BMEye...a new point of view

I am the mother of an (almost) teen.  There.  I admit it.  It's true.  It terrifies me, makes me happy, makes me crazy.  My dear big girl is 12, 12 and a half next week.  She is beautiful, smart, funny, quirky and perfect.  She is my oldest and the first to fill my heart in the way that only a child can.  She encourages me, loves me, and is my friend.

My 12 year old has always been quiet but confident.  She is the type that comes across as shy and reserved until she gets to know you, then look out.  Its open season on crazy. :)  She has one of the most tender hearts I have ever witnessed (much like her uncle-my lil bro), and she keeps her feelings bottled up most of the time.  This is getting to be more and more as she inches ever closer to the actual, official teen years.  We spend many days yelling through her (slammed) closed door while she blocks us out with ear buds and iPods, but at the end of the day (literally) she snuggles on the couch with me, resting her head on my shoulder, and for that short window of time, she is my little girl again.

She has seen me struggle with my own body issues.  I never wanted to be the mom that said "I'm fat" in front of my kids, but I admit it has happened.  She is always quick to negate my sentiments though and reassure me that the image I (think) I see in the mirror is not reality.  We all have a slightly distorted reflection I think, society has made us that way.  But this week it came full circle on me.

I have never been a fan of the BMI scale, I have made that clear I think.  But now I can hate it for a whole new reason.  My oldest is an amazing soccer player.  She plays on both club and premier level teams.  She is also an equestrian.  To see her in the saddle is amazing.  She is unbelievably strong and incredibly fit.  She runs with soccer 2-3 days a week and the amount of strength riding takes is shocking.  I mean, you have to control a horse with your body. 

Last week my big girl had a friend over and they played the Wii.  When they did the fit test, that rotten son of a biscuit machine told her that her BMI was in the overweight range.  Now, is there anything wrong with being overweight or addressing the fact if you are?  NO!  But when you aren't, and you are being told you are (especially at an impressionable age) because your boxes on the big chart don't fall where some random person thinks they should, I have to say it's just plan wrong.  I knew it bothered her because I wasn't actually in the room when they did it, she mentioned it later in passing.  Her teen-angst way of making me aware that she was upset (I am getting good already at reading her signals).

So this week we had her well child visit at the pediatrician, and I asked her if she wanted to talk to the doc about the Wii.  The doc jumped right in with, "Did that stupid thing say you were overweight?"  The shocked look on my daughters face let me know that she wasn't expecting that kind of response from the doc.  Our wonderful doc explained again (as she did during the mini's visit) how against it she is.  How muscle is heavier and that she wouldn't be able to do the things she does if she was on the lower end of the spectrum.  Can I just say I LOVE our doc!

So as I move forward with my own fitness and health self-discovery I am seeing how what I project along with the world is effecting my girls.  Bye bye BMI!

Feeling a Bit MisInformed

I don't know about you, but I take great issue with BMI calculators.  I always have, even at my skinniest.  It seems to me that they are just too arbitrary.  There is no consideration of musculature or activity.  My hubs, awesome man that he is, is on the end of the BMI charts that he does NOT want to be on...but his arms and legs are like tree trunks of pure muscle. And now, in the past two weeks I have had to more pushes over the BMI line.

I took my sweet mini to the pediatrician for her 4 year check up.  She is perfect.  Smart, funny, healthy, quite brave (she sat through two shots), and according to her BMI overweight.  The look on my face said it all I'm sure as my pediatrician explained how it's not a concern because of how strong she is...she has a lot of muscle (she comes from strong parents after all).  It did help that the doc also said that she hates the BMI stuff and doesn't put stock in it.  If our medical professional disagrees, that is enough for me.

My second push was my own biometric screening.  I am VERY proud to say that I was in the "green zone" on all areas: HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, BMI...but I was darn close to the overweight zone on the BMI (also the glucose...worry!!!!!)

While I struggle with my weight, I know my fight is not the same as others.  Mine is more of a vanity fight...but with health repercussions.  I watched my Dad collapse with a heart attack when I was 15.  I am lucky that he was ok, but I know my genetics and my eating habits and workout habits (or as of late lack of workout habits) is going to bite me in the butt!  I have heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer looming out there in my genetic cloud...and I am trying to take action to overcome them all.  I will not be passive in my life.  While I am on the "normal" side I am barely hanging on there so I am taking action.  I am on the downward slope to 40, I have a family history that is not so great, and I have 2 amazing kids that I plan to watch grow old...so I have to take action and this whole BMI thing makes me think I am failing sometimes.

So in the interest of good health I got a Fitbit flex from my parents for my birthday, as I mentioned in my last post.  well it arrived yesterday and I promptly charged it up and have it on now.  Already adjusted the step goal to 12,000 since its been awhile since I tracked my progress and am ready to go.  To top it off, mini asked if we could workout together after reading (yet again) The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food.  I love that she is actively involved in her own health already...our example must be in the right direction!!

What are YOUR thoughts on BMI???

 

 

Well, well, wellness

Before I came to work where I am now...I was at another educational institution.  What I like about both is that they both place a value on employee health.  They both offer may free wellness events and classes. 

The bonus to where I work now is they have a full wellness/health fair.  We can get, as employees, all sorts of info on our various insurance options, "fancy" gym rates, life insurance, free flue shots and hearing tests, etc.  My boss and I love to take advantage of all of the free stuff.  We got bags, pens, granola bars, our flu shots and hearing tests but most exciting of all they do a health screening where they test your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI.  I am pleased to report that I came in at the healthy range in all of these areas.  I was a little bit higher than I have been in the past in the BMI department so I need to work on that, but am glad to have for the most part a clean bill of health.

The only downside to this is they don't give you the full breakdown on things.  Like, my cholesterol is within a normal range overall...but I don't know how the good compares to the bad.  Another reason to force myself to find a PCP...I know.  I am so good with the girls and their doctor stuff, and am good with my specialists types (dentist, optho, OB/GYN) but the hubs and I both need to get our acts together and get PCP's.  Especially since I feel as though my metabolism (which has been quite good since my early twenties) is slowing down.  It's like my birthday called and said "Hey metabolism, you've been working so hard for the past decade...time to make her sweat a little more, go ahead and slow down now that she is 35."  Just for the record...that stinks!

So over the next few weeks I will be: setting up a physical, and setting up a workout schedule with the hubs.  he gives his finals on 12/12/12 <insert doomsday music here> and then he has some freedom so we can get back on track with a schedule that allows for workouts with childcare.  hee hee  Getting excited!