Mood: Sassy.
Music: Britney Spears, Circus, which has not been released yet. C'mon. Who do you think you're talkin' to? I'm the GeekGirl.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane...right after work, to join Sweet Baboo in Arizona. My plans for this weekend are simple: 1) Don't do an Ironman 2) Watch other people do an Ironman 3) Volunteer at IMAZ 4) Perhaps meet other bloggers.
On a slightly related note, I've been reading a research report on BMI. It all started when I was printing off charts to stick all
over my desk area. I'm supposed to be searching medical records for people who meet a certain criteria to recruit them for a study, and one of the criteria is related to their BMI. I looked at this chart. THERE'S some good newss: According to this chart, I'm overweight with a BMI of 27.Oh, LIKE I NEEDED TO READ THAT. Like I don't have enough issues with body stuff anyway that I struggle with, one day really liking myself and one day hating myself, one day starving myself and another day eating two lean cuisine entrees at lunch instead of one and then going and getting desert AND a candy bar mocha latte and yes, I know most us women, we do it to ourselves but I still blame men. All I've been feeling fat lately because I need new pants. I'm sitting a lot now and pants that you sit in require a certain amount of shall we say, "relaxed" fabric content.
But seriously, I can't be that unhealthy, right? I mean, how many pre-obese girls can run up a mountain (and crawl back down, but that's besides the point) or run 31 miles before sundown? I wear a 10/12 depending on the time of the year and how many times I've eaten Chinese food that month. Certainly, I'm bigger and slower than the tiny bird people I train with and hang out with but still, I hold my own.
So I looked, and I found this study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise [39(3):403-409]. Thought I'd share. What they did was look at BMI according to a height/weight chart, and then compared with skin fold test and the test where they dangle you in water, to see if the BMI chart was accurate in predicting fatness. The following was observed:
1) Athletes whose BMI classified them as overweight on the chart (over 25 bmi) were incorrectly classified as overweight 77% of the time (female) and 87% of the time (males).
2) Non-athletes, meanwhile, were incorrectly classified around 44% of the tim
e for both groups.Then I discovered Whitney Thompson. She apparently won "America's Next Top Model" which I've never seen. She's a size US12, or 10, or 14, depending on who you read. She's tall, but just look at those full thighs and healthy cheeks.
So there ya go.
Food for thought.
Think I'll go get a latte now.
...
You're fine. My doctor said not to go by those BMI charts. You are very fit and healthy and it's almost winter. We all bulk up in the winter to keep warm ;-)
ReplyDeleteBMI is a load of garbage, IMHO. I'm marked as 'obese', but am certainly not.
ReplyDeleteBMI doesn't take muscle into account, or anything like that.
But, you probably already know that.. :)
Enjoy the latte
Huh. Winter fat. For keeping warm. Yeah. I like that.
ReplyDeleteBMI Is STUPID!
ReplyDeleteDown with BMI.
I look good naked and I can finish a race well. I could CARE LESS what that stupid thing says.
(not that anyone cares to SEE me naked, but that's another story!)
Hope to run into you this weekend!
ReplyDelete(I didn't know until recently that Baboo was doing this...but I should have figured he was!)
BMI is a load of crap... I was overweight at my lowest weight 170 (I'm 5'9) but ran 2 marathons and looked super thin.... so yeah this is BS.
ReplyDeleteHave fun this week-end! I'm sure it is going to be more enjoyable to watch and volunteer than actually race... well at least you'll be in less pain!
99% cotton and 1% spandex is the key to comfortable pants!
ReplyDeleteHave a great time in Arizona! Yup, I've heard that the BMI doesn't take muscle in to account. Personally I'd rather be on the upper end of things and be able to compete in endurance events as opposed to be stick skinny but struggling to walk up a flight of stairs. Not that I could ever be stick skinny, but I can do the endurance!
ReplyDeleteCoincidently, it blew my mind that Whitney was just your average sized gal, but she's termed plus size in the modelling world. No wonder so many of us have body issues!
BMI is pretty well documented as being inaccurate for athletes because we have ze delicous mooskles. So eff the BMI chart.
ReplyDeleteThat model looks like she could eat those 2 skinny dudes for breakfast, run another 10 miles or so and then have a mocha latte. And that's the way, uh huh uh huh, we like it, uh huh uh huh.
Forget BMI. I say I weigh too much when it makes me grouchy on a regular basis. Not a "fat day" feeling, but just a regular day with my pants digging into my waist and my thighs rubbing together and grrrr. Thats all I need to know..that regardless of any chart, or scale, for ME and my mind set, it's too much.
ReplyDeleteyou are doing just great! You inspire me to keep doing what i am doing and in the back of my mind i think of doing a 50k someday. give duane a big hug for me and cody too and your husband too! best of luck to them all. If you ever come to CO let me know would love to hang out with you all. YOUR ROCK you are a iron woman
ReplyDeleteBMI is only to make skinny short people feel smug
ReplyDeleteThanks, Misty!
ReplyDeleteNew to this blog, love your writing and your - well, mission, I guess. Searched 'female powerlifters' and landed here in two short hops. That's gotta count for something! I'd love to subscribe to your blog but only found 'follow' - maybe I'm doing it wrong. I'll be back to read more about today's girl hero. Liz
ReplyDeleteOh look, I'm back! Figured it out *and* would like your permission to do something I already did: cross posted a portion from your post about your shadow. Meanwhile I'm loving reading back and getting inspirededed.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be able to say "eff the BMI chart" and everything everyone else said - but it still gets to me. I wish it didn't but it does! I remember a Navy physical where right after I KICKED ASS on the PT test, the corpsman had to evaluate me for my medical record. He marked me down as "slim" in the first box and then took my weight and had to check the "overweight" box and THEN took out the little calipers and had to mark a third box with "obese". Grrr. I was Excellent, Slim, Overweight, and Obese all at the same time! And yet - even if the charts are wrong I want to be in the skinny categories. :-S
ReplyDeleteHey it was great hanging out with you all day!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Baboo! Solid effort!
Let me know if/when you want to come to Tucson to do something here...we have a guest house -the carpet doesn't smell like pee! :-)