There are at least two things which you must understand when getting and staying in shape.
The first is your body weight. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twice, get off the scale!
Weighing yourself daily is what I consider unnecessary torture. Often our weight fluctuates and when you monitor it daily, you can drive yourself crazy.
The biggest complaint I hear is from people who work out regularly and say they don’t see their weight decreasing. For the sake of argument, we are going to assume they are eating healthy.
So I ask, “Do your clothes fit better and do you feel and look better?” And they always say, “Yes.”
So what’s the problem? They are not seeing the pounds decrease.
I believe losing inches is a greater victory than losing pounds. A loss of inches indicates you’ve gotten rid of fat, and isn’t that your goal?
The problem is we associate pounds to how good someone is supposed to look or how thin a person is. Of course your body weight is important, but don’t take it out of context.
Check out these articles, which will give you insight and hopefully end your worrying about what the scale says.
Pounds versus inches
The Docs Blog
Losing Inches not pounds (video)
That brings me to my second point, what about your BMI or Body Mass Index?
What’s more important than how much you weigh is the percentage of your lean to fat weight, which is also known as your BMI.
I entered my height and weight into the calculator and it gave me a number that I am not happy with. It says I’m overweight.
According to the CDC, “Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.”
The first is your body weight. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twice, get off the scale!
Weighing yourself daily is what I consider unnecessary torture. Often our weight fluctuates and when you monitor it daily, you can drive yourself crazy.
The biggest complaint I hear is from people who work out regularly and say they don’t see their weight decreasing. For the sake of argument, we are going to assume they are eating healthy.
So I ask, “Do your clothes fit better and do you feel and look better?” And they always say, “Yes.”
So what’s the problem? They are not seeing the pounds decrease.
I believe losing inches is a greater victory than losing pounds. A loss of inches indicates you’ve gotten rid of fat, and isn’t that your goal?
The problem is we associate pounds to how good someone is supposed to look or how thin a person is. Of course your body weight is important, but don’t take it out of context.
Check out these articles, which will give you insight and hopefully end your worrying about what the scale says.
Pounds versus inches
The Docs Blog
Losing Inches not pounds (video)
That brings me to my second point, what about your BMI or Body Mass Index?
What’s more important than how much you weigh is the percentage of your lean to fat weight, which is also known as your BMI.
I entered my height and weight into the calculator and it gave me a number that I am not happy with. It says I’m overweight.
According to the CDC, “Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.”
In hopes of faring better, I calculated my ideal weight using a BMI calculator.
The outcome wasn’t much better. Low and behold the weight it recommends for me! I haven’t weighed that little since high school.
The above website also references different methods for measuring your body composition. It is important that you remember the calculators are accurate for MOST people not ALL people. It’s a guideline, so don’t take it literally especially if your health care provider deems you healthy and fit.
The best advice I can give you, is don’t put too much weight (pun intended) into the calculators. Neither considers your muscle mass, genetic make-up or other factors that makes each person’s weight unique.
My point is I know I’m not overweight and I know I am a healthy person in regards to my cholesterol and blood pressure, so there are things that contribute to my weight that a calculator can’t account for.
And if you’re still not convinced that calculators and body weight is not the end all be all, think about this. The following was written in a by Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz (both of the Oprah Show): “If you compare their weights to their heights, both Michael Jordan and LeBron James were/are technically overweight at the middle of their play-off runs.” Dr. Roizen told a woman concerned with her two pound weight gain despite her ½ inch loss around her waist.
By educating yourself, you can be more informed and less anxious about what scales and charts say you should be.
The outcome wasn’t much better. Low and behold the weight it recommends for me! I haven’t weighed that little since high school.
The above website also references different methods for measuring your body composition. It is important that you remember the calculators are accurate for MOST people not ALL people. It’s a guideline, so don’t take it literally especially if your health care provider deems you healthy and fit.
The best advice I can give you, is don’t put too much weight (pun intended) into the calculators. Neither considers your muscle mass, genetic make-up or other factors that makes each person’s weight unique.
My point is I know I’m not overweight and I know I am a healthy person in regards to my cholesterol and blood pressure, so there are things that contribute to my weight that a calculator can’t account for.
And if you’re still not convinced that calculators and body weight is not the end all be all, think about this. The following was written in a by Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz (both of the Oprah Show): “If you compare their weights to their heights, both Michael Jordan and LeBron James were/are technically overweight at the middle of their play-off runs.” Dr. Roizen told a woman concerned with her two pound weight gain despite her ½ inch loss around her waist.
By educating yourself, you can be more informed and less anxious about what scales and charts say you should be.
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