My doctor is full of hooey!

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
My Doctor is Full of Hooey!

This is my new mantra for now, until I convince myself of it. Here's why:

A few weeks before my surgery, my doctor had to do a physical. At the time he had to weigh me. He started to give me a very hard time about my weight, said things like "Your husband is losing weight and you're gaining it for him." and told me that I need to lose a minimum of 25 lbs, preferably 35.

So, I started exercising frantically and really being careful (but sensible) about my eating. Joined SparkPeople, started measuring and tracking calories and food intake, etc. I got on the scale a week later and the needle had not budged. Kept up with the frantic exercise.

But then I started to think:

  • My doctor had never EVER expressed a concern about my weight UNTIL he saw the number on the scale. Not by looking at me, not by taking blood pressure or any of the other standard tests that they do.
  • To look at me, I'm not carrying a lot of excess flesh (other than that dratted baby tummy).
  • I wear size 2 pants, sometimes size 0 if it's a large cut.

So, I got out the tape measure to assess the situation:
Chest: 38
Waist: 29 1/2 (because of that dratted baby tummy)
Hips: 36

And I had my body fat percentage assessed. It was about 18% at the time, and since the surgery I've lost a bit of weight because I'm not moving around much and just not very hungry.

So! Either I'm meant to be so thin and gaunt that I'm invisible, or I have a higher than average weight for someone my size. My doctor votes for A. After a lot of soul searching, I vote for B.

Those BMI and height-weight ratio charts have always been the bane of my existence. I remember one of the huge triggers for my many years of anorexia was the fact that we were all weighed in grade 8 and I weighed a pound more than the "fat girl" in our class.

So, as far as I'm concerned My Doctor is Full of Hooey!

It's really important that I believe that, because I don't want to start the slow slide into disordered eating again. I've worked so hard to regain a healthy relationship with food and I'm just not willing to give that up.

In a way this has helped me. I am incredibly motivated not just to step up my healthy eating and exercise plans, but also to confront my scale demons. Ever since I've been in eating disorder recovery I have been afraid of the scale.

So...I decided to start weighing myself regularly, promising that I would not judge myself for good or ill, but just use the numbers as a measure.

Say it with me: Trinity, Your Doctor is Full of Hooey!
 
N

Nomad

Guest
Wow, I'm confused. How tall are you?
Perhaps you just need to lose a couple of pounds and tone up a little. 25-35 pounds kinda sounds like a lot when you are wearing such small sizes.
Are you eating healthy foods? Are you blood pressure and cholesterol numbers ok? If you haven't done so already, you should have your thyroid checked.
Those clothing sizes sound very small!!!!! Do you have a large bust size and perhaps this is confusing the issue?
I would just exercise regularly, eat healthy, watch your portions, etc. (as it seems you are doing and see if this helps you overall. Also, cut out sodas and juices....add water. In fact make your liquids mostly water. Also...cut back on sugar intake.
Can't do much more than these things.
Keep pressing forward...and ask the doctor more detailed questions. Wishing you well.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I'm 5 ft 3.

I eat very healthy food. My blood pressure is normal, a bit low if anything. Cholesterol is within the healthy range. Thyroid function normal.

I don't drink juice or pop, or eat a lot of sweets. I don't eat a lot of junk food and don't use any refined sugar at all. I drink about 12 cups of water per day.

Despite being fairly small statured, I have incredibly dense bones. I once had a bone scan to check on an injury. The report said that my bones are about 50% more dense than the average person's. However, that doesn't account for all of the extra weight. I am fairly muscular, so I can only conclude that muscle does actually weigh more than fat, as the exercise gurus have always said.

I'm not really sure what to make of it. However, I think that if I lose the 25 lbs that my doctor says I should, I will put myself into an unhealthy state.

I guess I'm just an anomaly. I don't get it either.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Trinity... I am also 5'3 and I have a small frame. I will be up front and honest - I weigh 145. I had dropped to 129. I was wearing a size 4. I have no rear end or hips at all. My doctor is not worried though I looked on his scale and it said 145 was borderline obese for my height.

HUH?

Stang can tell you (I was hovering at 135-140 last summer)... I am NOT borderline obese. Could I stand to lose a couple of pounds? Maybe. Convert them to muscle is more appropriate.

I'm thinking that your doctor is full of something a lot more dense than hooey. Beans, perhaps?
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
With the issue our country has with obesity, it seems the new trend is to define obesity by BMI rather than the old height/weight guide. However, to get the BMI, you have to use your height and weight!

The definition of obesity used to those who were 20% above their "ideal" weight. Now you are overweight if you have a BMI of between 24 and 29 and morbidly obese with a BMI of 30 or above. If we use Step2's example, since she's so open about her height and weight - if she is 5'3" and weighed 145 her BMI would have been 26 - that is considered overweight but not borderline obsese. Now, at 129, her BMI would be between 21 and 22 - the normal range.

If we use the old forumla of obesity which was 20% - the average weight for a woman 5'3" would have been 121. 20% of 121 would have put that person at 144 - which is now considered overweight - not border line obese or obese.

All these numbers go to show that the average weight numbers using the BMI index has gone up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't change that I'm morbidly obese.........but I'm working on it.......

Oh, and your doctor is full of hooey!

Sharon
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
The definition of obesity used to those who were 20% above their "ideal" weight. Now you are overweight if you have a BMI of between 24 and 29 and morbidly obese with a BMI of 30 or above. If we use Step2's example, since she's so open about her height and weight - if she is 5'3" and weighed 145 her BMI would have been 26 - that is considered overweight but not borderline obsese. Now, at 129, her BMI would be between 21 and 22 - the normal range.

If we use the old forumla of obesity which was 20% - the average weight for a woman 5'3" would have been 121. 20% of 121 would have put that person at 144 - which is now considered overweight - not border line obese or obese.

This is exactly my issue. Regardless of which way you slice it, I fall into the significantly overweight-almost obese category IF you go by the charts. My BMI is 28.7. Going with the Height-to-Weight charts, I am 15 lbs above the "high" weight for my height. For that matter, I am 9 lbs above the "high" weight for a man of my height. If you gauge by BMI alone, I have a significant amount of weight to lose.

BUT according to the same charts that tell me I'm grossly overweight, my body fat percentage falls within the "athlete" range (14 to 20%).

It's a terrible mixed message.

And my doctor is full of hooey!
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Your doctor is full of hooey!

Might be interesting to make him explain the contradictions between the BMI, the height-weight charts, and the body fat percentage to you.
 
Trinity,

I agree with you 100% - Your doctor is definitely full of hooey!!! Your measurements and clothing sizes are all the proof you need!!! Numbers on a scale are just that - Numbers on a scale. You would think your doctor would understand this:mad:!!!

You're doing great!!! Keep following your own advice. SFR
 
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