BrendaW's goals

As an obese person, I'm hoping to lose weight first of all. But I'm also looking to improve my overall health. My last couple of checkups, for the first time in my life, my blood pressure was not normal and was a little above normal. Also, so was my cholestoral levels. I know it is due to being overweight and with diabetes and heart disease running in my family it really scares me that I am heading in that direction. I'd love to get down to even being considered just overweight and no longer obese and get my blood pressure and cholesteral levels back to normal.

Although I've been using the wii consistently for over a month and am now using it at least 5-6 days a week and an hour at a time, I've actually gained over ten pounds. I was very, very sedentary before I got the wii and imagine that the weight gain is more likely muscle gain so I'm not too concerned. I'm feeling better and my stamina has improved drastically since I've started.

I use Wii Sports, Wii Fit and my new favorite Santa De Amigo (a dance type game) and feel I'm getting great workouts. I also have the Outdoor Adventure game but I haven't really used that much yet because of the fun I'm having with the other three games.

You are well on your way to some good stuff, way to go.

BrendaW wrote:

Although I've been using the wii consistently for over a month and am now using it at least 5-6 days a week and an hour at a time, I've actually gained over ten pounds.

Hi, Brenda!

I think you're right about the muscle weight. Also, I think when we start working out, those sore muscles create inflammation that leads to water retention. I felt 'lighter' at my last weigh-in, but super sore. I showed a GAIN on the scale for the first time in six weeks. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized my muscles were hurting in all kinds of new places So, I'm going to try adding some fish oil supplements to counteract the inflammation and see what happens.

Great work, though, to be using the wii so consistently!! That's way better than I'm doing yet.

Brenda, you seem absolutely on track to me. And, of course, everyone is right about the muscle gain that frequently comes when you begin working out. You can be trimming up and building a more efficient calorie burning machine while not initially losing any scale weight.

By the way, is your avatar from Firefly, the late, great, way under appreciated (except by its cult following) Joss Whedon series? If it is, I love that series.

Brenda, I'm not here to bust a bubble but I had to do some searching about people saying muscle weight more then fat well it doesn't is weight the same.

"Stop being so obsessed with body weight and start paying attention to body composition. How much body fat do you have compared to muscle?" A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller."
I just pulled them off of a medical journal for us.

So if you are working out you also need to measure yourself. When I don't lose a pound or two but I see a different then I pull out the measuring tape. And I have so far see inches gone. I've lost 7 inches just off the hips and I've lost 3 of the waist and 3 on top. So my biggest lost was around the lower part of my belly and my butt. I also have diabetes but I don't have high blood pressure. Just keep active and you will see changes in your body soon. Are you tracking of what you are eating? I am a member of SparkPeople it's a free website that you can track your nutrition, fitness, weight and measurement. You also can find people in your area to walk with that's in the same boat as we are. I don't want to discourage anyone about the fat weight more then muscle but we have to now the truth. Well have a great day Peg