More On BMI

I've been thinking more about the Body Mass Index today. It bothers me a bit...assigning people to categories of "normal", "overweight", or "obese" based only on height and weight.

What about the ratio of fat to muscle? What about those with "large frames"?

I read a bit more on the site that I referred you to earlier (which had the wrong link. sorry. it's fixed now). They talk about measuring BMI in athletes with low fat and high muscle. I thought it was interesting. It seems to me that using the BMI doesn't apply to everyone.

If you want to read their FAQ section, click HERE. I found it interesting and entertaining...is "fatness" really a word?!

P.S. My spell-checker didn't pick up "fatness" as a problem. Maybe it is a word. Who knew!!

In Search Of Protein

Hubby and I were talking about making breakfast for the kids the other day. We've been out of one of our favorite staples: little smokies. Pop a couple in the micro, and viola! Instant breakfast sausage! He asked me what I do for protein without them.

It got me thinking...and label searching.

In my lay-woman's opinion, there are two things that are crucial to feeling satisfied instead of hungry all day: Fiber and Protein.

Fiber is bulky, so it literally "fills" me up. It takes up space in the cavernous abyss that is my stomach. Fiber is best found in...you guessed it...fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Why, oh why, can't it be found in Snickers bars and ice cream?

Protein has more to do with blood sugar levels. When I eat protein with a meal, it helps my body metabolize the sugar from my meal over a longer period of time instead of in one big spike...only to be followed by a crash characterized by shaky hands, feeling a bit weak, tiredness, and hunger. And in me? Grumpiness. Serious grumpiness....which leads to my eating handful after handful of m&m's. Not a good thing.

So, where can I find some good protein? I searched my pantry and fridge today for some options. Here's what I found:

1/2 cup dry oatmeal = 5 g
1 6 oz cup yogurt = 5 g
1 extra large egg= 7 g protein
1 oz cheddar = 7 g
1 cup skim milk = 9 g
Flat Out Bread= 9 g
1/2 cup black beans = 9 g
about 1/2 can canned salmon = 12 g
about 1/2 cup canned tuna = 15 g
1 scoop (24 g) whey protein powder = 18 g

Is anyone surprised? I was! I was especially surprised by how little was in yogurt and eggs, and how much was in oatmeal and milk.

You know all the recent ads about milk helping you lose weight? I think I might have just gotten to the bottom of it! Drink milk with a meal, feel satisfied longer, eat less, lose weight. Yippee!

As a side note, I've been bringing milk back into my diet recently. I took a break because it seemed to be a trigger for Thomas's eczema. But I'm drinking it again, and his skin is fine.

So I'm gonna start drinking it with every meal! And I'm going to be even more of a fanatic when it comes to making my kids finish their milk. Geesh...we already go through 4 gallons a week in this house!

Anyone want to contribute to my "got milk" fund? Email me and I'll let you know how you can send the cash! :)

P.S. You can buy a giganto-tub of whey protein at Walmart for about $30. It seems expensive, but it lasts forever. I add it to smoothies, oatmeal, and sometimes yogurt. I like the vanilla flavor.

BMI: Body Mass Index

I had a recent comment from someone wanting to know my height and BMI (Hello, H from England :) ). I didn't realize that I had neglected to tell you how tall I am...a rather important number in all these calculations, no?! Sorry 'bout that.

I am 5' 8", with a very slender bone structure.

THIS site lets you calculate your BMI, if you're interested. I figured mine:

at 155 pounds and 5'8" my BMI=23.6
at 140 pounds and 5'8" my BMI=21.3

Both numbers are within the "Normal" range of 18.5-24.9. It is within this range that our risks of certain diseases are minimized (those associated with obesity).

Okay...is someone out there saying, "Well, she's not overweight at all! She's "normal"!" ?

That may be true, but the reason I'm trying to lose weight isn't to lower my number on a chart or to necessarily (although it would be nice) fit into a size 6 pant. I want to be healthy. I know that at this weight, I am not as healthy and fit as I could be. As I want to be.

And I may be avoiding some chronic diseases caused by obesity...I'm not going to avoid the chronic diseases caused by eating lots and lots of chocolate and by not exercising!

I should add something to my "Stuff I'm sick of " list: writing and thinking and analyzing this thing to death, yet not really making any changes. My "willpower muscles" are weak. Very very weak. (Although I have been staring at a bowl of m&m's all morning, and haven't had a single ONE...progress!) :)

Thanks for your comments. I really enjoy hearing from you.

Stuff I'm Sick Of

- Feeling like I need to walk around with my gut sucked in.
- Every time I sit down, I cross my arms over my impressive "muffin top". We're talking Costco sized muffin - muffin top. Yuck.
- Choosing which shirt to wear based solely on what "hides" best.
- Hearing about colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression...all in my family....and wondering what's gonna "get" me.
- Feeling old, inflexible, un-energetic.
- Setting a poor example of healthy living for my children.
- Not sleeping well, yet feeling tired all the time.
- Just the general feeling of not feeling good about myself. Exercise and proper eating doesn't really change me all that dramatically, but I sure feel better.
- Eating as much (or more) food than my 210 pound 6'2" husband, and blaming my weight gain or lack of losing weight on anything besides how much food I'm putting in my mouth.
- Putting of getting healthy...until Thomas is sleeping through the night...until Thomas isn't nursing anymore...until the kids are older and it's easier to fit exercise into my day...until whatever. Today's the day.

Yes, I've Been Avoiding This Blog

I've been eating non stop. I haven't been exercising at all. And I haven't been feeling up to writing about it.

But I'm back on the wagon now.

Someone once told me that no one changes until it gets too painful to stay the way they are. I think he was dead on.

So here I am...back to making changes in my food choices and trying to get a little exercise here and there. Just thought you might want to know...