It has been an amazing few weeks in my corner of this world. In the coming days Kelly’s Keyboard will be filled with stories of gratitude, some wonderful adventures in junior high youth ministry, family gatherings, and beautiful travels.
But today, there is something else on my mind. Today I’m realizing how short I actually am. There were times in my life I could stretch and be recorded at 5′ 1 3/4″, but now it’s closer to 5′ 1 1/2″…..on my tiptoes. To be fair, I’m fine with being short, I call it fun-sized. Today, however, I have decided to come to terms with what this short frame is carrying around.
There’s a formula to calculate one’s healthy weight using one’s height and weight to discover one’s current body mass index, the indicator of excess body fat. There are also countless online calculators to do that automatically, so I found a few of them, and settled on using one I trust from the Mayo Clinic website.
So,with my first-thing-in-the-morning weight, I entered my information. I didn’t even have time to take a sip of coffee before the results were up on the screen:
My BMI is 31.9. I am obese. What? No. I just have a little more sand in this hourglass figure of mine. Obese? That can’t be right.
But it is.
Notice that nifty little guide in the shaded grey and orange?
Initially I looked at this and thought, ok, I’m only 1.9 over the limit into the obese category. I can fix this in a matter of days.
I like to tell myself things like that.
Then I started checking the calculator to find out at what weight I would actually be considered not obese, and not overweight.
Here’s how that went:
- Losing 10 pounds: BMI is 29.9, overweight.
- Losing 20 pounds: BMI is 28, still overweight.
- Losing 30 pounds: BMI is 26.1, still overweight.
- Losing 40 pounds: BMI is 24.2 Finally! A weight within the “Normal BMI” range.
A few more calculations and I discovered I would need to either gain 9 inches in height, or lose 36 pounds in excess weight to travel out of obesity, through overweight territory, back into normal body weight range.
I’m not getting any taller, so my course is pretty clear. Throw on a coat, an extra scarf, wrap up in a blanket and go. And I’m one of those folks that can wrap up in a blanket and go for a stroll without even spilling my coffee, I have mad skills when it comes to camouflaging the fluff……..
In all seriousness, though, today, I have no choice but to come to terms with the fact that this isn’t fluff. It’s nearly 40 extra pounds that I’m forcing my frame to carry around. I’m doing this to my joints, my spine, my feet, my kidneys, my heart.
This is not a “vanity” post. This is an “I know my genetics and I’ve seen first hand how obesity can wreak havoc on one’s health and I can’t believe I’ve allowed myself to get to this point” post. And so, I take a deep breath in acknowledging there is much work to be done. It cannot wait for a new year’s resolution.
This entry is simply this first step. I don’t have a plan yet except to post my thoughts, setbacks and progress on this journey here. Productive comments and suggestions are encouraged, others traveling on this journey are welcome to join me.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
And so it begins……
Kelly's keyboard 