Wednesday, March 3, 2010

How Much Weight is Too Much Weight?

So, I had an awkward encounter at the gym the other morning. It was creepy but it got me thinking so I'm going to share it and then start thinking aloud...or through the pen...or keyboard. Whatever, you get my point.

So, I have a routine where M-F I hit the gym at 5 am and do an hour to an hour and a half of cardio. I'm training for a 1/2 marathon so the cardio cross training is pretty important. On Tuesday, I ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill, biked for another 20 and moved over to the elliptical for the last 20. While I was trucking along, this guy came over and started chatting with me. I absolutely hate when people try to converse while I'm working out. This is my me time. Basically, I'm already annoyed. I don't even take my head phones out while he is talking to me. The only part I really zoned in on was when he said the following:

"Don't lose too much more weight."

Which would have been fine had it not been coupled with a leer at my legs and a licking of his huge lips. WTF is that?!?! Does that line actually work on other girls? Who goes to the gym to get picked up? Jesus. There are no words to describe how wigged out I was.

But, on the flip side, it got me thinking. How much weight is too much weight to hold on my body? Or to lose? So I started googling healthy weights...

According to this site, I should weigh between 120- 159 since I am 5'6". It breaks down into small, medium and large frame with no explanation of what that means. I looked further and the explanation didn't make much sense so I am going to assume I am a medium frame so I should weigh 130-144. Currently, I sit at 158.0 (down 9 lbs from 167.0). I would like to go down to 135 but I am not gunning for that weight. I'm just gunning for getting healthy.

Some people go by BMI so click here to find out if yours is in a healthy range. At 5'6" and 158 lbs, I clock in at 25.5 on the BMI scale. This means I fall in the bottom part of the overweight section. The very bottom, meaning soon I should be at a normal weight!

The important thing to remember is these are all numbers. It really is more about how you feel. Right now, I feel better than I have since I was in high school running on the track team. I try to remember that when I mess up and the numbers on the scale start creeping up. I spotted some muscles peaking from below the fat and got so excited I said "Well, hello, bicep" in the shower. The woman in the stall next to me said hello as well. It is crazy watching the changes that are taking place but also feeling way more confident in how I look and feel. Health is my number on priority but I also know that feeling good about how I look is going to go a long way toward my mental health as well.

How do you determine your healthy weight? Is it on the scale? By your clothing size or fit? Or do you have something else that helps you know when you are tipping to the unhealthy side?

No comments: