Healthy Weight
As a girl I can say I've struggled with body issues my entire life from living in today's society. We judge ourselves based off of cosmetically altered body types or an unrealistic meaning of what a healthy weight/body should be. How can anyone be happy with how they look when every time they go on Instagram they see an insanely fit model showcasing how you too can look like this just from drinking this tea, or doing one squat. Weight seems to be a big issue in America. I wanted to research more about what exactly is a healthy weight and the benefits, as well as how to maintain it. Which is my biggest problem. I gain 10 pounds in one day.
So what is a healthy weight?
It is determined by nutritionist and other health professionals using a persons body mass index (BMI). A person with a normal BMI will be between certain numbers, as well as someone who is underweight, overweight, and obese. There are charts out there to use to calculate your own BMI or you can take your body weight in kg and divide it by your height in meter squared. The tricky thing with BMI is that if a person is exceptionally muscular they will be heavier and most likely have an obese BMI when they are at a normal weight in relality. If this is the case, there's also skin flapping tests. This test can be done at the rec int the APT lab.
The benefits of being at a healthy weight..
Being at a healthy weight puts a person at a lower risk for developing diseases later in life such as type 2 diabetes, gallstones, respiratory problems, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. All diseases none of us want, especially if they can be prevented. Being at a healthy weight also just makes ya feel good! People can preform better when they are feeling better about themselves.
How to maintain a healthy weight?
Before trying to figure out how to count calories a person should figure out how many calories they need on a day to day basis for bodily functions. This can be calculated by using basal metabolic rate equation online or if you really want to figure it out for yourself to use the Harris Benedict equation. Then adding how activate they are to the equation to solve for the total amount of calories. I have put an example in below to help people solve their own BMR.
655+(9.6x weight in kg)+(1.8xheight in
cm)-(4.7 x 40)= caloric needs
655+(9.6 x 56.699) + (1.8 x 160.02) –(4.7x
40)= 1,299.3464 BMR
Take 1,299 x 1.2 (activity factor)= amount of calories needed on a daily basis.
(Don't worry if this is confusing there are online calculators to use!)
Once calories are calculated a person can make sure they don't go over their normal need. This can be done by eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly. It's all about being balanced. One day it is okay to go over but just be more mindful they next day.
Source
Maintain a Healthy Weight. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2018, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/index.htm
I see myself as really skinny, and sadly want to gain more weight. I don't really see why people want to be skinny; although I'm thin, I don't consider myself fit at all. My friend is not my size, so she has a more plump figure. I think her body weight is great, but she wants to lose a few pounds. I guess all in all, it's all up to the person. There are some who wants to get rid of their weight, and there's others like me who wants to gain some. I'm not the most healthy eater in the world, but I know if I keep doing what I'm doing, my body will start to change sooner or later; maybe for the worst.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I shouldn't have this mentality, but I can't help it. Your post has made me realize that everyone has a preference, but the healthier route to go is to maintain a healthy diet, and to keep up with the amount of calories you eat. I don't keep track of that because I'm so skinny, but maybe I should. I agree with you when you mentioned how social media can alter the way a person thinks of what being a healthy weight is. We always look at how we can improve our bodies, but we sometimes don't know where to start, and your post does a great job of explaining it. It would be interesting so see how the male point of view of keeping up with their weight versus the woman's perspective. It would be great to compare their ideal weights. Overall, this was a really good post!
I really liked your post because eating healthy and exercising is something that I have become very passionate about recently. I keep track of what I eat during the week (I give myself a little break on the weekends) and I have also been exercising 3-4 days a week. It is often hard to have a positive body image when you see unrealistic pictures on social media, but you just have to remember that most of that is unrealistic. I don't necessarily want to lose weight, but I would definitely prefer my body be more toned an my stomach be flatter. I really like how you put the equation in your post, that was helpful in understanding how to calculate calories.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I say to myself "life is too short to not eat what you want" but I definitely can't think that way very often if I want to be at a lower risk for the diseases you listed. Maintaining a healthy weight goes way past just wanting to look good, you also need to in order to be healthy. I can't wait to read your next post!
I am so happy that you talked about body image and today's society. It is unbelievable how easy it is for girls and even guys to compare their body weight to other people. Society sets a standard that we must all be skinny in order to be beautiful. That is totally false. I think that it is crucial for people to understand that every person's body is built differently.
ReplyDeleteI had a good friend in high school who was a full time swimmer and track runner. She was unbelievably fit, but she naturally was built with more muscle than the average teenage girl. Although she was perfectly healthy, her BMI was higher than the healthy weight category. Since we were both pole vaulters, we had to get weighed often and she constantly was told by our coaches that she needed to lose weight, which would involve her literally losing muscle. It was super hard for her as an athlete with the misconception by coaches on what it truly means to be healthy.
People often compromise health for the number on the scale. I think it would be really cool if you talked about the different body types of women. I know that there are the pear, hour glass, and other body shapes that could really emphasize on the fact that all women are not built the same and a healthy body does not look the same on everybody. Great post!
This post is so real and so true. It's hard to think that you have a good body when you go on Instagram and see a female with a banging body, and you wonder how she did that. I'm pretty sure most of them are photo shop, but still it's not fair. Knowing that women have peer pressure of looking a certain way is difficult. I believe I'm at a decent weight for myself. Not too small and not too big. But I still go to the gym just to get toned up and lose a little weight time to time. This information is helpful because its good to know what your healthy weight is. Like you said, being at that weight will lower risks for certain diseases and it will make you feel better about yourself. Being able to maintain a healthy weight is hard because we all enjoy some fries once in awhile, but if we just try to keep a healthy diet and exercise we should be okay. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI remember in junior high school my science class had to calculate our body mas index as well as find our percentage of body fat: talk about shaming our body types all our lives, this was like seventh grade. I can still remember when I was little and my parents were worried I was unhealthy (I was very skinny and they thought I was underweight) so they asked my doctor at a check-up once. Then we are being watched by strangers, if a child is a little chubby, strangers just call them fat and say the parents are feeding them too much and let them play video games too often when in reality, some kids are little heavy and as long as they stay active the weight should, hopefully, balance out when they hit a growth spurt. I know a guy who has vertical stretch marks because he hit multiple growth spurts and he has always been very fit.
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel like in today's society everyone, especially girls, struggle with body image. I honestly don't agree with the scales doctors provide because someone that is more in shape tends to weigh more because of their muscle mass. I do agree with staying in good shape and eating healthy is very important but I don't like how we have a certain weight you have to be based off your height. There are other test that can determine how healthy you are like you mentioned in your post but physicians don't tend to do them on you, telling someone they're underweight or overweight based off a general chart can be discouraging to people. Overall, great post!
ReplyDeleteKayla J. Ruiz
Hollie,
ReplyDeleteI definitely loved the fact that you added a piece of yourself into your blog, really helped me connect. I can tell that good health is really important to you and got you where you are today. I think that sometimes the body image that is shown through media isn't realistic and that if you're happy with the way you are, that's a happy weight. I don't think that you should be this weight because you're this tall or this short. Great post!
Hollie! I loved how you were able to talk a little about yourself so you are able to relate to your viewers who also struggled with body issues in today's society. I learned a lot from reading this post, and after reading this post I am more confident now about my body. It is also good that you taught people how they reach healthy weight and be able to maintain it. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you broke this down! Weight is something that I have been struggling with since I was 12 years old. Am I to skinny, am I over weight. So much runs through your head so i'm glad to know that what determines if i'm healthy or not is not my physical appearance. Thank You so much for sharing a little of your personal experience. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.
ReplyDelete