Weight loss benefits that I never got
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13bbird13
Posts: 425 Member
I’m back for another ride on the merry-go-round, after losing the same 20+ pounds three times over the past 15 years or so. Last time, two years ago, I did really well (on WW) and was feeling very good about my progress; I lost about 25 pounds in 6 months and kept it off for a year, I was exercising regularly, walking and doing some work on weight machines, and I even ran my first 5K.
Then came the health fair at my job.
Before I started WW I was told that my blood pressure was creeping up, my glucose was kind of high and my BMI qualified me as "overweight". Okay, I accepted all that. As a middle-aged woman weighing 163, I certainly knew I wasn’t in great shape and that my ideal weight was at least 20 pounds away. But after I reached my goal of 135 and went to the health fair, super-psyched to see some improvement in those numbers, I didn’t. My BP was the same, and my BMI had only slightly come down, still leaving me right on the line for “overweight”. I was really disappointed. That’s putting it mildly.
I lost the weight to look and feel better, sure, but I was also counting on some longterm health benefits that I never saw, even after all that hard work. I left the health fair grumbling “how can I weigh 135, be wearing Size 4 pants, and still have a borderline-overweight BMI??”.
Last year I skipped the fair. I had put all the weight back on and I knew they would have nothing uplifting to tell me.
I don’t mean to be a wet blanket or discourage anyone who has similar hopes for their post-weight-loss health, but I’m curious if anyone else has had a similar disappointment and if so, how they handled it. I’m about 1/3 of the way to losing those 25 pounds again and this time my expectations are lower… this time I just want to zip my cute Size 4 pants. That, I KNOW I can achieve.
Then came the health fair at my job.
Before I started WW I was told that my blood pressure was creeping up, my glucose was kind of high and my BMI qualified me as "overweight". Okay, I accepted all that. As a middle-aged woman weighing 163, I certainly knew I wasn’t in great shape and that my ideal weight was at least 20 pounds away. But after I reached my goal of 135 and went to the health fair, super-psyched to see some improvement in those numbers, I didn’t. My BP was the same, and my BMI had only slightly come down, still leaving me right on the line for “overweight”. I was really disappointed. That’s putting it mildly.
I lost the weight to look and feel better, sure, but I was also counting on some longterm health benefits that I never saw, even after all that hard work. I left the health fair grumbling “how can I weigh 135, be wearing Size 4 pants, and still have a borderline-overweight BMI??”.
Last year I skipped the fair. I had put all the weight back on and I knew they would have nothing uplifting to tell me.
I don’t mean to be a wet blanket or discourage anyone who has similar hopes for their post-weight-loss health, but I’m curious if anyone else has had a similar disappointment and if so, how they handled it. I’m about 1/3 of the way to losing those 25 pounds again and this time my expectations are lower… this time I just want to zip my cute Size 4 pants. That, I KNOW I can achieve.
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Replies
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OK so BMI is generally a waste of your time don't even bother looking at it. Lift free weights and continue working out. **** what a chart says to you.0
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Hey, I like that answer!! Thanks!0
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As far as BMI, I agree with the previous poster. BMI gets used as a be-all-end-all measurement of health, but it totally leaves out factors like muscle mass and body shape. Don't worry about it too much.
As for the other stuff, I understand completely. Right after I lost the bulk of my weight, my blood pressure came down a little from borderline and then bounced right back up. I had lost 100lbs, started exercising daily, drastically improved my diet, but after all of that I still had to go on blood pressure medication. Bottom line is that some of us have genetic or other factors that put us at high risk for certain health problems even when we are relatively healthy in all other ways. The way I deal with it is to remind myself how much worse my blood pressure would be if I hadn't lost the weight. Right now it is just borderline high and I'm on the most mild medication. If I was 100lbs heavier, I'm betting it would be way worse than borderline and I would be on a couple of meds by now. I also focus on the other pluses -- I did bring my cholesterol down into a healthy range and get rid of many gastric problems entirely.0 -
Yeah I don't entirely go by those charts because you could go in the middle of the healthy area of the BMI and you can look too thin. Just go to how you feel good about yourself.0
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I'm not sure how your BMI couldn't have come down. BMI is proportional to weight, so if you lost 16% of your body weight your BMI should have come down by that much too.0
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Did you lose height as well as weight? BMI is just a function of weight and height and shouldn't come as a surprise when you know your weight.0
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Yep, BMI is simply not an accurate measure of your health. Ignore that number.
As far as your blood pressure and other health numbers, I say give it time. Since you lost weight, put some back on, and are losing again, it takes a little longer for your body to "register" the health benefits. Stick with your plan and don't let numbers affect your motivation or your mind set!0 -
BMI should be trashed like the food pyramid is.0
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BMI doesn't take into account muscle mass. Arnold Schwarzeneggar at the height of his career would have had a BMI in the obese range.
Often BP issues are inherited and not caused as a result of being overweight or not.
I think a trip to the MD would help identify the cause. Skip the BMI.....size 4 is what you should be paying attention to!0 -
Before I started WW I was told that my blood pressure was creeping up, my glucose was kind of high and my BMI qualified me as "overweight". Okay, I accepted all that. As a middle-aged woman weighing 163, I certainly knew I wasn’t in great shape and that my ideal weight was at least 20 pounds away. But after I reached my goal of 135 and went to the health fair, super-psyched to see some improvement in those numbers, I didn’t. My BP was the same, and my BMI had only slightly come down, still leaving me right on the line for “overweight”. I was really disappointed. That’s putting it mildly.
What do you mean by "only slightly come down?" I'm guessing you're not very tall -- 5 2 or 5 1 -- otherwise 135 wouldn't give you a borderline overweight BMI -- but if so, you dropped almost 5 points. That's a huge drop! That puts you from borderline obese to borderline overweight.
BMI is definitely an imperfect measure. Frankly, though, it is more likely to underestimate your bodyfat than overestimate, ESPECIALLY for women. Unless you're at the gym putting some serious effort into putting on muscle mass, it's unlikely that it's drastically inaccurate. Here's one source: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0033308#pone-0033308-t002
You'll notice that in the table, 22% of men and 48% of women were classified as non-obese by BMI and obese by body fat. On the contrary, 3% of men and 0% of women were classified as obese by BMI and non-obese by body fat. Bodyfat % is much more accurate but more difficult and expensive to measure in any meaningful way.
Now, as to the blood pressure -- sometimes it takes a while before it's reflected, and some people's blood pressure is much more sensitive to diet and exercise than others. But there's more to both life and health than numbers. When you take off weight, you're taking a load off your joints, especially your knees and back, and regular physical activity has long-term health benefits EVEN IF your numbers don't improve.0 -
You're right; I'm not very tall... around 5'4". With all the comments regarding both sides of the BMI question, it looks like I need to do a little research about what the numbers really mean, and also take into account that they're not the be-all and end-all for weight loss. I basically just took what I was told at the health fair, got mad about it, but never questioned it. That wasn't the best way for me to handle it.
There may be some family history on blood pressure; my dad is adopted so I don't have a complete family history and it's hard to say for sure. (Dad is also 89 and walks between 1 and 3 miles almost every day depending on weather, so I do know there are some GOOD genes to be had!)
There's so much to learn here... WW didn't get into all the stuff about basal metabolic rates and TDEE, but I'm trying to pick up as much as I can as fast as I can. I think I'm in it for the long haul this time. I do notice a real difference in my stamina now that I've re-started my regular walking program (although my dad might still be able to kick my butt until I stick with it a bit longer!).0 -
Read this article about BMI. It is a great illustration of why the charts kind of lie.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/bmi3.htm
It is a great explanation of how misleading the BMI charts are. The scale is not the only number you need for tracking your health. The BP could be due to stress. Maybe try some yoga?0 -
I agree the BMI charts are a waste of time and energy - such a generalized ideal that has not been update since who knows when!
The High Blood Pressure issue I would discuss with your doctor. I started this at 5'2", 244 with HBP, my goal was to get off the medication and my doctor suggested 175 as my goal weight. At my last physical everything was fine no HBP or any pre-existing conditions.
Currently I am at 153 and my goal is 144 and I will still be overweight based on the BMI charts while wearing a size 4.0 -
BP can take some time to come down - mine did. It took about a year after most of my loss before it dropped, and took several checks before GP agreed I could come off meds. I get white coat hypertension so hard to get an accurate reading! BP can still be all over the place. Cholestoral was didn't take so long before it came down.
Don't give up.0 -
Because weight is not the same as health.
I'm overweight, but I'm not unhealthy. I have no diabetes, no heart disease, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no high sugar. Yes, I am AT GREATER RISK for all of those things due to my weight, but if I lose weight, my overall health measurements won't improve because there's nothing wrong with them today.
You can be fat and get cancer, or skinny, and get cancer.
You can be fat and have high blood pressure, or skinny and have high blood pressure.
If you are predisposed to high blood pressure and high glucose, then it's very important that you try to keep the weight off, because additional weight is an added risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.
The way we talk about weight and health is very confusing, but being thin does not guarantee good health nor long life.
At 5'4" and 135, you're normal weight by the BMI charts.0 -
I handled it by seeing a nutritionist. Weight watchers is no substitute. I tried them once and frankly they sucked. I had sugar and cholesterol issues too. A nutritionist will tailor make a healthy diet for YOU with the right amount of nutrients and calories. You may also want to look into herbal supplements such as garlic (and many others) for helping you get rid of excess cholesterol and stabilizing your blood sugar, while you pursue a customized eating and exercise program.0
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Great job on the weight loss, but there are other factors to health...
I'm not saying BMI isn't a crock because it is a lot of times, but with the other numbers not changing perhaps you need to increase your overall fitness not just lower your weight....
I had a very similar story, and actually went into a full blown depression over it. They had a BF% scale as well... I had reached my goal weight of 125 (size 4-6) and was EXCITED to go get my data... I did go after lunch so the fact that I was 128 didn't bother me, until she told me I needed to lose 10 pounds and put on X pounds of muscle... Scale said I was 38% BF... No F'n WAY!!! I asked her if my big boobs had anything to do with it. She said "If your happy at 38%, I guess it's okay..." I cried for days... I had worked so hard to lose weight. My body wan't perfect, but damn... How can it still be this far off???
Well, I was. I lost weight by restricting my food and over training (a lot of cardio, very little strength). I was very soft... I'm still a cardio junkie, but I've learned a few things that have made a huge difference for me...
1. People are just reading you numbers. Use it as a tool to improve. Do not see it as a judgement or attack.
2. You have to fuel your body. Eat a healthy well balanced diet and watch portions.
3. If you want to change the composition of your body, there are two components, Losing fat AND building muscle.
4. If you screw up. Get over it and try again. I beat myself up when I "mess up", but you know what it isn't messing up. It is occasionally having a treat or not working out. 95% of the time I am on point... Heck even if it;s 80% it is better than where I was...
I'm still a cardio junkie. I LOVE my endorphins, but I lift heavy twice a week for balance. AND I eat to fuel my workouts, though I struggle mightily against my instinct to eat less. I eat high protein & lower cabs, and try to stay away from packaged meals (not required, just what I like). I still eat out (Tonight is steak, asparagus and a salad... Yum), I still eat pizza probably once a week and drink an occasional beer.
Good luck!
In this post, the first picture is from when I thought "I'm 125lbs. How can that not be good? There is not really anymore for me to do." Last 2 are now..
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1444061-loose-skin-my-experience0 -
I've lost 140#. My BP as of today is 137/95, which is very close to my average of 130/90. Losing weight doesn't fix everything.0
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You're right; I'm not very tall... around 5'4". With all the comments regarding both sides of the BMI question, it looks like I need to do a little research about what the numbers really mean, and also take into account that they're not the be-all and end-all for weight loss. I basically just took what I was told at the health fair, got mad about it, but never questioned it. That wasn't the best way for me to handle it..
I don't know who on earth told you "borderline overweight" but 5 4 and 135 is nowhere near overweight. Borderline overweight for you according to the BMI calculator would be 145-146. Could they have mis-entered either your height or weight?
This cute little thingie will not only calculate your BMI but tell you where you are compared to other people of your age, height, and gender as a percentile rank -- http://halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm.0 -
according to my BMI i am overweight
fat & happy then ????0
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