In the False Start thread we got off on a tangent about fat and thin swimmers. I'd like to start a thread about this topic.
Since having my three children (2000, 2002, 2004) I have struggled with losing that belly. My husband, Mr. Exercise Physiologist, guesses I have about 15 pounds in my stomach. The rest of me is back in shape, the extra weight is just in my tummy. And boy do I feel it in the water. I equate it to carrying a 15 pound weight. That's a lot to swim with!
That being said, I get a physical every year (cancer runs in my family, I found out a few years ago). My NP said that my BP (104/62) and HR (56 resting) were good. And to my surprise both my HDL and LDL were really good (I don't remember the numbers). My blood cell counts were good, yaddy, yaddy, yaddy.
My point is that even though I'm 15-20 pounds overweight I'm REALLY healthy. She's never suggested that I need to lose weight. However, as a swimmer, the benefits of losing it are obvious. I'd swim faster.
The fastest FEMALE Master's swimmers I've seen are super thin, but not anorexic (sp?). Laura Val, Alison Zamanian, Laureen Welting, Beth McGee, Karlyn Pipes-Neilson, etc. are all really trim and super fast. Now, I'm not saying that if you're skinny, you're automatically fast... I've just noticed that thin, talented swimmers seem to swim the fastest. I don't consider myself in either category, so these are just my observations.
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OK, I guess I could ask here...about 8 years ago I was 138 lb...then it was 150 lb, then 172 and now, oh my, 194 lb!!!! My hight is 5'11 and the thing is, my pants that I got 2 years ago (just about time I started really getting into swimming) still fit fine, the shirts are a bit tight in the shoulder area....now, how the heck did I end up with 194 lb??? Doc said my weight should be between 168 and 178 lb, but the only place I see that I could shape up a little is my tummy (have not had kids yet)... Am I huge with some secret fat area or is that muscle weight?
It sounds to me as if your doctor is making suggestions based upon BMI, or Body Mass Index. From what I understand this is a scale that is being used less and less throughout the country due to it's unreliable nature. I heard recently where the majority of college football players were obese according to the BMI scale. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that most of them are not actually obese at all.
If somebody is truly obese, I don't think you need a BMI index to figure it out..one's eyes should do just fine. Not very scientific I know, but some things just don't need to be complicated.
In the end, most of your weight is probably muscle. I think if you had 16 plus pounds of fat stored in your belly it would be more than a little apparent.
OK, I guess I could ask here...about 8 years ago I was 138 lb...then it was 150 lb, then 172 and now, oh my, 194 lb!!!! My hight is 5'11 and the thing is, my pants that I got 2 years ago (just about time I started really getting into swimming) still fit fine, the shirts are a bit tight in the shoulder area....now, how the heck did I end up with 194 lb??? Doc said my weight should be between 168 and 178 lb, but the only place I see that I could shape up a little is my tummy (have not had kids yet)... Am I huge with some secret fat area or is that muscle weight?
It sounds to me as if your doctor is making suggestions based upon BMI, or Body Mass Index. From what I understand this is a scale that is being used less and less throughout the country due to it's unreliable nature. I heard recently where the majority of college football players were obese according to the BMI scale. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that most of them are not actually obese at all.
If somebody is truly obese, I don't think you need a BMI index to figure it out..one's eyes should do just fine. Not very scientific I know, but some things just don't need to be complicated.
In the end, most of your weight is probably muscle. I think if you had 16 plus pounds of fat stored in your belly it would be more than a little apparent.
