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2 Responses to “BMI question! Please help!?”

1. Hannibal The Cannibal on June 29th, 2010 | 5:31 pm

   

   The BMI is the worst possible way to assess health. It was created in the 1800s by a statistician so he could see the average height-to-weight ratio in an area. That was IT. It was never, ever intended to assess your health.

   So, first thing’s first: ditch the BMI.

   Being "built to the hilt" is all well and good, but your abilities really assess your health (in addition to your food, but you say that’s good to go). You say you workout 3x weekly, which is a good start, but try kicking that up to 5x a week. Being a mother means you’re on a time constraint most times, but also means you really need to take care of yourself. The fitter you are, the better mother you can be, so "treat" yourself with workouts in the morning to prepare you for your day. Your exercise should have a goal behind it. Goals like "add 10lbs to my bench press" and "run 3 miles in under 25 minutes" are goals you can work towards. Doing this will also help your body fat percentage go down and your fitness level go up.

   That said, ignore the scale. If you have a doctor telling you that you need to be a certain weight instead of actually assessing your HEALTH, then you need a new doctor. Weight is NOT an assessment of health. Sure, if you’re over 500lbs, you can safely say that you’re unhealthy, but simply by putting the average person on a scale, no doctor on the planet can tell you how healthy you are. Your health is assessed by:
   -your strength
   -your endurance level
   -your heart rate during exercise
   -your flexibility
   -your diet
   -your mental health/wellness

   These cannot be assessed by a scale. Even things like blood pressure and cholesterol levels can, at BEST, state if you’re at risk. Even the American Heart Association states on its website that the majority of people with coronary problems (heart attacks and the like) have GOOD cholesterol levels, so even having "high cholesterol" can’t tell your doctor if you’re unhealthy!

2. nashdude on June 29th, 2010 | 5:31 pm

   

   I’d do as you doctor suggests. It sounds like you’re doing some exercise, but what kind are you doing? Walking, biking, working up a sweat for at least 30 minutes? That is at-minimum what you should be doing. As for scales, they generally do not lie, unless there is a reason for them to be defective (old, or damaged, etc). You can try to get a better reading at a doctor’s office or perhaps at a walk-in clinic for free, if you ask. Then compare this to your scale. Sounds like you are a busy mother of 2. There are also some books at your local library and videos to give you some more nutritional guidance and help with weight loss. Try not to fall into the latest ‘fad’ diets. Use an old-fashioned tried-and-true method. There has to be more calories burned than you are taking in for you to lose weight. Pure and simple. Best of luck to you.

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