The Forum diet club

[Thetruth]

Originally Posted by SteveK

This comment got me thinking - what is an healthy and acceptable weight/size? Obviously it varies depending on the individual, but for an average sized man/woman, what should it be (ie for a 5'10" bloke etc.)

Isn't the latest theory that rather than judging on BMI or weight, judging on waist/dress size is actually best? What should the goal be - perhaps a 32" waist for average height men and size 12 for average height women?

Whoa! 32inch waist for the male and size 12 (prefer size 10 or 8) for the lady!! Skinny guys and heavier girls is what you are saying. Anyway size 12 used to be a size 14 (the same measurements) until it was changed to size 12 about 8-9 years ago.
Its actually height that should determine the medium weight of an individual.

[SteveK]

Originally Posted by Thetruth

Whoa! 32inch waist for the male and size 12 (prefer size 10 or 8) for the lady!! Skinny guys and heavier girls is what you are saying. Anyway size 12 used to be a size 14 (the same measurements) until it was changed to size 12 about 8-9 years ago.

The waist/dress sizes were written as a query, not a statement of what is acceptable. I just used the sizes for me & my ex as a vague "starter for 10".

Isn't australian sizing different to UK sizing anyway - a UK 14 is equivalent to an Oz 12?

Its actually height that should determine the medium weight of an individual.

My understanding is that median/medium weight vs height viewed as a poorer indicator than waist size vs height?

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by SteveK

The waist/dress sizes were written as a query, not a statement of what is acceptable. I just used the sizes for me & my ex as a vague "starter for 10".

I think waist size is more reliable than dress size - my experience is that a woman who's tall and thin often ends up needing relatively large dress sizes.

I'd say most men not carrying excess weight will have a waist between 28 and 32 inches (yes, it's a surprisingly narrow band). For men any extra fat usually goes to the waist, so a couple of excess inches there is almost to be expected. According to various studies, once your waist line gets over 34" the health risks start piling up.

Isn't australian sizing different to UK sizing anyway - a UK 14 is equivalent to an Oz 12?

According to various conversion guides, yes.

My understanding is that median/medium weight vs height viewed as a poorer indicator than waist size vs height?

Yes. When I signed up at my GP, I was overweight according to the height/weight charts (BMI of about 26). I said I wore 30" jeans and she said "well you're obviously not actually overweight".

By the same token,

Originally Posted by Thetruth

32inch waist for the male and size 12 (prefer size 10 or 8) for the lady!! Skinny guys and heavier girls is what you are saying.

is complete nonsense.

[Jive Brummie]

Hey Guys,

Just another quickie regarding height and weight. From a professional point of view...it's not the best comparrison. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but height and weight charts (now called BMI) do not take into consideration somatotype, or body shape and composition.

To reiterate, muscle and bone density are not taken into consideration when it comes to height/weight etc. A few examples...I'm a personal trainer kicking out approximately 10-12% body fat, I'm 5' 6" in height and weigh between 11.5 and 12 stone. BMI dictates (the last time I looked at it) that I am between requiring special attention to being overweight. Rubbish!

Muscle mass is heavy, those who have a tendancy to carry more weight and have more of a slightly rounded appearance naturally carry more muscle tissue...hence an increased weight.

Stear clear of BMI and height & weight. Circumferential measurements are also a bit ropey...Dodgy fitness instructors / gyms, just hold the tape tighter!! Beware.

Nutritional Tip of The Day.

Fizzy pop is evil!

Fizzy juice contains a scary amount of sugar as well as harmful addcitive sweenteners. Examples being Coke & Iron Bru...all the others are just as bad...but these two are high profile nationally and north of the border. Check them out for Aspartame and Acesulfame K...oh yeah, and if you give your kids those Fruit-Shoot things....please stop.

Have fun, work hard and enjoy your day.

JB

[Double Trouble]

Originally Posted by Thetruth

The lady that has 3 children clearly is not lazy, but doesn't find the time to exercise although, somehow manages to attend dance classes

WRONG.....!


I'm no lady and I don't do/have time for dance classes.

[ShinyWeeStar]

Originally Posted by Jive Brummie

Stear clear of BMI and height & weight. Circumferential measurements are also a bit ropey...Dodgy fitness instructors / gyms, just hold the tape tighter!! Beware.

What method would you recommend instead then?

[Astro]

Originally Posted by SteveK

The waist/dress sizes were written as a query, not a statement of what is acceptable. I just used the sizes for me & my ex as a vague "starter for 10".

Isn't australian sizing different to UK sizing anyway - a UK 14 is equivalent to an Oz 12?

American sizes are bigger than UK. So a UK 12 is a 14 in the USA. SOMETIMES IT IS A GAP OF 2, so a UK 8 can be a 12 in the USA

Originally Posted by Jive Brummie

Hey Guys,

Just another quickie regarding height and weight. From a professional point of view...it's not the best comparrison. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but height and weight charts (now called BMI) do not take into consideration somatotype, or body shape and composition.

To reiterate, muscle and bone density are not taken into consideration when it comes to height/weight etc. A few examples...I'm a personal trainer kicking out approximately 10-12% body fat, I'm 5' 6" in height and weigh between 11.5 and 12 stone. BMI dictates (the last time I looked at it) that I am between requiring special attention to being overweight. Rubbish!

Muscle mass is heavy, those who have a tendancy to carry more weight and have more of a slightly rounded appearance naturally carry more muscle tissue...hence an increased weight.

Stear clear of BMI and height & weight. Circumferential measurements are also a bit ropey...Dodgy fitness instructors / gyms, just hold the tape tighter!! Beware.

I could weigh more than a woman the same height as me, but she may have no muscle tone and get out of breath climbing stairs.

Nutritional Tip of The Day.

Fizzy pop is evil!

I've said it before, it dehydrates the body as well as rotting the guts.

Fizzy juice contains a scary amount of sugar as well as harmful addcitive sweenteners. Examples being Coke & Iron Bru...all the others are just as bad...but these two are high profile nationally and north of the border. Check them out for Aspartame and Acesulfame K...oh yeah, and if you give your kids those Fruit-Shoot things....please stop.

Aspartame has been banned in the USA for 15 years at least, because it is proven dangerous. It is in our Robinson's Barley Water, but not the USA version.

Originally Posted by ShinyWeeStar

What method would you recommend instead then?

Pinch 4 areas of the body using your fingers, or Lory has some special calipers.

1. the upper arms
2. the back at either side half way down
3. the stomach
4. the thighs

If there is more than an inch of fat, you are carrying excess.

Also excess weight puts strain on the joints and bones and feet, leading to arthritus.

disclaimer - I learnt most of this off the forum, am not a proffessional like Jive Brummie.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Astro

Pinch 4 areas of the body using your fingers, or Lory has some special calipers.

1. the upper arms
2. the back at either side half way down
3. the stomach
4. the thighs

If there is more than an inch of fat, you are carrying excess.

Please only use calipers or get a pro to do it for you, because mostly what you're pinching is skin, not fat.

Remember the Special K ads in the 80's? "If you can pinch more than an inch..."
The response by most was that if you can pinch less than an inch, you're a Cambodian!

[Astro]

Originally Posted by Gav

Please only use calipers or get a pro to do it for you, because mostly what you're pinching is skin, not fat.

Remember the Special K ads in the 80's? "If you can pinch more than an inch..."
The response by most was that if you can pinch less than an inch, you're a Cambodian!

That's cheered me up no end Gav.

I'm not as fat as I thought.

[Paulthetrainer]

Originally Posted by ShinyWeeStar

What method would you recommend instead then?

Clothing.

Take three or four items of clothing from your wardrobe (ideally the same type of item, i.e. jeans). Find one that fits perfectly, one that's wearable but a little tight, one that's medium tight, and one that you can't get anywhere near being able to wear (but that you'd love to be able to get into one day!). These items can be the measures of your progress. It doesn't matter what size they actually are, or if they really are the size that the label suggests they are, because they are individual to you.

I believe that the latest thinking on excess body fat as a health risk is that the important measurement is hip/waist ratio. Can't think off the top of my head what the ratio ought to be though.

I think it's fair to say that most people don't need any kind of measurement tool to tell them if they need to loose weight, although accurate measures of progress can be motivational.

paul

[dave the scaffolder]

Ok sport fans it is 17.30 and still not a ciggy, coming up for the 3 days now.

Must say i am eating for 2, thats 2 regiments of hungry squaddies that is.

I am not bothered about any weight gain at this stage as i will get over the smoking and then think about diets etc.

I feel fitter after only a short time, i have more energy in work and i am nipping up the ladder at work with cat like swiftness, ok it is Garfield at the moment, but i am sure i will turn into a sleek Puma at any stage now.

OK sport fans progress report over i am off to eat noe and a nice cup of tea.


XX XX DTS Dave

[Jive Brummie]

Hey guys,

Paul the Trainers method of self-evaluation is a fantastic one and one that also can really boost or enhance levels of motivation. When I ask people why they really want to lose weight the response is normally something to do with fitting into certain items of clothing. However, they normally have a preconception that to get into the item of clothing that they need to lose 5lbs, 1 stone or even 2 stone. As a PT, I need to get really specific information from the client as to why and how and where they got the figure from for their level of weight loss. Mostly people just want to feel good in clothing...my response...what does it matter about the quantity of weight lost if all you want to do is feel good in your clothing. The amount of weight lost is then irrelavent (sp?).

ALthough it may sound a little pink and fluffy, it's far more important to feel good in yourself than have your mood determined by a set of scales. Very few people are satisfied with their weight...some want to lose, some want to gain...very few think they're just right. This creates stress within the body...the release of cortisol into the blood stream (the stress hormone), which will have negative effects on your ability to lose weight, work out, sleep well, eat well etc.

Sometimes the path to weight loss doesn't start with reducing calories or exercising more...it can be more about finding a bit of 'inner-peace' and enjoying a stress free world. Now that's a challenge!

Photo's are sometimes quite motivating...the old before, during and after works quite well. Oh, and Bio-metric impedance (standing on scales and having a current passed through the body) are also susceptible to poor quality read outs. These can often be misread through the individuals build up to being 'weighed'. Hydration levels, fatigue levels, blood pressure, when you last ate etc, can all effect the flow of the current around the body and therefore give an incorrect reading of body mass levels.

Nutrition tip of the day.

It's a bit wordy but if their are those of you out there who are keen on soy or soy based foods...beware. Read below...

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Have fun, eat well and stay healthy.

JB

[Thetruth]

Originally Posted by SteveK

The waist/dress sizes were written as a query, not a statement of what is acceptable. I just used the sizes for me & my ex as a vague "starter for 10".

Isn't australian sizing different to UK sizing anyway - a UK 14 is equivalent to an Oz 12?



My understanding is that median/medium weight vs height viewed as a poorer indicator than waist size vs height?

Check out Twirlie Bird's pic in her profile.............................she looks sensational!! Sorry Twirlie Bird to mention this, but by chance I saw your pic and thought that you looked so fit and healthy. Congratulations on a sensational pic..............................

[Yliander]

Originally Posted by Thetruth

Check out Twirlie Bird's pic in her profile.............................she looks sensational!! Sorry Twirlie Bird to mention this, but by chance I saw your pic and thought that you looked so fit and healthy. Congratulations on a sensational pic..............................

Twirlie Bird - is beautiful, fit, slender and in general tiny - and it's suggestions that every woman should be as slender as she is that have caused generations of women to do themselves so much damage to themselves in pursuit of unrealistic goals.

Twirlie Bird - is a truely lovely lady and she knows I love her

but if I was to try and achieve the same level of slender as Twirlie has I would end up doing serious damage to my health.

The important thing about weight is that you feel good - and your body will let you know when your at a good weight by the way it responds - you will feel less tired, sore, find physical activity easier and have more energy in general in my experience - so good luck to everyone who is working on getting to a healthy weight - and for those aiming to maintain a healthy weight good luck as well

[fletch]

Originally Posted by dave the scaffolder

Ok sport fans it is 17.30 and still not a ciggy, coming up for the 3 days now.

Must say i am eating for 2, thats 2 regiments of hungry squaddies that is.

I am not bothered about any weight gain at this stage as i will get over the smoking and then think about diets etc.

I feel fitter after only a short time, i have more energy in work and i am nipping up the ladder at work with cat like swiftness, ok it is Garfield at the moment, but i am sure i will turn into a sleek Puma at any stage now.

OK sport fans progress report over i am off to eat noe and a nice cup of tea.


XX XX DTS Dave

Well done DTS

I agree, I have a lot of people that come to me, having put weight on due to stoping smoking


I get people that try and do both at the same time, January is a nightmare, with all the new years resolutions

Keep going honey

[Trouble]

Ok entering my 4th day of no smoking. Cravings have actually slowed down to virtually nothing. I do not feel like a cigerette now and have passed the worst bit. Roll on this weekend so i can start my exercise on Tues morning and Weds evening ---- SLIMMING WORLD --- cant wait.

OH and FYI - i smell like coconut today instead of hint of smoke

[Mezzosoprano]

Originally Posted by Thetruth

Sorry Twirlie Bird to mention this, but by chance I saw your pic and thought that you looked so fit and healthy. Congratulations on a sensational pic..............................

due to inability to -rep you today....

Twirlie Bird looks fab! - no doubt about it ....HOWEVER personally I didn't look that good even when I was existing(for that's all it was) on carrots and sugar free jelly weighing 6 1/2 stone and telling everyone I was a stone heavier than that just to stop them talking about it....

You seem to have very narrow perceptions of what "sensational" looks like!

Personally I think that everyone has their own beauty and being fit and healthy means different things to different people.

I'm not currently fit and healthy. I'm overweight... and I'll do something about it when I'm ready to, when my head is in the right place, and when I can be sure that I won't be back where I was in my twenties.

Pull your head in.

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by Mezzosoprano

Twirlie Bird looks fab! - no doubt about it ....HOWEVER personally I didn't look that good even when I was existing(for that's all it was) on carrots and sugar free jelly weighing 6 1/2 stone and telling everyone I was a stone heavier than that just to stop them talking about it....

There is no doubt and few on this forum would disagree that Twirlie Bird does look great. However, not everyone could look like that regardless of how much dieting and exercise they put in. (And quite frankly.. If I looked like Twirlie bird I'd be VERY Worried.. as would MY Twirly )

Curves look good too. There's nothing wrong with being curvaceous! it wasn't so long ago that the more attractive females were the more "Rubenesque" females. We do not all have to be size zero to be attractive. So many children have eating disorders because of the impossible goals set by modelling and advertising agencies. I say impossible as agencies will utilise digital trickery to enhance and slim models beyond they reality.

If you're overweight and unhappy about it then by all means do something about it. If you're overweight and it's causing medical problems then again do something about it (this is my reason.. I have bad legs and am carrying about a stone too much weight. I want to lose this weight to see if I can help my legs. it may not but hey, it can't hurt !!)

SO many people (Especially young girls but I think 1 in 4 is now young boys too) are suffering extreme eating disorders because they have equated thin to be beautiful. We need to have some positive role models out there. Real people with real bodies. Twirlie Bird is one example , Mezzo you look great too, Lory .. Well no one would say she's unattractive and My Twirly again I think is gorgeous! if we all were pencil thin what a boring world it would be.

As long as you're healthy.. does it really matter if you have a few curves?? Even famous super waif Twiggy from the 60's has put on a few pounds for the new clothing adverts.. and I have to say it suits her !!

[Twirly]

Originally Posted by Mezzosoprano

Twirlie Bird looks fab! - no doubt about it ....HOWEVER personally I didn't look th