Making a Lifestyle Change (or Plus Sized and OK with it)
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I think that if 55 lbs is what you and your doctor set as the important milestone for reducing your likelihood of obesity related conditions then this is a good goal. Once you get there you and your doctor can access your health and decide if further action is warranted. Obviously exercise and better nutrition are great for everyone (certainly a lot of thin people aren't doing well with this either) and there is a big difference in a weight that is healthy and what is shown in the media. For the love of god, size plus size models in the U.S. start at size 10!
I think that most people on this site have one thing in common -striving to be healthier. Other than that some want a certain "look", to train for an event, keep up with their grandkids - the list of motivators is endless. I think the important point is that losing 55 lbs is challenging for anyone and there is a lot of excellent ideas on MFP about nutrition, recipes, exercise, fitness gadgets etc. that will help. Use this info to reach your goals - the practices that will help you lose the 55 lbs and still be plus size are not going to be fundamentally different from someone who wants to loss a bit more!
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Congratulations!!
i think youre going in the correct road!!0 -
CrmpetsNTea wrote: »Wow, I went away to have a healthy lunch and come back to a couple of PMs that there was a "sh@tstorm" happening in my introduction thread were not lying (thank you, lovely people for the warnings! xo)!
First off, thank you all for taking a moment to chime in. While I don't exactly feel welcomed, I think that this is a teaching moment for all those that think that I have to be free of my fat to be healthy and happy.
This is my journey, not yours. My fat is my business, not yours. You do NOT get to judge me. You know NOTHING about my life, history or motivations. I won't be bullied nor shamed into changing my goals to be more palatable to your worldview.
For those of you who have been very welcoming and messaged/friended me, thank you very much. I appreciate your genuine interest and kindness. I hope that we can all meet our goals together!
XO!
Tina
Of course we do. Everyone judges everyone else all the time.0 -
So this is where all the Meghan Trainor fans are hanging out.0
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millionthtimesthecharm wrote: »I enjoy being plus size, I like the way my body looks.
But there is a limit, and I know I've passed it, hence MFP. I want to be confident AND healthy, and both of those things are possible while being overweight.
I'm at my heaviest weight ever, but I'm also the best cardiovascular fitness level I've ever been at. My blood work and blood pressure are perfect. If that's not healthy, I don't know what is.
Good luck on your journey! And congrats on setting goals and not allowing society to tell you they're not good enough!
You're healthy because you're 23. Add another 20+ years to your age and those numbers won't look so good.
That statement is for you and the OP and anyone else who thinks that being overweight is healthy. Statistics show without a doubt that excess weight increases the chances for developing the diseases that we're hear about all the time: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, etc. That's not a bunch of internet "haters" telling you what to do, it's just public health data. Don't take your health for granted.0 -
CrmpetsNTea wrote: »Interesting, I haven't thought about this before. Why do you want to be over-weight but not as over-weight as you are now?
Congratulations on completing your first week!
Thank you for the congratulations!
I'm glad I gave you something to think about, but I am going to follow that up with a question or two: Why do I have to want to be thin in the first place? Why can't a fat girl like her body and want to be healthy without it being a contradiction? It's society's norm. I don't have to conform to a body image that doesn't make me happy. Losing the weight will make it less likely of me developing diabetes and lessen my risk of heart disease, among other things. I will be stronger, more flexible, and better able to do the things I want to do. YMMV!
Alright so not that I'm bashing being big BUT even if you are still plus sized, you still run the risk of developing those diseases. It's not just a little bit of weight to lose - you're still putting constant strain on joints and muscles in your body even being a bit overweight.
Thin =/= healthy, and healthy =/= thin but still being plus sized is not healthy either. I'm not sure how tall you are, so I can't talk about that or starting weight but here's some stats for you. I'm 5'9, I started at 320lbs, size 22 in clothing. I've lost 70 lbs, down to 250 and a size 16 in clothing.
I'm not petite, I probably won't ever be. But for me to be deemed medically healthy, so not about being thin or wanting to be tiny, I have about another 80 - 100 lbs to lose. So in all, I will have to loose about 170 lbs to just be healthy. I don't know if I will be thin at that weight, but I will be healthy, probably. My journey isn't to be thin, however trimming down comes with becoming healthy, it's kind of a byproduct. I know some people will say you can be "fat" and have nothing wrong but if you're putting that constant weight on your body and joints every day, there will be something wrong.
I think we should all love our bodies . . . and I'm not saying alter your goals to look like someone else. I'm just saying that to be healthy and to be plus sized usually cannot be birds of the same feather, they are just contradictory.
I don't know that you'll be able to get to being deemed medically healthy by still being plus sized.0 -
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Losing any amount of weight whether it is 5 Or 50 requires the same dedication, its not nonsense. Youre trying to tell me you can lose weight with the wrong mindset? Good luck with that..... But alas everybody's journey is different im going back to my 126 pound lost.
I wasn't trying to tell you anything. I posted exactly what I meant.0 -
There is a valid philosophy about this approach http://www.haescommunity.org/ People saying "Why be overweight", "Just being lazy" blah, blah, blah are talking crap. The research is not on their side. Losing 10% will make a difference. If you can get down to the healthy weight range then that's great. But if you lose 10% you will gain huge benefits anyway. Just don't aim for underweight - that is deadly (on average) although the longest lived people are underweight - go figure. It's a journey, and it's better to set small achievable goals which you can reassess once you get there, than set one big one - unless of course you are the sort of person who finds a Big Audacious Goal motivating. Some do - for others they are deadly. Travel your own road, not someone else's.
http://www.webpak.net/~cynorita/CelluliteQueen/HAES%20myths&realities.pdf0 -
Your goals and objectives are yours, and only yours, to make and keep. Don't let anyone dictate what you should or shouldn't do. People can ask, suggest, encourage and, most importantly, keep you in line with your goals (at least for me it's most important). Nobody has the right to disagree with your goals.
That being said, I would like to give you my experience in setting my long term goals. I started MFP weighing 310 pounds (5'11"). I've been overweight my whole life but had gained some more weight over the last few years. I always knew I needed to lose weight. But I considered myself a "big boned" person and thought my ultimate weight should be around 235 - 245. And I was perfectly fine with that.
When I started losing weight I decided to not focus on the long term goal but rather just start with what I thought was the goal for the next 9 months. Once I started losing, I started adjusting my goals based on how fast I ended up losing weight.
At this point, having lost over 100 pounds, I finally realize that my ultimate weight is somewhere around 200 pounds. I never would have dreamed that I would physically be able to get my weight down to this level. Not only was I able to do it in just over 1 year (with being on maintenance during the summer months), but I had a lot of fun doing it. Yes, the beginning was difficult. But once I learned how, when, what and how much to eat, the process became just another part of life. I also adopted an active lifestyle and started running and biking.
Bottom line:
Don't take crap from anyone
Do be open to questions and suggestions
Don't focus too much on the long term goal
Do take it one step at a time. It takes a while to learn what works for you.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.0 -
Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
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I think for the OP her targets are what she has bought into that allows her to commit without fear at this stage of her journey ...good for you ...and good luck
I was thinking this. I also wonder if she feels that setting a goal that is less than over-weight is somehow betraying her over-weight self and/or others.
Yes, it's almost the 'I'm an overweight person. I'm supposed to be overweight'. I thought I was going to lose weight but never be thin. I thought I was genetically meant to be that size, and to lose weight would almost betray that and I would have to starve to be the size I want. However, I have realised it isn't true. Also the betrayal of my curves. My boobs are also far smaller, but maybe I am not destined to have boobs that size forever. Also, losing weight will not betray your self as a person. Your personality and who you are is still the same. Big, bold and beautiful or big and chatty, large and loud/bubbly, larger than life, all these personalities that combine size and bubbliness won't change if you are no longer overweight.0 -
CrmpetsNTea wrote: »Wow, I went away to have a healthy lunch and come back to a couple of PMs that there was a "sh@tstorm" happening in my introduction thread were not lying (thank you, lovely people for the warnings! xo)!
First off, thank you all for taking a moment to chime in. While I don't exactly feel welcomed, I think that this is a teaching moment for all those that think that I have to be free of my fat to be healthy and happy.
This is my journey, not yours. My fat is my business, not yours. You do NOT get to judge me. You know NOTHING about my life, history or motivations. I won't be bullied nor shamed into changing my goals to be more palatable to your worldview.
For those of you who have been very welcoming and messaged/friended me, thank you very much. I appreciate your genuine interest and kindness. I hope that we can all meet our goals together!
XO!
Tina
Well then, to put this simply . . . don't post on here.
Most people on here are here to get healthy . . . not to stay plus sized. If that's what you want, fantastic. I want to run a 5K, and then a 10K and maybe some point in my life a half marathon. I want to wear a size 10 pants . . . I want to lift heavy and I want to be able to treat myself to the things I want. I don't want a risk of diabetes or high blood pressure or MS (which my mom has and I'm more susceptible to it, it's not genetic but there's a chance) further I have a blood disorder that I was born with that I want to be able to managed without blood thinners. Do you know what it's like to tell people I'm on blood thinners and have been for a majority of my life? Most people associate blood thinners with being fat.
Those are the things I want - the things I think about every single day . . . and I don't post about them on here because there are none of anyone else's business. If you don't want people's comments - good and bad - then don't post on here. If you post, it's fair game.0 -
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0somuchbetter0 wrote: »millionthtimesthecharm wrote: »I enjoy being plus size, I like the way my body looks.
But there is a limit, and I know I've passed it, hence MFP. I want to be confident AND healthy, and both of those things are possible while being overweight.
I'm at my heaviest weight ever, but I'm also the best cardiovascular fitness level I've ever been at. My blood work and blood pressure are perfect. If that's not healthy, I don't know what is.
Good luck on your journey! And congrats on setting goals and not allowing society to tell you they're not good enough!
You're healthy because you're 23. Add another 20+ years to your age and those numbers won't look so good.
That statement is for you and the OP and anyone else who thinks that being overweight is healthy. Statistics show without a doubt that excess weight increases the chances for developing the diseases that we're hear about all the time: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, etc. That's not a bunch of internet "haters" telling you what to do, it's just public health data. Don't take your health for granted.
I'll be 51 this year and I'm overweight and the only negative health marker I have that I can control is my weight. I just had my yearly checkup and all my blood work came back fine again. All cancer screens are negative. Stress test was good. Bone density is good. I am healthy and overweight and have been for quite some time.
It's entirely possible that the OP will meet her goal and decide it's not enough. She may decided on a new goal. None of us know whether she will be healthy or not at her current goal. There is nothing at all wrong with having a goal that isn't perfect on paper.0 -
Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
I can't talk about health . . . but in regards to weight yes they are but not plus sized . . . she said she wants to stay plus sized.0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
I can't talk about health . . . but in regards to weight yes they are but not plus sized . . . she said she wants to stay plus sized.
What's the difference between "overweight" and "plus sized"?
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You might change your mind and your goals during this process. I think it's a bit premature to be concerned with the end point when you have just started a week ago.0
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Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
Well, quite. The typical idea here is how rugby players have unhealthily high BMIs. But I don't think that's what the OP means when she says she's "plus size".0 -
Congratulations on completing your first week!! :-)0
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Congratulations on taking the step to change. Make sure you have regular visits with your doctor to adjust your eating and exercise if necessary.0
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So, yes, a healthy person can be overweight.. for a period of time. But the fact is, being smaller in size is a side effect of being healthy. If you have the right behaviors (eating properly and exercising routinely), you will naturally get smaller as a result of these actions.
So while I don't feel like you should have to have a certain number in your head that you want to hit, if you are healthy, weight loss will come with that.
I am glad that you have decided to become healthy, and support you in your weight loss goals, and I applaud you for focusing on healthy versus vanity.
I just wanted to reiterate that with health comes weight loss.
From a personal standpoint, I can tell you that since I've started my weight loss journey, any time I've gained a couple pounds, I can feel it, and I feel TERRIBLE... so I get back on the right track and feel good again... So if you do it for health and for how you feel.. I don't think you will stop still being overweight. I do think it's good that you're starting yourself out with a smaller goal. I'd just advise to see how you feel then, and if you feel good, keep going!! Not for vanity, but for you feel...0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
I can't talk about health . . . but in regards to weight yes they are but not plus sized . . . she said she wants to stay plus sized.
What's the difference between "overweight" and "plus sized"?
Overweight is based on your BMI - which a lot of healthy people are technically overweight. However, remember all those posts about how the same volume of fat takes up less space than fat? Well here's where the plays in . . . Body builders and athletes have an amazing amount of muscle on them, so they weigh a lot more than they look like they do because they're more compact, if you will. So for how tall they are, they might fall outside of their "normal" BMI but when they go shopping, they are not shopping in the plus size section, unless it's a body builder looking for t shirts lol
Plus size is a clothing size - for example, a woman who is 5'5 and weighs 220 lbs could wear a size 16 (I don't know for sure, but let's say), but then another woman who weighs 220lbs only wears a size 10. They both weigh the same, but one wears a plus size and the other can shop at normal stores. Maybe they are both technically overweight, but the one who wears a size 10 wears a regulation size, if you will.
When she says plus size, I imagine she wants to still technically wear sizes 14 and up, which is where most plus size lines start. Being overweight is simply just that you're outside of the normal BMI for your height, which as you said even some athletes are.
To me, being plus sized and being overweight are two very different things . . .0 -
This is now the second post I've read today where the poster got upset about people who had the nerve to respond. I honestly and truly do not understand why people "put themselves out there" and then get upset when they get input that isn't purely rainbows and unicorn farts.0
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Not at all. I thought that people would be able to identify with her song and feel uplifted at the message. You don't have to be a stick figure barbie to be happy.CrmpetsNTea wrote: »
He means, "I'm a troll and everyone should really be ignoring me".0 -
deluxmary2000 wrote: »This is now the second post I've read today where the poster got upset about people who had the nerve to respond. I honestly and truly do not understand why people "put themselves out there" and then get upset when they get input that isn't purely rainbows and unicorn farts.
She didn't ask anyone to critique her plan, though. She was seeking like minded MFP friends. Where else but the forums would one do that?0 -
Because maybe she LIKES having a bigger, curvier body. Not everyone has to have the same beauty standard. Not everyone has to want to be thin.
I think that some of us are questioning because her goal isn't to be thin or beautiful. It's to be healthy. Being over-weight is not healthy. Being a healthy weight is healthy.Why is that anyone's business but hers?
Because she started a thread "throwing it out there".
Aren't body builders and many athletes technically overweight? Are they all unhealthy?
Well, quite. The typical idea here is how rugby players have unhealthily high BMIs. But I don't think that's what the OP means when she says she's "plus size".
I'm just saying that BMI isn't as accurate a health indicator as people in this thread seem to be saying it is. I know that obesity carries a lot of related health risks, but how 'plus sized' do you need to be in order to automatically be unhealthy? A pound, a kilo, 20 pounds? According to some BMI charts I've seen, I'd be overweight at 130 pounds. Would I also therefore unhealthy at that weight? My GW is 140, btw.
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HERE is what I learned about body fat (since being diagnosed with type II diabetes) Body fat acts as an insulin filter... IE it "dilutes" the insulin your body is capable of producing... more of you... means less insulin to go around you... Therefore to reduce the stress on your pancreas it is important to maintain a body composition with as little fat as possible MORE particularly IF you are genetically predisposed to Diabetes (Both my parents and grandparents developed stage II later in life). Excess weight... does NOT do a body good... more pressure on joints, excessive stress on the circulatory system... ALL lead to a poorer quality of life as a person ages. Certainly the world is populated by folks living with varied body compositions...plenty of overweight and obese folk that will never develop type II diabetes... BUT if your destiny is in your hands.. WHY would you NOT do all you can to ensure the highest quality of life.. especially IF you are going to make the effort to begin with? in the end.. it seems like the OP is saying.. at some point... she'll look in the mirror and say "Meh... Good enough..." who are WE to argue that personal mediocrity is wrong? DO we NOT ALL settle at some point? SO what is wrong with someone who openly announces that 1/2 measures .. are perfectly fine with her?0
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see what I did there???
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