[gahundy]

Can you be healthy AND overweight at the same time? I am just asking b/c it seems as if my body is just happy at the weight I am at (215). I however have a difference of opinion and think my body would be happier around 130 but that doesn't seem as if it is in the cards for me. i can't seem to lose a pound for more than a week without it coming home. my fat must have invested in a GPS.
on the plus side, i don't have pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. i also do not have any risk factors (other than weight) for heart disease or diabetes. The couple of chronic health problems i have, i had before i was heavy and they are not likely to go away with reduced weight, they are also not life threatening.
maybe i should just accept the fact that this is the size i am and be happy aobut it.
What do you guys think?

[ladybugnessa]

i think you could be happy at a higher weight than what's generally accepted for folks at our height. I'm under 5'3" but I"m shooting for 176 as my goal.

because it will be easy for me to stay there where as at 156 i'll be busting my butt and i'll never see 136.... ever..


I think that at 215 you are pushing it to think that's a healthy weight....

maybe you just need a maintaining break? I did that for 9 months this past year... just ate well as often as possible and did not fret too much about the 5 pounds up and down... now i'm recommitted...

[GONNABE165]

I too was a very healthy person before I started my new healthy lifestyle never had any problems outside of maybe a common cold by blood pressure was always good (120/70) and once I started loosing the weight I was diagnosed with asthma.

There are benefits to loosing the weight as my blood pressure now runs 101/65 but getting to 136 may not be one of them. I am shooting for 165 but I will stop at a higher weight and not stress over it if my body says it's happy.

Good luck!

[PhotoChick]

I'll be very honest and say, no, I don't think that you can be a healthy overweight person.

I used to have that mindset to a degree. I've apparently got pretty good genes and have always been pretty healthy. No joint issues. No back issues. No high blood pressure. Nothing. Heck I never even had a cavity until I turned 40. So I, too, used to think that being fat was not a problem for me. I could be comfortable with my body weight and never suffer for it.

But then I started looking at my family history and realized that it was rife with problems and illnesses and issues that cropped up when my parents and grandparents were in their 50s and 60s - and which ultimately killed all of them.

So it's great that I felt healthy at a heavier weight, but the long term damage I was doing to my body was NOT WORTH IT. You may have a healthy heart - but it still has to work twice as hard as it should to do the job it needs to do. And ultimately it will wear out faster. You may have healthy joints NOW, but after 40 years of carrying an extra 100 lbs, I guarantee you'll have issues. You may be fine now, but what happens when you're 45 and develop insulin dependent diabetes (as my g-mother did, and ultimately died from)? And what about all the cancers and heart issues that being overweight is a significant risk factor for?

I think if you say you're "healthily overweight" then you're really fooling yourself. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I believe it's very true. Because it's not just about how healthy you are today, it's about how healthy you can stay long term.

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