Don't say "weight" when you don't mean it

Trojan

Hi all,

I think that perhaps this is a psychological thing: a lot of people posting here talk a lot about reduction of weight, which can be affected by water retention, muscle and all this other stuff.

Someone suggested in another thread that the way to reduce a belly was to reduce water retention. Now to be fair, I don't know anything about water retention, but I do know that drinking a lot of water is a good thing, particularly when you do exercise, or at 4am after a solid nights drinking

I think that if you mean fat, say fat. Or flabby, or something. Weight is a different thing. You go on a diet to lose fat, not weight. In fact, losing weight on a diet can mean that you're deteriorating your muscle mass and putting on fat.

The reason I believe that it's a psychological problem is because in reading all this stuff about "weight loss" is making people give more credence to their weighing scales, which is just not important to the normal average person who "wants to lose a bit of weight". Admittedly weight is very important to people who are in danger with their health, e.g. the seriously obese. Which brings me on to measurement of obesity...

Using measurements like the BMI that have weight/height as an integral part of their calculation can lead to false results, particularly in the case of heavier people who are quite fit (myself, and any lifter/rugby player types included). I myself, for example, am 14 stone and 5'7 in height. That puts me in the obese category, which I'd like to think I'm far from

See also http://www2.vhihealthe.com/topic/hdweightloss for more about correct BMI usage.

So, say what you mean, and please, stop worrying about your weight on the scales, particularly you good looking girls who think you need to be an anorexia waif to attract attention - it's just not true.

Just my minor rant of the day

Al.

[edit: spelling & BMI links]

Benbaz

Well said Trojan!!!

Jak

Weight is pretty irrelevant for most people unless you are bound by competition classes.

It is all about how you look.

Personally I keep an eye on weight, but mainly as I am still trying to up it a bit more as fits with my training.

Good point though.

JAK.

eth0_

Originally posted by Trojan

Someone suggested in another thread that the way to reduce a belly was to reduce water retention. Now to be fair, I don't know anything about water retention, but I do know that drinking a lot of water is a good thing, particularly when you do exercise, or at 4am after a solid nights drinking

I take it you're referring to my post...Yes, drinking a lot of water is good, god knows I drink litres of the stuff every day, but if you read the thread you'd see it was about getting a flatter belly...not about weight. I have an underweight friend who had a pot belly and it turned out she was retaining excess water, she took some over the counter tablets to relieve this and the problem was solved! I'm the same at certain times of the month. I think water retention is mostly a female thing though.

That girl didn't mention weight at all in her post. Drinking water isn't bad. Water retention IS.

Trojan

Yes eth, I was referring to your comment, but it only sparked the idea for my post here.

I specifically didn't reply with this rant there because this is a more general point, and may not be relevant to that thread.

I don't know anything about water retention problems (though I shall find out more)

My problem is money retention... though now no gf I shouldn't have that problem as much

Cheers,
Al.