Day 181: A new way of thinking...

I ran across an article today that talked about being fat, but fit. I think it must be the newest thing the health world is talking about because when I tried to find the article again....I came up with a ton of other articles on the same subject!

The gist of the article I read, said that yes, you can be fat, but fit. The article mentioned the old method of using a height to weight ratio to determine if you are over weight - and why it doesn't really work. It also mentioned using the BMI (body mass index) to determine if you are over weight - and why it doesn't really work. And then finally, the article mentioned a new way of determining if you are over weight - body roundness.

Here is a link to a body roundness calculator (it even gives you your BMI index number). There is even a graphic that updates as you put in the numbers to the calculator.

Here is what I put in:
1) Units - US (so all info was in pounds & inches)
2) Gender - Female (have no idea if gender makes a difference or not)
3) Race - White (again, have no idea if race makes a difference or not)
4) Age - 42 (why does age make a difference?)
5) Height (in) - 62 (I am technically 61.5, but I am rounding up)
6) Weight (lbs) - 148 (technically 147.5, but rounding up)
7) Waist (in) - 35
8) Hips (in) - 41 (I did have the option of not including the hip measurement)

Outcome: Fat: 40.9%; VAT: 2.4%; Total VAT Mass: 3.5lbs; Body Roundness Index: 4.6 (in the healthy zone); and BMI: 27.1 (overweight)  (FYI: VAT is basically belly fat)

(Side note: in a height to weight chart, my numbers look like this:
5'2" - 108lbs (low); 125 (Target); 144 (high)

Obviously, I like the Body Roundness Index - I am healthy! I know from playing around with BMI calculators that I need to be around 135 pounds to be considered within the healthy zone.And I have personally felt my best when I was at 125 lbs. But here is the thing. It doesnt' really matter what any calculator or scale or doctor or the size of my jeans says - I know that I am overweight. Am I healthier than I was 6 months ago? Absolutely...anyone paying attention would realize that I didn't lose any weight in the last 6 months. I am disappointed, but not surprised.

Yet, I feel lighter. I feel healthier. I have more energy. I am sleeping better. I am being more active. I am eating better. Those are things that calculators and scales can't show you.  The size of my pants might be the same, but how they fit me has changed - they fit better. I am more comfortable in my clothes and in my body.

Do I think people can be fat, but fit? Of course! Just like you can be thin and not fit. I am a former skinny person who was not fit. I was just lucky. My luck ran out and now I am not as skinny as I once  was. Do I think I am fat? No. Overweight? yes. Out of shape? yes....but not fat. I just don't see myself that way....now I just need to see myself as fit!

Happy Walking!