The Score So Far (Health & Fitness)

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm down to 123 now and haven't killed myself doing it either. My clothes fit so well, I feel great!

Emphasis mine, of course. I'm very pleased for you Jersey Girl. Not trying to get too much into the HAES nonsense, the numbers on the scale are way less important than that last part. If you're feeling better and able to enjoy life, that is what really matters.

I know earlier you were working a lot to add in the exercise, is that still going well for you?

I don't know what HAES is, I'll look it up.

Me and exercise...that's a little story in and of itself here. I don't know if you picked up on the fact that I was DX'd with a heart arrhythmia this summer? Anyway, some folks get AFIB when they exercise. I've learned I'm just the opposite. Here's the thing. I was afraid to go back on the treadmills, so I experimented with my heart and exercise here at the house. I started walking the driveway again. Our driveway is 1/4 mile so if I count my laps, I can get the distance I get on the treadmills. Anyway, one day I basically said "eff this" and went out on the driveway. Not my usual distance, but I did it.

This AFIB thing has been an odd journey of taking baby steps and challenging myself and trying to recover my confidence. The good news is that I've done it! :-) I made myself get on a plane alone in October to prove to myself I can travel and be okay.

In Oct/Nov did a Holter Monitor study for 30 days. On one of those days, I actually made myself get in the car and I went back to the gym and on the treadmill. I planned only to do 20 minutes as a test. Popped the music in my ears and I ended up doing my whole previous workout, about 40-45 minutes, checking my heart rate throughout the work out!

The problem with me as it stands now (and it's really only an adjustment) is that I am on meds that slow my heart rate. I'll never be able to get my HR up to where I used to get it, so I have to settle for about 80 bpm now and call it good.

So yes, I've been on the driveway, treadmills, and have gone back to swimming laps, though not as regularly as I'd like to...but I've done it. It took a lot of courage to get this far back into it.

It's been a matter of me trying to get a handle on what this AFIB thing is about. Trying to keep perspective--I've really only had one confirmed episode and that was the first one--though a couple other things happened that I managed to take care of on my own, I think those might have had something to do with side effects--which is the reason for the Holter Monitor study. Trying to sort through this thing--what's in my head, what's in my heart, what the meds are doing.

My life is one party after another, lemme tell ya!

[_Xenophon]

I hadn't picked up on all those details, Jersey Girl, but good for you. It is always scary to get back into, especially when medical concerns are an extra factor. That is quite the challenge to overcome.

As far as HAES, that is Health At Every Size, sometimes referenced to the Fat Acceptance movement. It is this very small but loud mostly-online community that emphasizes that it is possible to be fit while also obese/morbidly obese. They have some legitimate gripes about quality of clothing for large people and some discrimination that they face(unconscious bias towards overweight people can be quite bad) but they take it to super extremes that basically renders supporting them impossible. If you have some free time and want to rot your brain a bit you can start with Ragen Chastain and some of the ridiculous stuff she puts out but it probably isn't worth it.

[_Jersey Girl]

I hadn't picked up on all those details, Jersey Girl, but good for you. It is always scary to get back into, especially when medical concerns are an extra factor. That is quite the challenge to overcome.

As far as HAES, that is Health At Every Size, sometimes referenced to the Fat Acceptance movement. It is this very small but loud mostly-online community that emphasizes that it is possible to be fit while also obese/morbidly obese. They have some legitimate gripes about quality of clothing for large people and some discrimination that they face(unconscious bias towards overweight people can be quite bad) but they take it to super extremes that basically renders supporting them impossible. If you have some free time and want to rot your brain a bit you can start with Ragen Chastain and some of the ridiculous stuff she puts out but it probably isn't worth it.

Okay, I will take a look at that today since I can always make time on a snowy cold day. ;-)

I don't think it's true that one can be fit while also being obese or morbidly obese. It's irresponsible to suggest otherwise. For example, I have blood labs done 3-4 times per year. Even though you are watching your diet, getting exercise, even the meds you are taking can sneak up those values and lead to other issues that none of us want.

I'd love to hear what their take is on high blood pressure, blood values and such. Do they even have those simple things done to stay on top of their health status? I'd bet not. Testing isn't the be all and end all of one's health status, but it sure helps to keep an eye on things. You can't see high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or Type 2 diabetes in your appearance. The older one gets, it's imperative to pay attention.

It's all well and good to want to feel a sense of good self esteem, but pacifying your plight by generating acceptance without paying attention to the pitfalls of obesity is a recipe for disaster.

I empathize with their plight regarding fat shaming which is a form of bullying that needs to be dealt with, and also their complaints about finding stylish clothing in their sizes. I'm small, it's always been difficult to find clothing that doesn't need to be tailored. Tops and some dresses/yoga skirts work fine, but maxi dresses and jeans? Tailoring the hem on jeans adds at least $12-15$ and a dress can add a good 20$ or more just to do the hem!

And thank you for your affirmation. It's been a crazy journey. So many days I didn't want to even leave the house. I'm not one to retreat for very long. I come out fighting eventually!

[_Xenophon]

I don't think it's true that one can be fit while also being obese or morbidly obese. It's irresponsible to suggest otherwise. For example, I have blood labs done 3-4 times per year. Even though you are watching your diet, getting exercise, even the meds you are taking can sneak up those values and lead to other issues that none of us want.

I'd love to hear what their take is on high blood pressure, blood values and such. Do they even have those simple things done to stay on top of their health status? I'd bet not. Testing isn't the be all and end all of one's health status, but it sure helps to keep an eye on things. You can't see high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or Type 2 diabetes in your appearance. The older one gets, it's imperative to pay attention.

It's all well and good to want to feel a sense of good self esteem, but pacifying your plight by generating acceptance without paying attention to the pitfalls of obesity is a recipe for disaster.

They primarily try to create a divide between their weight and the complications that can arise from it. They want doctors to treat the symptom, high-blood pressure/diabetes/joint pain, without acknowledging the cause. The more extreme groups will say that a doctor prescribing weight loss or diet is a form of fat shaming. It is really intriguing to examine the cog-dis they have to go through (and I can say that as a former Mormon ).

Do your tailoring requirements, I can kind of feel your pain but in a different manner. The fashion industry as a whole is not kind to "non-average" bodies. I'm 6'1" but only have a 30" inseam, I am all torso. Finding shirts that fit in the sleeve and neck but can also be tucked in and aren't baggy is essentially impossible. I have to have almost all of my work shirts tailored or custom made in order to work.

[_Jersey Girl]

They primarily try to create a divide between their weight and the complications that can arise from it. They want doctors to treat the symptom, high-blood pressure/diabetes/joint pain, without acknowledging the cause. The more extreme groups will say that a doctor prescribing weight loss or diet is a form of fat shaming. It is really intriguing to examine the cog-dis they have to go through (and I can say that as a former Mormon ).

I'd have to say that just on the surface of hearing this, there's some deep denial going on there. I'm going to start reading about it in a few minutes here. It almost puts me in mind of anti-vaxxers. Believe me, I understand people wanting feel good about themselves, but denial isn't the way to go through life when that very state of denial can shorten your life.

Do your tailoring requirements, I can kind of feel your pain but in a different manner. The fashion industry as a whole is not kind to "non-average" bodies. I'm 6'1" but only have a 30" inseam, I am all torso. Finding shirts that fit in the sleeve and neck but can also be tucked in and aren't baggy is essentially impossible. I have to have almost all of my work shirts tailored or custom made in order to work.

Tailoring is so expensive! I buy clothes from everywhere. I have pieces from more pricey stores like Eddie Bauer all the way down to Walmart. I own exactly 2 nice pairs of jeans, one indigo, one black, that I've had tailored. I baby them and they've never seen the inside of a dryer. ;-) Otherwise praise god for the cuffed look in women's jean styles!

This summer, I bought a simple maxi dress on sale at Old Navy for 12 dollars. Add 22$ for the hem, and it's no bargain at all.

I'm very selective about what I buy that will need tailoring. It's got to be something basic that I intend to keep for a long time, in spite of style changes and trends. Since I shifted into building a capsule wardrobe, it's become easy and fun to purchase clothes.

[_Jersey Girl]

Found her blog. Oh my!

[_Jersey Girl]

I followed a link here: https://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/201 ... r-doctors/

and then I got sucked into reading the replies. And I just can't deal with this, Xeno.

[_Xenophon]

I did warn you that it probably wasn't worth it.

[_EAllusion]

I had to interact with a radical feminist essay in a Woman's Studies class I took that argued the notion that obesity is unhealthy is a lie manufactured by the diet and beauty industry to support the patriarchy. To this day it is my of my go-to examples of radical feminism going off the ranch.

One of the shames of that is that the ill-health effects of being obese/overweight are sometimes misunderstood and I think people might believe the evidence is worse than it actually is by confusing the behavior that gets you into that state with the risks of being in that state.

Then you have people like Ragen Chastain amble along "running" a 12 hour marathon and presenting as a fitness guru.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

http://archive.is/gWzZi

As I’ve said before, my fat body is not a representation of my failures, sins, or mistakes. My fat body is not an indication of my level of health or fitness

It's literally an indication of her health and fitness. She has literally failed at virtually every athletic endeavor she has attempted.

Good thing people can buy energy drinks and soda with their SNAP handouts!

- Doc