One size fits all???????

Re:One size fits all??????? (mlb)

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:32:27 GMT

nlwilliams60

I agree these charts are guidelines.. but when your doctor tells you should lose weight.. you should listen.. no matter how you slice it.. obesity is out of control in the US whether you like how it's measured or not. Most of us know we're overweight without someone telling us.. all you gotta do is look at your waistline and it will tell you.
I lost 31lbs still have about 10 to go.. and staring 50 in the face it's hard but I gotta do it!

I'm going to have to disagree. If you are in the obsese catagory, then yea you need to lose weight.  If you are in the overweight catagory but have too much bodyfat, yea, you would be healthier if you lost weight.    But my point is that if you are active and athletic and have an above average amount of muscle and below average amount of bodyfat you can fall into the "overweight" catagory and still be at a healthy weight at that body composition. Especially if all your blood marker test results come back good.

I actually know of an example of a woman going into the doctor recently with just that situation, athletic and muscular, low bodyfat, good test results,  a six pack for gawds sake, a tiny woman, size two.   And the doctor told her she needed to lose weight....based only on the weight and the height/weigh chart. That's nuts.....to lose weight she would have to quit her sports and become less active so she can lose muscle.   How is that any healthier?

When your doctor tells you something you should listen, yes. But you should not always take the doctors advice like sheep.   Doctors are overtaxed, Doctors are pressured to see many patients in a short amount of time, and don't always give every patient the time they should, Doctors make mistakes.   Sometimes you have to do your own research. Sometimes you have to question the Doctor about a recommendation, if you have had your bodyfat tested independently, then bring that to the Doctors attention and ask him if that still means he thinks you need to lose weight. Sometimes it means getting a 2nd opinion.

I'm not in denial about my weight or about the epidemic of obesity in America.  I'm not in denial about the negative health of poor diet, lack of exercise, or excessive bodyfat.  I didn't start this thread to give someone support to be in denial, but as a concept about how our Doctors can better guide us in taking better care of ourselves.

But we are individuals, there are "guildlines"...but there is more than just one "guidline" and to use one to the exclusion of and in contradiction to all the others without is not right.

Re:One size fits all??????? (nlwilliams60)

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:55:15 GMT

I agree these charts are guidelines.. but when your doctor tells you should lose weight.. you should listen.. no matter how you slice it.. obesity is out of control in the US whether you like how it's measured or not. Most of us know we're overweight without someone telling us.. all you gotta do is look at your waistline and it will tell you.
I lost 31lbs still have about 10 to go.. and staring 50 in the face it's hard but I gotta do it!

Re:One size fits all??????? (flower child)

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:51:04 GMT

Math Teacher: Congrats on the 20 lbs. That's a lot to lose. Like Slinks says, enjoy the journey.

Re:One size fits all??????? (Slinks)

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:03:08 GMT

Mathteacher~ :-)

it took about 2 years, I did hit a plateau about 12 months into it, that's when I got my first Christi Taylor and I also took my diet a step further by eating about 90% raw foods .. but I have a very obssessive personality when I become hooked on something, in that case diet and exersise .. I enjoyed what I was doing tho and the weight just dropped off .. I have since relaxed my diet eating perhaps 70% raw and meat about once a week and I now enjoy a lower intesity form of exersise .. I am always looking for new ways to eat ..

congrats on your first 20 pounds, never lose the light at the of that tunnel because it is there ..

Re:One size fits all??????? (MathTeacher)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:27:10 GMT

Slinks

RubyRay

It's taken me 7 months to lose 30 lbs, which comes to pretty close to my goal of one pound a week. Even with 20 lbs still to go, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in my mid section from when I started, I have no reason not to believe it will keep going as long as I keep going. :)
Good luck.

RR just wanted to say CONGRATS !! Don't cha just love it when it falls into place .. I myself lost 77 lbs so I know how it feels when you see and feel it coming off ..

Slinks~ How long did it take you to lose 77 lbs? (That is truly amazing) I have lost 20 pounds. I want to lose 30 more. Did you ever hit a plateau? I have not lost any so far this month. I am trying not to get too frustrated.

Re:One size fits all??????? (Slinks)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:25:26 GMT

RubyRay

But nothing worth having is easy. My health and self image is worth having, and once I committed to that, it all became a challenge to do my personal best, and then the rewards started coming, and now the pain and sacrifice seems piddly compared to the joy of succeeding.

AMEN !! :-)

Re:One size fits all??????? (RubyRay)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:19:41 GMT

Hi Slinks,
Thank you! And wow, 77 lbs! Awesome. What up with all this talk that middle aged women can't lose weight---or at least as the meme goes, not without great pain and sacrifice in calories and exercise time---and then only if you're lucky.

Well---there has been some pain and sacrifice. :) But nothing worth having is easy. My health and self image is worth having, and once I committed to that, it all became a challenge to do my personal best, and then the rewards started coming, and now the pain and sacrifice seems piddly compared to the joy of succeeding.

Re:One size fits all??????? (Slinks)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:44:11 GMT

RubyRay

It's taken me 7 months to lose 30 lbs, which comes to pretty close to my goal of one pound a week. Even with 20 lbs still to go, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in my mid section from when I started, I have no reason not to believe it will keep going as long as I keep going. :)
Good luck.

RR just wanted to say CONGRATS !! Don't cha just love it when it falls into place .. I myself lost 77 lbs so I know how it feels when you see and feel it coming off ..

Re:One size fits all??????? (RubyRay)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:58:08 GMT

Hi Happynonie,

Welcome to the forum.

What's worked for me is working out 5x a week, 45-60 minutes and including a lot of resistance training---weights, bands, body weight, pilates etc.

I do a very wide variety of videos but I do more circuit tapes than anything else---meaning the combo of cardio and strength. I really the Firm's pinks ---there are many, but I like {500 Calorie Burn}5573^, {Bootcamp Maximum Calorie burn}7800^, {Get Chiseled}5553^, {Cardio Dance Fusion}7974^, {Pump Jump and Jab}5511^, and {Cardio Sculpting balls}9335^.Most of these are intermediate level and can be worked up to or heavied up for a more advanced work out.

Other strength/toning work outs I like are {NYC}7752^/Kelly Coffey Mayer, as well as some of her 30 Minutes to Fitness work outs, some of Gilad's weights and tone work outs, {Reach}7509^ with Kari Anderson, {Squeeze}7836^.

I also have a daily calorie count adjusted to my height, current weight and level of exercise, calculated for the loss of one pound a week. It is a very comfortable amount of calories for me and I don't feel deprived, still have enough treats to stay happy. I've put the link to the calculator I use below. In case it doesn't work, google freedieting-the Weight Loss Guide.

It's been slow but sure. Take heart---I think you can melt away the middle with consistent exercise, and a reasonable calorie count. Oh, and yeah, patience. It's taken me 7 months to lose 30 lbs, which comes to pretty close to my goal of one pound a week. Even with 20 lbs still to go, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in my mid section from when I started, I have no reason not to believe it will keep going as long as I keep going. :)
Good luck.

Re:One size fits all??????? (Happynonie)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:48:59 GMT

Ruby Ray,
Even though I have ordered from Collage for years I am new to this forum. I too have that menopausal middle thing going on, as well as the back fat. You said in your message that all of that is slowly coming off. Which videos do you use and how often. I'm trying several different DVDs but am interested in what you have been using. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Rhonda

Re:One size fits all??????? (RubyRay)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:56:35 GMT

OMG, your post brings back memories of my own. I'm so happy you did it all, the zip line thing, the whale watching and snorkeling. I'm so happy you played in the waves, drank tequila and Mexican Beer.

Most of all, I'm happy you released yourself from your routine. "No exercise at all," except of course, that most divine of all exercise---that of adapting to a new environment and finding all the glorious ways the body will move when presented with these new challenges---even if it's just about walking more to see more than you ever take the time to do back home.

I know there are those who want to keep their exercise schedule throughout any vacation. And I cheer them too! Whatever works. But for me, a vacation is all about doing things differently, a release from the day to day.

And bravo, no weight gain. I believe that life grants us this every so often---the chance to enjoy without thought of the pounds to be gained, the chance to JUST BE.

Re:One size fits all??????? (primdaisy)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:06:20 GMT

We had a great time! I even went ahead and did the Zip line thing in the Sierra Madre Mtns. A little scary, but cool! We went whale watching and snorkeling. Saw a few whales, some dolphin, and baby manatees jumping out of the water! It was cool. Played in the waves, layed on the beach and drank tequila, margaritas, and mexican beer. I was able to keep my weight in check and I didn't even exercise at all!! I meant well, brought my HRM, exercise clothes and shoes, but alas it was not to be!!

Re:One size fits all??????? (RubyRay)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:26:42 GMT

Hi Primdaisy,
I must have missed how your vacation was. Did you enjoy Puerta Vallarta? I hope it was seven days of bliss guaranteed to strengthen and refresh you for what we must all do most of the time---life in routine, life away from the excitement of new places, life without benefit of vacation magic.

Re:One size fits all??????? (primdaisy)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:26:16 GMT

Here here Ruby, I'm with you!! I've been obese for years, according to the BMI chart. I could lose another 20lbs myself, but yeah, that middle aged midsection is hard to get rid of. My Dr. never hassles me about my weight. He just tells me to keep doing what I'm doing. If he's happy, I'm happy. And all my lab work is within normal limits. So there (insert raspberry with tongue)!

Re:One size fits all??????? (RubyRay)

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:23:32 GMT

Ha! I just used a BMI calculator on the internet the other day and it told me I was obese. This after losing 30 lbs with around 20 lbs to go to my goal weight---the weight I was the day I got married 22 years ago, when I was looking fine. I am just under 6 feet tall and have never had a waist measurement near their "optimum" since I was a colt of a girl.

So from my POV, I'm still 20 lbs or so over weight. This is obese? I think the BMI's concentration on waist measurement is out of whack with women's bodies, particularly middle aged women. In these last many months of exercise my legs have turned hard as rocks, my arms are starting to be nicely toned and my back fat is all but gone. The menopausal middle of course is the hardest, but it's been melting away slowly but surely. The BMI cannot account for the added muscle in my legs, arms and back. And to attain their waist standard, I'd have to be down right skinny. Not interested in skinny at all. Interested in strong and lean. 20 more pounds and I'll have the best mid section I can have and maintain at my age. To hec with the charts.

Re:One size fits all??????? (scarlette)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:00:32 GMT

Dear Murph, I read your post with interest-you said your legs bulk up. Mine bulk up also. The more cardio I do, the bigger I get. What do you do to slim them down? Most people loose weight when exercising. I don't! I just get bigger. Any advice would be welcome! Thanks!

Re:One size fits all??????? (JessieMarie)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:50:38 GMT

MLB,

I understand what your husband feels like. Remind him that exercise builds muscle which contributes to weight but in a good way. I think it's great that you're his biggest supporter.

Re:One size fits all??????? (mlb)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:12:53 GMT

Well, the my hubby's appointment yesterday at the doctors with the nutritionist was ok. Basically there was a 20 second nod to exercise "keep up the exercise that's the best thing you can do for your blood sugar" then the rest of the hour she school him on counting carbs. Nothing new really. And just as I had anticipated, he was weighed, but no other measures of change were done. My hubby gets discouraged at his attempts to lose weight. He has lost a little, but only about 5 pounds in 5 months. Like me, he has been exercising consistenly for 5 months, and watching his diet. And especially since I gave him the {Band Camp}5761^ workout for Christmas, he feels his strength and endurance have improved. I'm there to encourage him....but it would be great if a the doctors they also looked at more at body composition, as it would encourage him to keep it up even more.

MURPH -That's great! That must have felt really guuuudd. They are right, if the fat is coming off..and the muscles showing that is a better measurement than weight.

Re:One size fits all??????? (JessieMarie)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:49:45 GMT

The BMI is a measurement system based on information and opinions like anything else. In 1998, they changed the BMI scale and suddenly overnight millions more Americans were overweight and obese. In addition, there have been all those new studies saving people in the normal range can still be unhealthy and overweight people live longer. There's still alot more research to be done on BMI and health.

I'll look at the BMI and waist measurement for information sake. However, I am NOT looking at those for my weight goal.

I am judging my weight goal on what I weighed when I looked my best and was my most active. After many years of struggling with my weight, I've realized that I'm the most important person in deciding what I weigh and how I look.

Great topic.

Re:One size fits all??????? (Lynn)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:45:37 GMT

Yay Murph!