Fit And/Or Fat
It may seem really obvious that physical fitness is more important than weight, but this article is well worth reading anyway, just for the way it lays it all out there. This quote (about body fat testing) is particularly interesting:
"I hate [these tests] because people become obsessed with them. People come in and they may be losing centimetre after centimetre off their waist but might not be losing weight because scales don't measure lean body mass, so they're not happy. People come into the gym ready to be scammed, and if they're not losing pounds then that's their proof. They get too bogged down worrying about weight and they get demotivated."
I was also surprised at the claim that "there's no direct correlation between weight and aerobic capacity" because I always do assume that a thinner person is going to have more aerobic capacity than I do. But it makes sense. If you gave a thin person a forty pound weight and made them climb the stairs, they would probably be out of breath at the top just like I would. Sometimes I forget that merely carrying extra weight around means I am doing more work than a thinner person is.
There is also a link to this site, which shows you ways to test your fitness level.
"I hate [these tests] because people become obsessed with them. People come in and they may be losing centimetre after centimetre off their waist but might not be losing weight because scales don't measure lean body mass, so they're not happy. People come into the gym ready to be scammed, and if they're not losing pounds then that's their proof. They get too bogged down worrying about weight and they get demotivated."
I was also surprised at the claim that "there's no direct correlation between weight and aerobic capacity" because I always do assume that a thinner person is going to have more aerobic capacity than I do. But it makes sense. If you gave a thin person a forty pound weight and made them climb the stairs, they would probably be out of breath at the top just like I would. Sometimes I forget that merely carrying extra weight around means I am doing more work than a thinner person is.
There is also a link to this site, which shows you ways to test your fitness level.
2 Comments:
I think it also goes hand in hand with certain body builders and athletes being perceived as *fit* when in fact they are NOT healthy in doing what they do - which is pushing their bodies to extremes that *nature* never intended - particularly when steriod or performance-enhanced. My doctor still has to correct the lazy mindset that fat is all about sitting about eating lard all day, when in my case it's more to do with restricted physical activity after a nasty road traffic accident. Yes I always correct the assumption, and yes she's always a bit embarrassed by it when I challenge it. Also (back to the point!) in carrying extra (as a woman) you are doing the weight-bearing exercise required for denser bones which will prevent osteoporosis in later life (of course you need to balance out what extra weight might be doing to your joints - but then, this is all about finding a positive!)
It is true if you have extra weight to carry around it will take longer to build up to physical fitness goals. I am in the process of adding jogging to my walking, and it has been slow, probably from weight, but definitly from a hamstring injury my dog caused.
the exercising didn't do it, anyway I know I don't need weigthts workouts yet until some of this weight comes off and I need to use weights to keep what I have gained from just carrying this excess fat around.
so when I walk a mile is equivalent to 2 miles. anyhow now that my hamstring is better ( I did cross train during my recovery) I am adding the jogging back up and i have noticed some substantial increase in my arobic capacity, I noticed it in my exercise on the machine and in my walking, which now I will add jogging.
I was able to do some serious hiking, mostly very steep hills for three miles, and boy I still got a little out of breath but imagine if I hadn't used my exercise machine while I was healing my hamstring and not able to walk/jog as much during that time?
I would probably of never made it.
so I am getting fit, I am getting leaner, but not because of any dieting I am after all against caloiric counting or restricting foods or resisting hunger, cravings or food urges. I just eat whatever and whenever and however much I have the urge to eat. (still lost 20 pounds tho, before I ever started my exercise regime) and lost three plus sizes before I decided to do more than walk a couple of days a week at a lesiurly stroll.
RR
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