It has been awhile since I spoke about my weight.
I know but isn't this a blog about weight loss and stuff?
Well it began that way. But it has evolved to more than that now.
I guess I have not been discussing my weight because so much more has been going on that is taking over. My training for my first marathon, going paleo, getting into crossfit, and everything else. Yes I still track Weight Watchers PointsPlus every single day, yes I still weigh myself once or twice a week. No I have not been to a meeting for quite some time.
Honestly I guess I just grew tired of the meetings, after over a year in the program it seems they go over the same stuff every month. Or maybe I needed a break? I also got very frustrated because of my weight. I keep putting on muscle but I cannot get to my ideal "BMI" goal weight of 150. It is frustrating. I got on the scale and once again saw the big 157 glaring at me it just gets depressing. If I was not working out daily, and staying within my daily points allowance then I could understand it. Then I would be writing a different kind of post. But this is down right aggravating and I am at a loss for what to do next.
I want to keep going to weight watchers but I am not sure if it is what is best. I tried to talk to one of the leaders about it and she basically said well when you workout a lot sometimes you eat more than you intend to. I wish that were the problem.... So my next step is to talk to my primary care doctor about it at my annual physical in 2 weeks. I want to ask her about my BMI and if she is concerned etc. It's just used accepting that you are in good enough physical shape to run races and sub 7 minute miles but still labelled over weight. So I may go to a meeting this weekend and see how it goes. I have not decided yet. I'm ready to be done with the weighing game but I feel like I'm haunted by this.
What are your thoughts on BMI and athletes being within theirs?
I know but isn't this a blog about weight loss and stuff?
Well it began that way. But it has evolved to more than that now.
I guess I have not been discussing my weight because so much more has been going on that is taking over. My training for my first marathon, going paleo, getting into crossfit, and everything else. Yes I still track Weight Watchers PointsPlus every single day, yes I still weigh myself once or twice a week. No I have not been to a meeting for quite some time.
Honestly I guess I just grew tired of the meetings, after over a year in the program it seems they go over the same stuff every month. Or maybe I needed a break? I also got very frustrated because of my weight. I keep putting on muscle but I cannot get to my ideal "BMI" goal weight of 150. It is frustrating. I got on the scale and once again saw the big 157 glaring at me it just gets depressing. If I was not working out daily, and staying within my daily points allowance then I could understand it. Then I would be writing a different kind of post. But this is down right aggravating and I am at a loss for what to do next.
I want to keep going to weight watchers but I am not sure if it is what is best. I tried to talk to one of the leaders about it and she basically said well when you workout a lot sometimes you eat more than you intend to. I wish that were the problem.... So my next step is to talk to my primary care doctor about it at my annual physical in 2 weeks. I want to ask her about my BMI and if she is concerned etc. It's just used accepting that you are in good enough physical shape to run races and sub 7 minute miles but still labelled over weight. So I may go to a meeting this weekend and see how it goes. I have not decided yet. I'm ready to be done with the weighing game but I feel like I'm haunted by this.
What are your thoughts on BMI and athletes being within theirs?
12 comments:
looks like you got a little sumthin' sumthin' on your foot, there......
i have a real opinion here; but will have to post about it in a bit....
BMI for athletes=bogus.
Here's why:
BMI doesn't take body composition into account. at all. in my former life, one of my roles as an Army Medic was to screen soldiers who were arriving to be trained in the Mountain Warfare School. This is akin to SeAL training, but for mountainous terrain in any weather, day or night. Anyhoooo....
UBER fit soldiers apply to this school. They all had to pass a weight test to get in. If they failed the weight test, we used a series of measurements and calculations to determine body composition. most of them passed that part. we'd see guys who looked like they just walked off of Mr. Olympia who would FAIL the weight requirement by 30 pounds, but FLY through the composition part. If we used BMI, most of them would have been considered borderline OBESE. Clearly not the case.
I weigh in right around 170, and am 5'8". that puts me in the overweight category. to look at me, you would never believe my BMI number.
SO.
while BMI might have it's place in some arenas (not quite sure where, actually.....) for athletes....it is bogus.
best to rely on how you FEEL (not emotionally, but rather fitness level).
I look at MMA fighters who are the same height as me or the same weight as me, who's BMI would be about the same as me, and they are RIPPED. so.....
bye, bye, BMI.....
I am pretty much the same weight I am as a year ago when I was training for a marathon when it's impossible to lose weight. That said, my weight has been redistributed in a way as I've done some weight training and core work. That whole "weight is just a number" statement has much more meaning now. Gene makes some excellent points.
Ok every body has its own set point. there is not magic number and your body may just be happy here especially during marathon training. if you feel good and strong (and you look it) don't let that silly number get you down. i can't even get near a scale. i hate them lol. so don't worry you are doing great!
Honestly, one of the things I never liked about WW is that it limits fat. With the amount you work out, and seeing some of your food choices, you are likely not eating enough fat. I easily get 20-40% of my daily calories from fat, I run a lot, and I'm easily maintaining a weight lower than I ever have. Eating fat really does beget fat loss.
I agree in that BMI is bogus! Body fat percentage is what you should rely on most. Muscle weigh more than fat so you can have a high BMI but low body fat and woman do need some good body fat reserves for normal hormonal regulation. I have gone down down below 115 before but still felt I had lower body bulk. However, my hormones were being affected so I knew that was too low for me. We all have different body types as well, so sometimes it means accepting we areaways going to have a little extra in some areas than others. I'm still struggling with that but ai know I need to keep myself healthy because that is most important.
I also wanted to add Paleo is generally a high fat diet with the addition of fermented foods. If you have any questions about what I've said, you know where to find me :)
You know I'm a huge fan of Weight Watchers, but I'm not sure their BMI-based goal weights are always the best option for a high level athletes such as yourself. I have another friend who struggled with the same issues of never quite being able to get to her WW goal because she was training for marathons, triathlons, weight lifting, etc. She finally let go of the notion that she needed to see X on the scale and went by her clothing size instead. When she got to the clothing size she wanted, she got a note from her doctor to declare goal at WW. At that time, she was a size 6 and still 9 pounds above the high end of her WW weight range. So, I say don't get caught up on a particular number, if you feel good and feel you are at a weight you can maintain with your current lifestyle, I say get the doctor's note and declare goal. You looked AWESOME when we saw each other earlier this summer!
Thanks for the advice guys!!
I do feel healthy, and I do feel fit. I guess its just hard accepting the athlete fact after being obese for so many years, to think of one's self as an athlete takes a mind change! I am a work in progress though and will keep working on it.
I appreciate your support and advice :)
Ack! No, no, no! I hope your doctor takes your question seriously. There is no way you need to lose weight and I doubt that you have any excess body fat. (Remember, women need some fat--you want some boobs and butt I assume!) BMI is a "dumb" measure because it cannot tell the difference between fat, muscle, bone or water. Many athletes would be "overweight" on the BMI scale because of their muscle. And you, my dear, are slim and strong!
One thing that I did when I lost weight was to get some not-too-glitzy Glamour Shots done so I could see how I looked without having that looking-in-the-mirror distortion. Maybe you can get something like that done, or get a great race picture printed and framed, for a reality check.
I had a similar issue when my weight started climbing during marathon training. I couldn't tell if I was gaining muscle or adding weight from constantly being hungry. BMI was useless.
I went in for a Bod Pod test. A very simple process (Google Bod Pod) to discover I was 22% body fat. Good but not great. I quick consultation with a nutritionist and some tweaks to higher protein (quinona, turkey, chicken, greek yogurt) and fewer carbs and in 60 days I dropped 7 pounds and after only a brief spell of low energy (upped the carbs) I'm not craving food constantly and running some of the my best times ever.
Hang in there, you've probably outgrown weight watchers and need to readjust your nutrition support system.
Love your tattoo...
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