You judge your health on??

nfpeacock

Hi everyone

Quick question - a few weeks ago i went to my GP to get my bloods taken. At the same time we did my BMI. In the BMI range i'm still 'overweight' (I'm 5'11 and weigh 90kg). But I got my blood tests back and all my sugar/iron and cholesterol are in the desired range. I'm not saying I'm stopping losing weight, but my GP said I technically wasn't unhealthy?

Thoughts on this? Honestly it's a bit of a demotivater. I'm pretty happy with how I look and have plateaued for MONTHS now (within about a 4kg range). I'm also about to go into an EXTREMELY chaotic few months in my personal life so am limited to time I can put in at the gym. What do you guess judge your health on?

(sorry it's rambly, i'm a little confused with what I'm even saying :L )

Meerataila

BMI is an estimate, was never meant to be used the way it's currently used, and is often wildly inaccurate for people in the best shape of all - people with a good amount of muscle mass.

bobbijodmb

I don't use the BMI because it doesn't account for muscle. I go by how I feel, my fitness level and my blood work;

Lizzy622

Blood work is a big thing for me also. I don't put much worth in the BMI. I also go by how I feel and how much I can do. I have seen my endurance and strength increase. I can walk up stairs and hills without being totally out of breath at the top. My big motivator is that I want to be able to run a 5K.

Francl27

My blood work was better 2 years ago and 80 pounds heavier than it is now because my genes suck.... But I'm at much less of a risk for heart disease and diabetes and all that good stuff now, because I'm lighter. I think it's not about 'I'm healthy now' as much as 'will I still be healthy in 5 years?'.

ryanwood935

I mostly judge my health based on my cardiovascular endurance. To me, being slimmer and lifting heavier weights are great motivators, but I feel like running farther at a faster pace tells me my body is getting in better shape. Of course I've been a runner for 15+ years, so I guess I lean towards what is familiar to me.

jolarocknrolla

I get these things checked - my fasting blood sugar (I'm insulin resistant) and my cholesterol (since my family has a history of heart disease) and blood pressure. I also measure my overall health by how much I can lift and how long/far I can run without stopping. Those things all taken together seem to give me a good indicator (my BMI is in the "normal" range but I'm not too concerned w/ that).

Sabine_Stroehm

Ask yourself why that was a demotivator?
In reality, if this is a "lifestyle" (healthstyle?) it should have really motivated you.

I'd like to think I'll be a healthier and fitter each year, not think I've arrived at a goal and "done".

That said: I think blood work AND weight (and leanness) and physical health are all important factors.

VeryKatie

To me, health includes mental health. So if you've basically been maintaining and are happy with how you look and your tests came back healthy and you think you're about to have a stressful time coming up... I think it's time to just maintain until you feel (if you feel) like you would need to go further. Happy and physically healthy is a wonderful combo.

BrianSharpe

Weight is only one indicator of good health and is probably the most arbitrary one there is. At my height I would have been considered overweight (perhaps even borderline obese) when I was in the army and the best shape of my life but weighed 203lbs (with a 30" waist....).

Check out Dr Yoni Freedhoff. He's an Ottawa doctor / university prof who's written extensively on weight loss and is on a local radio station regularly. Personally I really like his common sense approach.......he's not a fan of bmi except when applied to large groups of people (which is what it's intended for, statistical analysis not individual use) and his nutritional approach to weight loss is balance and long term sustainability. (http://www.weightymatters.ca/)

jimmmer

How's my immune system doing?
How's my sleep?
How's my appetite?
How's my mood?

If something's out of whack it'll show up there somewhere.

I don't get bloodwork done, so can't tell you anything about that.

If I stray into heavier territory, it's because I purposively ate to get there due to some aspect of my training. I really only care that when I ask a question of my body, it answers. By this, I mean I perform and continue to improve my performance in regard to whatever goal I'm working towards.

ninerbuff

Health isn't just about your BP and cholesterol counts. Weight, stress, genetics, diet, risk behavior (like smoking or high risk sport), sleep, environment, and overall happiness all have impacts on how healthy one really is.

A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

likitisplit

Hi everyone

Quick question - a few weeks ago i went to my GP to get my bloods taken. At the same time we did my BMI. In the BMI range i'm still 'overweight' (I'm 5'11 and weigh 90kg). But I got my blood tests back and all my sugar/iron and cholesterol are in the desired range. I'm not saying I'm stopping losing weight, but my GP said I technically wasn't unhealthy?

Thoughts on this? Honestly it's a bit of a demotivater. I'm pretty happy with how I look and have plateaued for MONTHS now (within about a 4kg range). I'm also about to go into an EXTREMELY chaotic few months in my personal life so am limited to time I can put in at the gym. What do you guess judge your health on?

(sorry it's rambly, i'm a little confused with what I'm even saying :L )

I've been kind of picking at my weight over the last year. It wasn't in a bad place. I wasn't unhealthy. And getting my body fat down to 25% was important, but not all that important. I'm finally there and am kind of coasting while keeping a sustainable exercise routine. I think that's ok.

nfpeacock

Thanks everyone for your advice and thoughts! I'm pretty comfortable where i am for now so will try and maintain it. I have a very thin line between good and bad mental health so sometimes thats half the battle!