Benrese
New Member
Hi all!!
I hope all are well.
I just needed a wee vent. I think it may do my head and heart some good to talk to you all who can relate so much better than anyone else!
I have been good about getting my bloods done and staying up on my health. However-through my work I can purchase a yearly Bupa "Complete health check"-which I decided to take advantage of.
It covers bloods, body fat composition, mammogram, (other girl tests---), eyes, hearing-loads of stuff. They do it all in one go-which takes about 4 hours.
It is broken into a few parts. First-I was taken in by the nurse and she drew my bloods, tested my heart, my breathing, blood pressure, weight, body composition, waist to hip ratio-etc-etc.
So-we get to the part where I get my bloods done and my blood pressure read. That means I have to take off my jumper and expose my upper arms. Well-my upper arms are very disproportionate due to my excess skin.
I have lost over 200 lbs and I have loose skin in "many" places.
I had already told the nurse about this weight loss and the surgery. As she took my blood pressure she started talking about how I should take some cans of veggies or soup and start lifting them as it would be good for my arms.
Silly me-I thought she was just talking in general about how good it is to work our muscles and get some upper body strength. So I smile and say "Oh yes-I am very happy to do that and I do use my treadmill too..
She then looks at my upper arms and continues to repeat and repeat. Saying that if we target those flabby areas we can do so much-etc etc.
OK. First of all-I am NOT a nurse or a GP. I have studied and I have talked to lots of others who have lost MASS weight. There is a difference between what can be "toned up" and what is completely shot skin!! As many of you will know-when we get to that point-we could run marathons all day-but those areas will not fully go away.
I was gracious and just let it go. I figured-not all health professionals can understand (though I think they SHOULD be educated! LOL).
So-then on to getting weighed and the body comp test. The body comp will tell you what part is fat and muscle. HOWEVER-they have yet to be able to tell what is just excess skin!
To be honest-when I got weighed I was somewhat pleased with myself. I figured I had done quite well to have stayed within my 10 lb "bounce" zone. At one point this past year-I got up to 183 and lost about 10 lbs since then!
My goal weight has always been about 160-165. It was my surgeon who told me it wasn't the most realistic to think I would be down to something like 135-140 given my previous very large size.
Anyway-at the end of all my testing the nurse says "Ok-you weigh in at about 173-how much weight was in your mind that you need to lose?" I said "Oh --I figured about 10 lbs max."
She smirked at me and said "Oh no-try over two stone-30 lbs AT least".
:wave_cry::cry::nono: To say the least-I had a range of emotions!
I just stood there and said "Well-yes, I can see that "THE CHART" says that is my ultimate weight-but let's be realistic as to where I have been and the body composition I have now." She wasn't having it. LOL!
She smiled and said "Well-let's try to get your weight down to a healthy place".
It's funny-because the rest of the exam was fine. My bloods are in GREAT shape which is fab news. But you know-it's those old hurts. There was that part of my heart which really did sink. Suddenly I was there in the room weighing nearly 400 lbs again not being treated like a human or even an individual.
It is now Tuesday and I have had a good think about this. I need to focus on what is considered MY healthy weight. I wish the medical community would consider stretching some of their outdated ideas. Granted-I cannot speak for ALL the medical community and I am sure there are some real stars out there.
But really-c'mon folks!!
OK-vent done. Four years later and I am healthy and I weigh 173 and my start weight was 383. I call that a WIN-forget about what THEY say!!!!
Thanks for listening and I am reminded I need to come round more and keep on learning and growing!!
:grouphugg:
I hope all are well.
I just needed a wee vent. I think it may do my head and heart some good to talk to you all who can relate so much better than anyone else!
I have been good about getting my bloods done and staying up on my health. However-through my work I can purchase a yearly Bupa "Complete health check"-which I decided to take advantage of.
It covers bloods, body fat composition, mammogram, (other girl tests---), eyes, hearing-loads of stuff. They do it all in one go-which takes about 4 hours.
It is broken into a few parts. First-I was taken in by the nurse and she drew my bloods, tested my heart, my breathing, blood pressure, weight, body composition, waist to hip ratio-etc-etc.
So-we get to the part where I get my bloods done and my blood pressure read. That means I have to take off my jumper and expose my upper arms. Well-my upper arms are very disproportionate due to my excess skin.
I have lost over 200 lbs and I have loose skin in "many" places.
I had already told the nurse about this weight loss and the surgery. As she took my blood pressure she started talking about how I should take some cans of veggies or soup and start lifting them as it would be good for my arms.
Silly me-I thought she was just talking in general about how good it is to work our muscles and get some upper body strength. So I smile and say "Oh yes-I am very happy to do that and I do use my treadmill too..
She then looks at my upper arms and continues to repeat and repeat. Saying that if we target those flabby areas we can do so much-etc etc.
OK. First of all-I am NOT a nurse or a GP. I have studied and I have talked to lots of others who have lost MASS weight. There is a difference between what can be "toned up" and what is completely shot skin!! As many of you will know-when we get to that point-we could run marathons all day-but those areas will not fully go away.I was gracious and just let it go. I figured-not all health professionals can understand (though I think they SHOULD be educated! LOL).
So-then on to getting weighed and the body comp test. The body comp will tell you what part is fat and muscle. HOWEVER-they have yet to be able to tell what is just excess skin!
To be honest-when I got weighed I was somewhat pleased with myself. I figured I had done quite well to have stayed within my 10 lb "bounce" zone. At one point this past year-I got up to 183 and lost about 10 lbs since then!
My goal weight has always been about 160-165. It was my surgeon who told me it wasn't the most realistic to think I would be down to something like 135-140 given my previous very large size.
Anyway-at the end of all my testing the nurse says "Ok-you weigh in at about 173-how much weight was in your mind that you need to lose?" I said "Oh --I figured about 10 lbs max."
She smirked at me and said "Oh no-try over two stone-30 lbs AT least".
:wave_cry::cry::nono: To say the least-I had a range of emotions!I just stood there and said "Well-yes, I can see that "THE CHART"
says that is my ultimate weight-but let's be realistic as to where I have been and the body composition I have now." She wasn't having it. LOL!She smiled and said "Well-let's try to get your weight down to a healthy place".
It's funny-because the rest of the exam was fine. My bloods are in GREAT shape which is fab news. But you know-it's those old hurts. There was that part of my heart which really did sink. Suddenly I was there in the room weighing nearly 400 lbs again not being treated like a human or even an individual.
It is now Tuesday and I have had a good think about this. I need to focus on what is considered MY healthy weight. I wish the medical community would consider stretching some of their outdated ideas. Granted-I cannot speak for ALL the medical community and I am sure there are some real stars out there.
But really-c'mon folks!!
OK-vent done. Four years later and I am healthy and I weigh 173 and my start weight was 383. I call that a WIN-forget about what THEY say!!!!
Thanks for listening and I am reminded I need to come round more and keep on learning and growing!!
:grouphugg:
