Under Fat, BMI 21 at One Year Out

Apr 26, 2016

     Reading my last blog entry, I was preparing myself for what I already knew. I had my repeat BOD POD last week.  From January 2106, my weight went from 141 to 129, and my body fat percentage went from 22.3 % to 14.3 %. I am a 60 year old post menopausal woman, 5' 5".  My BMI is in the middle of healthy, but my fat % is in the risky low range, which meant results were forwarded to my PCP and bariatric practice for "immediate nutritional counseling" to raise my body fat level.

     I knew people could be "skinny fat" (either overweight BMI and healthy fat range or normal BMI and higher fat range). I knew people could be underweight, but never knew about under fat. I initially scrambled, to find out how I could increase my body fat without increasing my weight. Yes, I am an intelligent woman, who knows how to balance a bankbook... My mind refused to let me consider intentionally regaining some of what I've worked so hard to loose.

    What have I discovered ?

1.  Disordered eating is really one continuum. I have used food to deal with stress. For most of my life, I over ate, and ate unhealthy food. Looking back, I was "seduced" by losing. I read posts virtually bragging about risky fat levels and low BMIs and bony bodies and began to fall onto the trap that the posters were aready snagged in. "How low can I go ?" is a slippery slope. It is the other end of the disordered eating continuum ... but is all about control.

2.  Determining a healthy maintenance weight range is hard. That range is a complex combination of BMI, fat percentage, how you look and how you feel. I have learned that a minimum 8-!2% essential body fat is required just to survive. On top of that, our brain, muscles, bones and organs need additional fat to function optimally. The need for fat increases in women as they age.

3.   I have reaffirmed that being open to therapy to maintain a healthy recovery is essential. I previously had individual and group therapy that helped me work through some issues I needed to address before losing weight and expecting to keep it off. I also did a fair amount of OA work, which I still draw from. As my subconscious awareness that I had gotten too low started to peek through, I got myself back in to therapy.  I am in a scary place. I don't like to admit this, but I realize that I am going to have to be willing to have my weight monitored by my PCP initially. I know if I don't I will resist the need to regain and will most likely rebel by losing more.

4.  My need for control is strong. I feel like I have to go to my Wednesday one year check up with well thought out parameters of what I am willing to do, in mind.

A.  I am not willing to drastically reduce my activity level.

B.  I am not willing to "just go back to 141 when your body fat was 22.3". That is arbitrary and plain stupid.

     I am working on being willing to consider anything in between.  Mathematically, I realize I would have to weigh 139 to get my body fat to 20%, keeping my muscle mass a constant. I don't like it, but I know it is not healthy for me to be below 20% body fat.

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