#Diatia 9: A good weight is a good thing

Before I say anything else, I want to confess that I weigh myself, that I have a target weight, and that I want to maintain it when I get there.  Weighing yourself is important, but it’s only so important, especially at the start.  Muscle has a greater density than fat, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle are the same weight but not the same size.  If you're trying to lose weight, what you really mean is you want to lose fat, but if you judge this via weight, it is quite possible to lose fat and gain muscle, and therefore stay the same weight.  What we really want to do is reduce our body fat to an appropriate level.  At the beginning it is better to measure the places you carry fat: your gut, your hips, etc.  If you’re following a sensible diet and exercise regime you will soon notice a change. 

 

I go Rucking from time to time, well my version of Rucking, in my rucksack I carry 8kg of sand, that’s 17.5 pounds, or just over one stone.  When you carry that weight you can really feel it, and when you’re finished it is great to take the rucksack off!  Lots of people carry that amount of extra body fat every day! 

 

BMI (body mass index) and weight are the result of cause and effect, primarily it’s our genes, this hugely affects how we process the food we eat.  Two people could eat the same food and do the same exercise, but look totally different, and that’s just the way it is!  The next cause and effect is the amount of calories we put into our body, this comes from the kind and amount of food we eat.  The next cause and effect is exercise and general activity, activity burns calories, so the more active we are the more calories you burn.  Remember you can’t out run a bad diet, a world famous chocolate bar that you can eat in a couple of minutes has 230 calories, you need to walk 3 to 4 miles to burn that off!  There is another important cause and effect, illness or medication, if this is so for you, then you need to talk to your doctor.  Our objective should be the maintenance of a healthy weight and BMI, not chasing after an unrealistic body image.  The only way we can do this successfully is moderation in eating, consistency of exercise, acceptance of body type, and being in it for the long haul!