BMI is not really and accurate way to measure weight loss. I think if you feel good, and are at a healthy weight that is really WAY more important!

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  11. Holy Shit Shelley! 17 pounds!! That's so amazing!

    I agree with you on the BMI - I am within 25 pounds of my goal weight, and at 130 pounds and my hight, I am still in the "overweight" BMI! WTF??!!

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  12. Way to go on the 17 pound weight loss. That is excellent!

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  13. Congrats on the fabulous loss since June!

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  14. Wow that is so awesome! I totally agree with you about the BMI index... and ranting burns calories so rant all you want. :)

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  15. Nintendo didn't pick BMI because it's the best measure of fitness .... they chose it because it was EASY! Remember that BMI, like most things in life, are based upon assumptions ... even your WEIGHT! when you tell me your weight, I make an assumption that you are standing on planet Earth. If we all lived on different planets, we'd have to discuss our mass, because your mass, unlike your weight, is independent of your planet's gravity.

    Also, remember this: the Nintendo Wii is an IDIOT! I love it, but it's true! You have a brain and reasoning power, it doesn't. If you're very muscular and you check your BMI, it will likely tell you you're obese! Take me for example ... when it tells me I'm fat, I can use my observational powers and notice that ... well ... I can notice that I AM fat! OK, that's a bad example, but I've noticed, as has my tailor, that the strength-building exercises have caused a noticeable increase in the size of my shoulders, pectoral muscles, triceps, and biceps. When my BMI creeps up, as it has, o know the increasing muscle mass explains this.

    And in closing, let me say this: "GOOD GOD, WOMAN! FABULOUS RESULTS!".

    - Greg

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  16. I say it all the time, but every time I read your blog I think the same thing, you are such an inspiration! :)

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  17. Congrats on that loss Shelley! That is amazing, and great that you have done it while enjoying some different foods. For that, I am envious! :-)

    My scale tell me my BMI is higher than what the charts say, so even though I am barely (and I do mean barely)in the normal weight and BMI range according to charts, I am in the overweight category according to my scales, especially in the morning when I weigh the least. I don't get it.

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  18. You are doing AWESOME in my books!!! 17lbs since June!! WOW girl! keep it up!!! And I love the way you write, you always crack me up!! lol!!

    Have a good one!!
    Hugs!

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  19. Eating intutively is how I have been doing for a while now. It really seems like a lifestyle. Plus, it's been fun...who knew?!

    I am with you an the BMI. I know my body! So do you!

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  20. Yeah, that was what I felt when someone told me my goal weight was too high for my diminutive height. I still will be overweight at goal, but I do want to be at a weight I can manage, not always struggling to maintain.

    I really think the BMI thing is flawed and doesn't take into account women's extra fat layer or smaller women. It is too clumsy and only a stupid formula which is only meant to be a rough indication, not some kind of law or anything! Ooops, now I am all ranty!

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  21. Your comment cracked me up! No, I was not picking a fight with you over the Buddhist thing. hahahaa

    Thanks for that. You really gave me a chuckle this evening.
    :-)

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  22. The BMI was not invented in the 1800s - in fact it's fairly recent. If it HAD been invented back then, it would probably find you perfect right now, as a 'rubenesque' body type was most desired back then.
    And, incidently, I'm not so sure BMI is a good measure of health. In fact, people in the 'overweight' category actually live longer.

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  23. blush blush...and now I've been properly edified by clicking on "invented in the 1800's" Very informative!

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  24. 17 lbs since June 1st is really terrific, Shelley, and I don't think it's slow at all considering how close you are to your goal weight.

    I totally agree with you re the BMI chart . . . the most important thing is how you feel and look, you're *already* feeling and looking great!

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