Ava
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Post by Ava on Aug 30, 2017 7:32:20 GMT -5
Is this a common thing now?
The other day I realized how obsessed people are with weight in my workplace. I think HR has a lot to do with it. They bombard employees with health initiatives, incentives, challenges. I find it just annoying, intrusive and disrespectful.
The other day someone brought gourmet doughnuts just because. All the weight obsessed people - which would be roughly 80 percent of my coworkers- dancing around the boxes of doughnuts to take a look at them. Then they would take a little piece just to try it. Then they would come back for a second piece because they have been so "good" this week and they deserve a little break, then another piece later to take home for another day, etc. All the while justifying loudly what they were doing as if an explanation was needed. I saw all that because I sit in the front where the boxes were located. Happens every time someone brings goodies.
There's a young lady who used to be extremely obese and has lost a considerable amount of weight. The pressure these people put on her by constantly praising her and commenting on her weight. I know it's well intended but leave the poor woman alone. I've been there where I lost a lot of weight- then regained it- and it's not fun having people talk about your weight loss constantly. Puts a lot of extra pressure on you, and frankly, it gets boring.
Now HR has started a challenge where you form groups of five and do a weight loss challenge. The amount of information you have to share with your team members and HR about how much you weight each week, how long you keep it off, I would not feel comfortable at all sharing that sort of information at my workplace. Yet people are signing up in droves.
I think all the obsession and the pressure from HR to get fit and healthy is extremely counterproductive. And I feel people are so stressed and unhappy. I still have to see any positive long time effect from all these workplace initiatives.
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gs11rmb
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Post by gs11rmb on Aug 30, 2017 7:36:30 GMT -5
If 80% of your colleagues are getting involved, they must see the value. Personally, I think your workplace sounds a little odd!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 30, 2017 7:37:24 GMT -5
Ava - Have you shared your concerns with your HR department?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 7:50:40 GMT -5
Our HR used to run those weight loss challenges and step challenges every summer. Not sure why they didn't do it this year. Anyhow, they didn't seem to bring on a lot of obsessive behavior, the biggest thing I've noticed around here since they started those maybe 6 years ago is the drastic reduction in the amount of crap that is brought into work. There used to be something out there almost everyday, now it's maybe once every couple weeks. I'm both happy and sad about this. I have zero self control when it comes to food. Especially FREE junk food.
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Rob Base 2.0
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Post by Rob Base 2.0 on Aug 30, 2017 7:55:13 GMT -5
Is your workplace mostly chicks? That might could explain a lot
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 8:25:49 GMT -5
All about the money and it won't stop anytime soon. Businesses want less insurance payouts and people missing work due to health issues and I have to think they have a lot of data to support these initiatives do it.
I would never share that information, in fact my insurance is higher because I refuse to let the company test my blood and see their onsite healthcare professionals once a year.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 30, 2017 8:27:30 GMT -5
The donut thing is weird. Either eat the donut or don't eat the donut. You're not being healthier by eating the donut a little bit at a time, it's still the same amount of calories in the end. Have a donut then eat a sensible lunch and dinner. You sure some of these people don't have an eating disorder? We have a wellness program here and I've never witnessed what you are describing. Here the incentive is you get some more perks insurance wise. Personally I don't participate because I don't trust the third party who collects all the information for the program to keep my stuff confidential. It's not worth an extra $200 in preventative care coverage. The regular $500 covers my yearly just fine. So far they have not gone the stick route and trying your premiums to participating.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Aug 30, 2017 8:38:18 GMT -5
Sigh. I admit it. I cut a muffin in half yesterday.
In my defence, eating a whole bakery muffin usually gives me killer heartburn for the rest of the day. But half a muffin I can manage with minimal side effects. It had nothing to do with calories.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Aug 30, 2017 8:39:39 GMT -5
I guess it depends. A friend of mine lost 150 pounds. I know because she told me. Yes, she was overweight but I was shocked at the amount she lost. That's a freaking other person in weight! She's no skinny minny now by any means but I never thought of her as fat. But she got off a lot of meds by losing that weight so not only her health improved greatly but her insurance is saving money. DS's workplace insurance is tied to his health. He jumped through enough hoops that his dental coverage costs more than his health insurance that he's responsible for.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Aug 30, 2017 8:41:18 GMT -5
It's because you're trying to be good, but it beckons to you. ;-)
Actually, I'd just take the whole freakin' donut, unless it was huge, but I've seen what you're talking about.
At home, I'm good because I hardly ever buy any sweets. Maybe they should encourage healthier snacks at work instead.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Aug 30, 2017 8:57:59 GMT -5
The donut thing is weird. Either eat the donut or don't eat the donut. You're not being healthier by eating the donut a little bit at a time, it's still the same amount of calories in the end. Have a donut then eat a sensible lunch and dinner. You sure some of these people don't have an eating disorder? We have a wellness program here and I've never witnessed what you are describing. Here the incentive is you get some more perks insurance wise. Personally I don't participate because I don't trust the third party who collects all the information for the program to keep my stuff confidential. It's not worth an extra $200 in preventative care coverage. The regular $500 covers my yearly just fine. So far they have not gone the stick route and trying your premiums to participating. 1. It actually is better for you not to just inhale a massive sugarbomb, you'd do better spacing the sugar out during your day (same calories, but calories aren't the only thing to care about). 2. If you don't have the willpower to leave the donuts alone, it might not be about just eating the donut now or not eating it...the alternative might be eating an entire donut now then returning for another whole donut later.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 30, 2017 9:19:32 GMT -5
Sometimes I am really glad I work for a small organization. I think large corporations are more prone to having these weight loss challenge groups, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with people trying to be healthy and lose weight, but I can see how it could become highly annoying. If people want to lose weight they will do it and they will seek out people who support them in their cause. All corporations really care about is their bottom line and insurance costs.
We often have treats in the office. I have been known to eat half a cupcake, etc. In my defense they are pretty big. Also, I am all about moderation. I don't "diet" and pretty much eat what I want but am all about portion control. If a half a cupcake is satisfying then that is what I eat...I don't make any announcements about it though. I say nothing. I just take a knife and cut the thing in half, put it on my plate and walk away. Someone typically comes by and takes the other half.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Aug 30, 2017 9:23:16 GMT -5
I don't think it's any more common now.
I'm all for people taking care of themselves. Lord knows I fail in that department, and I really do admire those who do.
But, in my experience, people who are very overt about appearances, weight loss, etc do it because either 1) That's their top value or 2) they have no other interests.
This summer we got together with family. One member in particular, went on and on about how SIL was back to her normal weight quickly after having a kid. It made me feel terrible.I know this member didn't mean it..by any means.
But, she also doesn't do much. In retirement, she has pretty much no hobbies. When you get together with her, holidays, etc..she never talks about any books she's read, any projects she's doing, how she's been volunteering. She also doesn't really travel.
So, things like weight is the only thing left for her. It's what she knows. And kids...she was a SAHM for a while..so she knows kids. I try to remember that I am wired differently...and I am thankful for that..
ETA: I also don't talk much about my kids at work...nor do I talk about hobbies or much personal. Weight can be a great water cooler, chit-chat sort of discussion. Not everyone watches sports...and the weather gets old after a while.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Aug 30, 2017 9:28:42 GMT -5
I work for a small company - we usually have around 20 employees and about 1/2 are out of the office at any given time. I can tell you that a veggie tray goes over way better than sweets. People have various reasons for avoiding sugar, but overall we tend to be pretty health conscious.
We have a few people who have started to bring a veggie tray for Birthdays and then also some sort of treat. You might want to try setting the trend.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 30, 2017 9:33:44 GMT -5
People who make constant "announcements" about any topic can get pretty annoying. I have a past board member who is totally obsessed with who he knows, and wants everyone else to recognize that he knows such and such. Every time he calls I am rolling my eyes on the other end of the phone. He starts every conversation with "I just came from seeing (insert name here: could be the governor, other politician, famous actor who lives here, you name it)." It is SO freaking annoying. No one really cares...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 9:34:50 GMT -5
I guess it depends. A friend of mine lost 150 pounds. <snip> But she got off a lot of meds by losing that weight so not only her health improved greatly but her insurance is saving money. This. I am a huge proponent of cheap prevention. Obesity costs us all in terms of higher health-care costs- not just meds, but knee replacements, hip replacements, increased costs of workers' compensation claims when workers are unhealthy to start with, etc. And yes, I KNOW people who aren't overweight need knee and hip replacements, too, but added weight puts more strain on your body. Call me obsessed. I weigh myself frequently because I'm under 130 lbs. for the first time in decades (I'm 5'7") and, at age 64, I LIKE the shape my body is in. I'm on zero prescriptions except for one related to menopausal symptoms. I'm happy and I want everyone to feel this way. I wish the wellness programs where you get discounts on your premium for not smoking, for healthy step test results, for losing weight if needed, etc. would be extended to private insurance policies. In the 3 years since I've retired I've paid over $20,000 in health insurance premiums and the insurance companies have paid for little except the usual preventative screenings. I'll cheerfully pay the portion that represents conditions due to what people were born with or just plan bad luck (there but for the grace of God go I) but I'd love to see more emphasis on, and incentives for, prevention.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Aug 30, 2017 9:34:55 GMT -5
I don't think it's any more common now. I'm all for people taking care of themselves. Lord knows I fail in that department, and I really do admire those who do. But, in my experience, people who are very overt about appearances, weight loss, etc do it because either 1) That's their top value or 2) they have no other interests. This summer we got together with family. One member in particular, went on and on about how SIL was back to her normal weight quickly after having a kid. It made me feel terrible.I know this member didn't mean it..by any means. But, she also doesn't do much. In retirement, she has pretty much no hobbies. When you get together with her, holidays, etc..she never talks about any books she's read, any projects she's doing, how she's been volunteering. She also doesn't really travel. So, things like weight is the only thing left for her. It's what she knows. And kids...she was a SAHM for a while..so she knows kids. I try to remember that I am wired differently...and I am thankful for that.. ETA: I also don't talk much about my kids at work...nor do I talk about hobbies or much personal. Weight can be a great water cooler, chit-chat sort of discussion. Not everyone watches sports...and the weather gets old after a while. Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. (My Doctor was Obese at the time, but before she retired she lost a considerable amount of weight).
When I was a young adult living at home with my parents, my Mom was frequently on a diet. I think that is probably the best way to encourage healthy eating in your kids. You will have healthy food in the house, and you can direct them what to eat. I would come home, dinner would be ready and Mom would tell me exactly what to eat portion wise - it was the easy peasy. I miss those days!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 30, 2017 9:48:41 GMT -5
People who make constant "announcements" about any topic can get pretty annoying. I have a past board member who is totally obsessed with who he knows, and wants everyone else to recognize that he knows such and such. Every time he calls I am rolling my eyes on the other end of the phone. He starts every conversation with "I just came from seeing (insert name here: could be the governor, other politician, famous actor who lives here, you name it)." It is SO freaking annoying. No one really cares... Your post reminds me of this old chestnut of a joke. A guy named Benny is sitting in a bar mouthing off that he knows everybody. So his buddy bets $10 the next person to walk in the bar didn't know him. Somebody walks in the bar and says "Hey Benny what's up?" so the guy then bets him $100 he doesn't know the first person they see outside walking down the street. So they go outside and see some coming up to the bar and says "Hey Benny how are things going?". Flustered the guy bets him $500 he doesn't know the President. So they drive up to the white house and the security guard says "Benny you know you can't just show up here like this." Then a limo pulls up with the president in it and he rolls down the window and says "Hey Benny how have you been?" So then he bets him $1000 he doesn't know the Pope. So they take a plane to Rome and he says" Ok now watch up there on that balcony I'm gonna come out there with the Pope." So he goes up there and looks down to see his friend pass out. He goes down there and says "Are you that surprised that I know the Pope?" he goes "No somebody walked behind me and said who's that guy up there with Benny!"
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Aug 30, 2017 10:14:54 GMT -5
Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. (My Doctor was Obese at the time, but before she retired she lost a considerable amount of weight).
When I was a young adult living at home with my parents, my Mom was frequently on a diet. I think that is probably the best way to encourage healthy eating in your kids. You will have healthy food in the house, and you can direct them what to eat. I would come home, dinner would be ready and Mom would tell me exactly what to eat portion wise - it was the easy peasy. I miss those days!
Actually, DH is a rock star with the food in our house. We eat pretty cleanly..not much organic..but very little processed. We also eat out very little. And we've both been cracking down on the carb based snacks for our kids. Much of my issue comes from 1) inactivity and 2) snacking without thinking at work/while studying, etc. Portion control is a smaller issue to, but not so much. I'm not supposed to gain much during pregnancy about , 11-20 lbs total. And that part I'm not worried about. I don't gain a lot during pregnancy..and my body bounces back pretty well. My feet have never grown, and I'm in my normal clothes by 3 weeks postpartum. For me, it's undoing all the damage that I did to myself from my early 20s to my early 30s..because I just didn't pay attention. My mom also made me diet with her, growing up. But I was on a restricted 1K calorie diet a day+75 minutes of daily aerobic activity while in HS one summer. I assumed that my body looked like hers when it really didn't. So, I've always seen myself as big, even when I wasn't. On the road to getting big...it didn't dawn on me that I needed to change behaviors in part, because I saw myself as already being there...except I wasn't. It wasn't until my mid 30's that I got it, so to speak. And I know if I'm going to lose the weight, I need to go back down to restricting caloric intake and aerobic activity. I'm not ready to carve that kind of time out of my day. I'm getting pretty close though to being ready. Doing things like walking 2-3 miles 5 days a week and watching what I eat isn't enough to make the scale move. Last school year, because of one of my jobs, I went from a fair amount of inactivity to all the walking. Nine months, and I lost nothing....
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Aug 30, 2017 10:24:20 GMT -5
Maybe I'm just a bitch but I think you're looking way too much into it. The company does it so people will be healthier and keep their health insurance premiums lower which also helps you. They don't force people to do anything, they just offer incentives. Either do it or don't and move on.
The donut thing is kinda weird. Either eat the donut or don't. Why do you have to explain your food choices to anyone?
As far as the other lady getting compliments, what's the problem? She accomplished something and she's getting recognized for it. I lost weight and don't feel pressure from compliments. It actually gives me a little ego boost.
You have posted recently that you are unhappy with your weight. Maybe that's why you're so touchy about it. Don't worry about what others think. Just worry about you.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Aug 30, 2017 10:26:16 GMT -5
Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. (My Doctor was Obese at the time, but before she retired she lost a considerable amount of weight).
When I was a young adult living at home with my parents, my Mom was frequently on a diet. I think that is probably the best way to encourage healthy eating in your kids. You will have healthy food in the house, and you can direct them what to eat. I would come home, dinner would be ready and Mom would tell me exactly what to eat portion wise - it was the easy peasy. I miss those days!
Actually, DH is a rock star with the food in our house. We eat pretty cleanly..not much organic..but very little processed. We also eat out very little. And we've both been cracking down on the carb based snacks for our kids. Much of my issue comes from 1) inactivity and 2) snacking without thinking at work/while studying, etc. Portion control is a smaller issue to, but not so much. I'm not supposed to gain much during pregnancy about , 11-20 lbs total. And that part I'm not worried about. I don't gain a lot during pregnancy..and my body bounces back pretty well. My feet have never grown, and I'm in my normal clothes by 3 weeks postpartum. For me, it's undoing all the damage that I did to myself from my early 20s to my early 30s..because I just didn't pay attention. My mom also made me diet with her, growing up. But I was on a restricted 1K calorie diet a day+75 minutes of daily aerobic activity while in HS one summer. I assumed that my body looked like hers when it really didn't. So, I've always seen myself as big, even when I wasn't. On the road to getting big...it didn't dawn on me that I needed to change behaviors in part, because I saw myself as already being there...except I wasn't. It wasn't until my mid 30's that I got it, so to speak. And I know if I'm going to lose the weight, I need to go back down to restricting caloric intake and aerobic activity. I'm not ready to carve that kind of time out of my day. I'm getting pretty close though to being ready. Doing things like walking 2-3 miles 5 days a week and watching what I eat isn't enough to make the scale move. Last school year, because of one of my jobs, I went from a fair amount of inactivity to all the walking. Nine months, and I lost nothing.... Hopefully given the fact that you are at the University, you can find a fitness class before work or at lunch time - heaven knows free time in your household has to come at a premium. Have you looked at the Weight Watchers program? I am old school and prefer the counting calories way, but WW now uses points and they also have a newer system too I think. People who lose with WW tend to be more successful at keeping the weight off...
We tend to serve a lot of healthy foods too, still DH's family has a lot of Diabetes, and DD has borderline high blood sugar. I wish she was more committed to exercise and diet. When I was in my mid 20's all the way to late 40's I was pretty committed to diet and exercise. I am now about 10 lbs over weight. I don't see myself taking that off unless I change jobs and work less hours.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Aug 30, 2017 10:37:01 GMT -5
I went from borderline obese to normal weight range last year. I started by exercising every day during my son's afternoon nap. That made me feel a whole lot better, but I lost little weight until I started to track my calories, too. I didn't do that but for a couple months, though. I still exercise most days, and try not to go crazy with the foods that I learned were laden with calories, and that's been enough to maintain. I don't ever want to go back, though. I'm too old to do well with the unhealthy lifestyle I used to have.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Aug 30, 2017 10:42:49 GMT -5
I don't think it's any more common now. I'm all for people taking care of themselves. Lord knows I fail in that department, and I really do admire those who do. But, in my experience, people who are very overt about appearances, weight loss, etc do it because either 1) That's their top value or 2) they have no other interests. This summer we got together with family. One member in particular, went on and on about how SIL was back to her normal weight quickly after having a kid. It made me feel terrible.I know this member didn't mean it..by any means. But, she also doesn't do much. In retirement, she has pretty much no hobbies. When you get together with her, holidays, etc..she never talks about any books she's read, any projects she's doing, how she's been volunteering. She also doesn't really travel. So, things like weight is the only thing left for her. It's what she knows. And kids...she was a SAHM for a while..so she knows kids. I try to remember that I am wired differently...and I am thankful for that.. ETA: I also don't talk much about my kids at work...nor do I talk about hobbies or much personal. Weight can be a great water cooler, chit-chat sort of discussion. Not everyone watches sports...and the weather gets old after a while. Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. I agree here. I don't think it's right to shame anyone's body, but I do think we need to put the emphasis on HEALTH, not body shape. You can be chubby and healthy, and you can be thin and unhealthy. I don't think you can be obese and healthy, but I could be wrong. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure it's the norm.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Aug 30, 2017 10:51:47 GMT -5
Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. I agree here. I don't think it's right to shame anyone's body, but I do think we need to put the emphasis on HEALTH, not body shape. You can be chubby and healthy, and you can be thin and unhealthy. I don't think you can be obese and healthy, but I could be wrong. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure it's the norm. Is it ok if I fat shame myself? I eat a lot.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Aug 30, 2017 10:53:30 GMT -5
I think that you can be overweight, and currently fairly healthy, but having a lot of excess weight is the cumulative effect of a lot of past unhealthy choices, small as they may have been at the time. That's why it's so hard to deal with.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 30, 2017 10:58:00 GMT -5
Well, this is going to sound bitchy...but obviously fat shaming isn't working since most of the country is overweight.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Aug 30, 2017 11:09:21 GMT -5
Hopefully given the fact that you are at the University, you can find a fitness class before work or at lunch time - heaven knows free time in your household has to come at a premium. Have you looked at the Weight Watchers program? I am old school and prefer the counting calories way, but WW now uses points and they also have a newer system too I think. People who lose with WW tend to be more successful at keeping the weight off...
We tend to serve a lot of healthy foods too, still DH's family has a lot of Diabetes, and DD has borderline high blood sugar. I wish she was more committed to exercise and diet. When I was in my mid 20's all the way to late 40's I was pretty committed to diet and exercise. I am now about 10 lbs over weight. I don't see myself taking that off unless I change jobs and work less hours.
I did look at WW once..again, I know it's a time commitment. I know I need to do it. But, unless I'm ready to...I just won't. (Grad school is a great example of that. I've needed to go for at least the last 7-8 years. It took me two years to commit to doing the GREs.) Once we get through the next year...it will be pushed up on my radar. I usually work through lunch. Getting up early isn't going to work well right now. We need the peanut to sleep. I can't go back to having her spend most of her life in a time out from 3-7, every day. We don't have the extra money right now to hire a sitter to take the kids to school on the day that DH works, so that I can get up early and exercise. That would be an extra $100 a week, plus then I'd have to pay for classes and what not. I'm at a good balance point with work load right now. With needing 10 hours a week for school, I don't want to put myself in a position where I HAVE to teach another 3 hours a week. Because that will come at the expense of sleep. And at 42, I can't deal with sleeping 3-4 hours a night like I used to. I'm still pretty healthy, overall. Never had any sugar issues. When I had #3, my RE was doing a study on insulin resistance and PCOS. I went through involved testing...and I'm still not IR. Even that...people with PCOS are often given met to help. It didn't help me. ETA: I appreciate that you are trying to help and are being supportive. And I know I sound like someone that is saying "no" at every turn. I know I'll figure it out. It will just take some time to come up with the most effective solution.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 15, 2024 9:26:12 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 11:14:18 GMT -5
Giramomma, I only have two kids, but both times I was pregnant, I watched my weight, my Doctor wanted me to keep to only gaining about 25-30 lbs. I think I gained 35 and 40 lbs. I remember having to work very hard to take those pounds off, and I really appreciate that my Doctor harped on me about my weight gain. I often wonder about the fat shaming taboo that is going on nowadays, and think it is not necessarily a good thing. I agree here. I don't think it's right to shame anyone's body, but I do think we need to put the emphasis on HEALTH, not body shape. You can be chubby and healthy, and you can be thin and unhealthy. I don't think you can be obese and healthy, but I could be wrong. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure it's the norm. According to those BMI calculators my 15 year old is obese, and believe me, he is totally self conscious about it. He dreads getting on the scale at the doctors office. The kid could stand to lose some weight, but sure as hell not what those calculators say he needs to to be "normal". A lot of it is just the way he's built, and he's been that way since he was a baby on nothing but breastmilk. Back then, it was all praises for how well he's doing being in the 97th percentile for height and weight. His legs are seriously like tree trunks and he's very broad shouldered as well. My other kid? Complete opposite. He was in dance class the other day and I'm thinking how it was a big mistake sending him in leggings because they just accentuate that he has super skinny twigs for legs.
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emma1420
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2011 15:35:45 GMT -5
Posts: 2,430
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Post by emma1420 on Aug 30, 2017 11:25:31 GMT -5
I get what the HR department is going for. A healthy work force equals cheaper insurance premiums. And the two biggest indicators of health are having a healthy BMI and being a non-smoker. I understand why companies focus on those two things because they can measure how many people fit into those categories.
However, it clearly isn't working as people in this country keeps on getting fatter. More than a third of the population is obese, over two-thirds of the adult population is now overweight or obese. But, I also think many don't have a good idea about a healthy diet actually is, and what an appropriate portion size is, and how many calories that they actually need to maintain their weight. And I can't blame them for not understanding those things. Not when you turn on the TV and you see commercials with huge portions of fast food usually consumed by an actor who is thin.
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andi9899
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 6, 2011 10:22:29 GMT -5
Posts: 31,345
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Post by andi9899 on Aug 30, 2017 11:32:24 GMT -5
I agree here. I don't think it's right to shame anyone's body, but I do think we need to put the emphasis on HEALTH, not body shape. You can be chubby and healthy, and you can be thin and unhealthy. I don't think you can be obese and healthy, but I could be wrong. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure it's the norm. According to those BMI calculators my 15 year old is obese, and believe me, he is totally self conscious about it. He dreads getting on the scale at the doctors office. The kid could stand to lose some weight, but sure as hell not what those calculators say he needs to to be "normal". A lot of it is just the way he's built, and he's been that way since he was a baby on nothing but breastmilk. Back then, it was all praises for how well he's doing being in the 97th percentile for height and weight. His legs are seriously like tree trunks and he's very broad shouldered as well. My other kid? Complete opposite. He was in dance class the other day and I'm thinking how it was a big mistake sending him in leggings because they just accentuate that he has super skinny twigs for legs. That's my niece and nephew. Nephew is 14 and he's 5'10" and weighs 195. He's tall with broad shoulders and he has tree trunk legs. He could lose a few pounds, but he's not fat and not obese. My niece is 13 and she's 4'10" I believe and weighs 60 something pounds. She could gain about 20 pounds and still be skinny. And she eats more than all of us put together!
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