In this corner we have the medical term Obese.
In the middle is were I stand, trying to avoid either or both of those terms sticking it to me as they duke it out.
Here in the United States it is a far greater stigma to be in the corner with Obese than it is to be in the corner with Fat. In other countries, however, it is just the opposite.
For me, I had to find a balance in which neither one of those words were a stigma. Basically I took away the power of those words to make me feel bad about where I sat in my current health and fitness goals. That doesn't mean those words will lose all power of negativity; they remain painful if someone decides to use them to purposefully be mean and cause hurt. Yet, in my own personal journey, coming across those words and finding them applied to me in some way is no longer a stigma.
It is all in what the word means to you. The word has the power you give it, nothing more or less. It is just a word.
So lets start with de-stigmatizing the word fat.
Fat. I have it. All over my body. Some places more than others. It is natural to have fat. Fat is a part of us. Everyone has fat. Some of us have more than others. Excess fat can cause and worsen the effects of thousands of ailments we all suffer from. Excess fat can also be seen as a social stigma.
My goal for my overall health is fat loss. I replaced the word weight with the word fat to remind myself that fat is the focus, not weight. Fat loss can happen because of muscle gain, which imparts no noticeable weight loss. Fat loss is what makes my organs healthy. Fat loss is what drives away a myriad of diseases my family members all suffer from.
Not too hard to de-stigmatize it when you look at it this way.
De-stigmatizing the word obese was a little harder.
The first time my beautifully fit doctor handed me information on fat-loss and then said, "we have to work on your obesity," I was taken aback and offended. Sure, I was a little over-weight, maybe even fat, but I wasn't obese!
I told my friends who chanted with me, "you are NOT obese."
I was though. That is the crux of the whole issue.
To determine obesity doctors use a calculation called Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
That is it, plain and simple.
At the time, based on calculations from my height and weight, my doctor was alerted to the fact that I was in the obese category. The doctor, knowing that I do not yet suffer from any of the ailments being in that category can afford, simply went into preventive maintenance mode and handed me some information on fat loss.
The BMI is based on averages and wasn't designed to fit everyone perfect. It was designed to say, "on average, in this size body, with these levels of fat, (or even on the other end of the spectrum focusing on levels of not enough fat), people typically are at risk, or greater risk, for certain ailments and chronic diseases." The people who do not fit into these averages are the rarity not the norm. Most people are categorized correctly within the BMI scale.
What we have to start seeing is that being obese does not mean all those negative things that are running through your brain right now. Being obese simply means you are in the highest category for possible suffering from fat related health issues, most of which are chronic and easily avoided with just a minimal (10% of your current body weight) loss of fat.
If you find yourself one of the few whom BMI just doesn't fit, then no problem. Let it go that you are labeled in the obese category. You already know you don't need to focus on any fat loss as it doesn't apply to you.
As well, if you are in the obese category legitimately do not beat yourself up. It is not a negative label, it simply is a way of measuring your risk for many of the health related issues that can be caused or are due to excessive fat.
Do not look at the BMI as a weight goal or as the total amount of fat loss you should focus on. That is not the intent. The BMI is instead a knowledge tool that helps you maintain your focus on the importance of losing fat - your overall health.
Will this help anyone else? I'm not certain. I know for me though, pulling out the emotions and looking at the crux of the issue really has helped me; tremendously. I don't want to live a life that is only survived by handfuls of pills and Wheel of Fortune as I become aged. So, I use all the tools and terms given me to aid in ensuring I don't!
Speaking of, we are halfway through our "Do Life" challenge and here are this weeks motivational challenges!
1.) Now that you know and are meeting your caloric range, have removed some bad habits, and added some good, - well know it is time to focus on WHAT it is your are putting in your body. This weeks challenge is to take at least one (but maybe try all!) meal you eat from a box or can, (or a meal that you make with items from a box or can), and find a recipe so you can make it from scratch ingredients!
2.) Go to the toy aisle of a local shop and find one toy, in your price range, that requires physical activity. Buy it. Now play with it at least 2 times this week! It doesn't have to be expensive or require a lot of exertion either. As long as it motivates you to play for 10-20 minutes! Well ... HAVE FUN!!!
Bonus Challenge: (I didn't change this one up from last weeks to give us all a second chance to focus on some SLEEP!) Remain exercising to the videos I shared or your own fitness levels and goals for at LEAST 30 minutes a day at LEAST 3 days a week. Spend at least 1 day in a 20 minute meditation AND here is the new and important and most challenging aspect - get AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night the entire week! Whew! That is going to be a challenge for me.
~TigressSky~
In this corner we have the societal term Fat.
In the middle is were I stand, trying to avoid either or both of those terms sticking it to me as they duke it out.
Here in the United States it is a far greater stigma to be in the corner with Obese than it is to be in the corner with Fat. In other countries, however, it is just the opposite.
For me, I had to find a balance in which neither one of those words were a stigma. Basically I took away the power of those words to make me feel bad about where I sat in my current health and fitness goals. That doesn't mean those words will lose all power of negativity; they remain painful if someone decides to use them to purposefully be mean and cause hurt. Yet, in my own personal journey, coming across those words and finding them applied to me in some way is no longer a stigma.
It is all in what the word means to you. The word has the power you give it, nothing more or less. It is just a word.
So lets start with de-stigmatizing the word fat.
Fat. I have it. All over my body. Some places more than others. It is natural to have fat. Fat is a part of us. Everyone has fat. Some of us have more than others. Excess fat can cause and worsen the effects of thousands of ailments we all suffer from. Excess fat can also be seen as a social stigma.
My goal for my overall health is fat loss. I replaced the word weight with the word fat to remind myself that fat is the focus, not weight. Fat loss can happen because of muscle gain, which imparts no noticeable weight loss. Fat loss is what makes my organs healthy. Fat loss is what drives away a myriad of diseases my family members all suffer from.
Not too hard to de-stigmatize it when you look at it this way.
De-stigmatizing the word obese was a little harder.
The first time my beautifully fit doctor handed me information on fat-loss and then said, "we have to work on your obesity," I was taken aback and offended. Sure, I was a little over-weight, maybe even fat, but I wasn't obese!
I told my friends who chanted with me, "you are NOT obese."
I was though. That is the crux of the whole issue.
To determine obesity doctors use a calculation called Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
That is it, plain and simple.
At the time, based on calculations from my height and weight, my doctor was alerted to the fact that I was in the obese category. The doctor, knowing that I do not yet suffer from any of the ailments being in that category can afford, simply went into preventive maintenance mode and handed me some information on fat loss.
The BMI is based on averages and wasn't designed to fit everyone perfect. It was designed to say, "on average, in this size body, with these levels of fat, (or even on the other end of the spectrum focusing on levels of not enough fat), people typically are at risk, or greater risk, for certain ailments and chronic diseases." The people who do not fit into these averages are the rarity not the norm. Most people are categorized correctly within the BMI scale.
What we have to start seeing is that being obese does not mean all those negative things that are running through your brain right now. Being obese simply means you are in the highest category for possible suffering from fat related health issues, most of which are chronic and easily avoided with just a minimal (10% of your current body weight) loss of fat.
If you find yourself one of the few whom BMI just doesn't fit, then no problem. Let it go that you are labeled in the obese category. You already know you don't need to focus on any fat loss as it doesn't apply to you.
As well, if you are in the obese category legitimately do not beat yourself up. It is not a negative label, it simply is a way of measuring your risk for many of the health related issues that can be caused or are due to excessive fat.
Do not look at the BMI as a weight goal or as the total amount of fat loss you should focus on. That is not the intent. The BMI is instead a knowledge tool that helps you maintain your focus on the importance of losing fat - your overall health.
Will this help anyone else? I'm not certain. I know for me though, pulling out the emotions and looking at the crux of the issue really has helped me; tremendously. I don't want to live a life that is only survived by handfuls of pills and Wheel of Fortune as I become aged. So, I use all the tools and terms given me to aid in ensuring I don't!
Speaking of, we are halfway through our "Do Life" challenge and here are this weeks motivational challenges!
1.) Now that you know and are meeting your caloric range, have removed some bad habits, and added some good, - well know it is time to focus on WHAT it is your are putting in your body. This weeks challenge is to take at least one (but maybe try all!) meal you eat from a box or can, (or a meal that you make with items from a box or can), and find a recipe so you can make it from scratch ingredients!
2.) Go to the toy aisle of a local shop and find one toy, in your price range, that requires physical activity. Buy it. Now play with it at least 2 times this week! It doesn't have to be expensive or require a lot of exertion either. As long as it motivates you to play for 10-20 minutes! Well ... HAVE FUN!!!
Bonus Challenge: (I didn't change this one up from last weeks to give us all a second chance to focus on some SLEEP!) Remain exercising to the videos I shared or your own fitness levels and goals for at LEAST 30 minutes a day at LEAST 3 days a week. Spend at least 1 day in a 20 minute meditation AND here is the new and important and most challenging aspect - get AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night the entire week! Whew! That is going to be a challenge for me.
~TigressSky~
