Day5: Fitness & Fatness
“It’s a blessing….and a curse”
– TV’s Adrian Monk
There is a strange reality to my body in that I carry about 50 more lbs than most people would guess.
I’m relatively fit…and also quite fat.
Don't ya hate the clank-clank noise as they add more weight? Sigh.
When I get on the dreaded doctor’s office scale with the slide-y thing (I’m sure there’s a technical name for that kind of scale, but I’m clueless), the nurse will invariably start the bottom weight one or two clicks too light.
The good news is – I look better than my weight would indicate, and no doubt I could earn some cash by thwarting carnival barkers who claim they can guess your weight….but it’s really not a big win to say “Ha! you’re wrong, add 50 lbs to that!” It’s like celebrating the fact you “don’t look your age” when you look 15 year OLDER. whee.
The bad news is – I’ve got a lot to lose. Now, I will say that I was incredibly happy with a weight that felt slender and fit *regular* size XL or 14 (and even a few L and 12s) — but at that weight, I would still be considered OBESE on the charts.
It’s frustrating to know that my goal, what would make me feel happy and fit, is still 50 lbs more than the medical establishment and insurance actuaries think I should weigh.
I have to assume there are others out there like me….and others that look heavier than the scale?
Very fluffy people versus very dense people?
Now some of you (if anyone is actually reading) are rolling your eyes and assuming I’m rationalizing.
Assume away.
I know the truth of the scale and the truth of the pants are not always the same. Can I get an amen?
Conquer the Fat Gene 
It is very interesting to read this because I too think that I look much smaller than what I actually weigh. I think a lot of what comes into play is the fact that I’m very athletic and always has been regardless of how much I’ve packed on over the years. Even right now at 300 lbs. I lift weights at the gym three times a week and during formal classes at my gym where we are all doing the same program, I can usually hang with even the most fit individuals right next to me. I think just looking at the number on the scale is a bad way to be. Plus, I would much rather be a fit 300 lbs than an unfit 150, that is for sure.
Ya know, along those lines…I’m conflicted in that I definitely WANT to be thinner — but I don’t buy the media hype that fat automatically equals HUGE medical bills and uncontrollable illness. Quite frankly, compared to my thin or normal size friends, I am waaay healthier — for example, I would guess I get 1 cold for every 6 they get! And while I know weight is a leading cause of diabetes and other very serious things, I hate that the media paints every fat person as a suck on the public health system. It’s just not true….but you can’t tell that to the normal-size world. I think because they are so freaked out that “there but for the grace of God go I”…
I HATE the scale at the doctor’s office. It’s never accurate and it just bums me out. I’d rather be in control of when and where I weigh myself!
It is good to see you are taking action also. I look forward to seeing more of your journey to your goals. I hate that scale also at the doctors office but mine is because I cannot get a weight because it does not go up high enough.
Ohhhh, I hate the scale too. I often ask the nurse If I can just tell them my wait, and sometimes they let me do that….
When I started my weight-loss journey in January, no one believed I was 212. So I agree with you. I believe a person can be relatively healthy and fit even with some extra padding. One thing to realize–you are NOT a number. That scale is a gauge. It can’t tell you how strong you are or how healthy your heart is. So use it as a guide to see your progress–not as a neon sign screaming OBESE. I’m 5’2″ so a *healthy* weight for me is like 118 lbs. Will I ever see it? Probably not. I want to get to 140 which is what I’m working on. But I do have muscle and I workout a lot so I’d rather be ranked as 140-overweight-strong-mom than a 118-healthy-weight-stick-that-can’t-carry-groceries.
Amen! And I have to admit to thwarting some carnival barkers. Sigh, the things I’ll do to get a free teddy bear. 🙂 Seriously though, it is frustrating knowing that even when I reach my goal weight I will still be considered ‘overweight’.
100% AGREED!
same as mouse7701 when i started my weight loss journey in june of 2009..i was 202 pounds and NO ONE BELIEVED ME. i’m 4’10 thats HUGE! now that i’m 124 pounds thats still alot of weight to carry around on a small frame and i have a few more pounds to lose…but now i’m getting your the too thin… no do you see all this rolls? thats not thin..haha anyway….
sometimes you weigh more when u have alot of muscle too. i have a friend who is the same height as me and she weighs less but my wrists are bigger my frame is bigger. scale doesn’t always matter. its how you feel and how your clothes fit.
according to my BMI i’m still in the high overweight range… so u can never win!
great blog!
wait a minute 124 POUNDS is still “high overweight” That floors me. I just don’t understand how thin they think humans are supposed to be. What would be “ideal” for your height? 100 lbs? Gosh — I can’t imagine how little one would have to eat or how much one would to exercise to maintain that. I’m good at math, but “weight math” is beyond me!
thanks for reading and commenting!!
i’m 4’10… it is a bit of weight to carry around being short… must easier than the 202.2 that i WAS….but i’d feel better when i’m sitting that the giant roll isn’t across my stomach, easier to breath i’m sure lol
I’m the same exact way. I’ve got an hourglass shape and a “pretty face” so I carry my weight pretty well. It’s a total curse because it makes it easy for my weight to get away from me FAST. I have a lot of friends who carry most of their weight in one spot and so it’s really noticeable when they put on 10 lbs and they know to get it in check. I can swing about 20 lbs either way (even when I’m a lot smaller than I am now) and it’s not really that noticeable. Super crappy.
So glad you commented so I could find your blog. I ❤ it.
thank you! and thanks for taking the time to comment — it’s nice to know there’s so much support around the world for people trying to make a change for the better…and people who’ve already come a long way! 🙂
No problem. Commenting helps people keep blogging and keep going towards their goals. I was searching for other weight loss blogs on here and lots of them had 1-2 posts and were done. Sadness, and I don’t want to join their ranks.
You caught my attention when you quoted my favorite detective!
I’ve had people balk completely that I was 320 (before I ballooned up to 345).. They thought 320 was “football player weight” and I would have a big gut hanging down like a lineman, or be 8 foot tall like Shaq. I’ve lost 65 pounds and I’m down to 285, and my goal is 220 which is still “obese” but the hell with the charts.. you can’t tell me that I can lose 125 pounds and not be healthier. I’m also very muscular and (dont laugh) big boned. As I work on my running, I know my leg muscles will stay big and so that will be weight but in a good way.
The flip side of that coin is, after losing 65 pounds, yes I can tell I have lost weight (my 46 size pants fall off me now) but I’m not that much smaller. So I guess I am very dense and weigh a lot more than I look.. but I will never be stick skinny.. my broad shoulders and hips won’t allow that.