Don't let that number determine your mood!

Today I want to address the myth that your weight determines your health. FALSE! Did you know that muscle weighs more than fat? Ok so yes, we can still be overweight and have excess fat on us which we need to try and work on, BUT please don't let this number determine your mood!

I used to weigh myself everyday, sometimes twice a day. If I gained even half of a pound I would FREAK OUT! (Did you know that you can loose up to 3 pounds after a bowl movement?!? Crazy stuff huh?) Also I want to clarify what the B.M.I calculations mean to me. Most doctors use the Body Mass Index calculations to determine whether you are overweight or not. They plug in your height and weight and come up with a number... usually it ranges from 18-40 but what it fails to consider is body type. Let's face it, we are all sooo different. Some of us literally have bigger bone structures, others are born having more muscle on them. All of these factors contribute to your overall weight. So here's my take on the BMI: If your number says that you are overweight, consider it but don't let that discourage you! Make sure that you do your best to take care of yourself- FOR YOU! Not to make the numbers on the chart say you're in the healthy range.

One of my professors (who is a Nutritionist) told me that one of her sons came home from the doctor one day and was told he was "obese". Now this kid was husky- I'm talking all muscle and had a large bone structure. My prof thought this was such an absurd thing but all that the doctor did was a BMI test- he did nothing to determine how much muscle compared to fat the kid had! So stinking annoying! So if you're curious about your BMI you can go to www.Kraft.com and under the Healthy Eating section they have a BMI calculator. Enter your height and weight but REMEMBER don't let the numbers (whether they're on the scale or on your computer) rule your life!

Another point I would like to make is this: When you begin to loose weight, hopefully you're loosing fat pounds and not muscle pounds. When this happens at first you will notice the scale going down. After a while however, if you are exercising, even somewhat regularly compared to normal, you will begin to build muscle. As i mentioned earlier, muscle weighs more than fat so if the scale starts to go up again or if you notice no change but your measurements keep shrinking this is why. Now you know what to expect. It's called the plateau stage of weight loss and all that this means is that your "weight number" eventually reaches a holding place once you start to build those muscles! So this is a GOOD thing! Be happy, the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest. Which means after a while, you don't have to work sooo hard to maintain your "happy weight". So good luck girls and keep your chin up- Don't let those numbers rule your day, Remember the good choices you made today. The BABY STEPS you took to becoming a healthier you!