Muffin Top(ple) Monday

Today we're going to talk about woman's number one enemy.

No... not Men. They may be a pain at times, but they have their uses.

I'm talking about the scale.

That 12x12 piece of plastic or metal, that with the twirl of a dial or the flash of a digit, can make or break your day.

Last week I sent an e-mail out to my Muffin Top(ple) ladies with a picture of me from 2004 and I asked them all to guess how much I weighed in the picture.

Here is the picture


The guesses were varied and ranged from 175 to 205lbs.

In that picture I was in the best physical shape I'd been in years. I was fit, healthy, exercising regularly and eating right.

And I weighed 237 pounds.

So many people pick a number, a weight for a goal when losing weight and get discouraged when they don't see drastic changes on the scale. Having a goal weight can be helpful, but as you can see by the picture I didn't look like I weighed anywhere near 240lbs even though I did. I was in a size 18 jeans (that I still have & will wear again!) and I was super fit and healthy.

I'd like to give you a little something to chew on (other than that candy bar!). Watching the numbers drop on the scale is always a great motivator... but an 'ideal' weight for one person may be way off for someone else - so what's most important is to shoot for getting healthy and feeling good about yourself.

According to medicine, doctors, weight charts.. the 'ideal' healthy weight for my height 5ft 5in (or 65 inches) and bone structure (large) is between 127-155lbs.

Even if I stretch it and go by the 1 inch heel height and say I'm 5'6" that only gives me another 4lbs.

My BOOBS weigh almost that much. I would, to be totally honest look sickly and ill if I weighed anything less than 185 pounds. 200 would probably be a perfect weight for me, but 235 is where I've found I'm most comfortable and physically fit. At the same time my mom is one inch taller than me and can pull off weighing 125 with no problem. My sister is 5'3" and normally wears about a size 6/8 - also around 125lbs.

My mom, me, sister & brother at my sister's wedding May 2005.

Which of these things is not like the other???


I've spent the last 20 years comparing myself to a family of skinny people. I am the ONLY heavyset person in my immediate family, and for years all I could think was "how in the world can I ever get small enough to weigh what they weigh?!?"

The answer is I can't. I have a different body type. I will always be a 'thick' chic. I'll always have curves and I'll always be bigger than everyone in my family... and I'm finally realizing that that's OK. As long as I'm healthy and feel good about myself the numbers really don't mean anything.

Anyway - I guess the point I'm trying to make is don't get caught up in the numbers on the scale. Pay attention to how you feel, the fit of your clothes, the new energy you have... and let those things be your guide.

If you still feel like you should weigh a certain weight because a chart tells you, take a look at this. It's a height and weight chart made up of pictures of real people. It's a great visual for understanding the human body and how one person who's say 5'5", can weigh 235lbs and look smaller than a person who's 5'7" and weighs less.

Don't be a slave to the scale ladies (and fellas). Eat right, exercise and focus on being healthy. The fit of your clothes and the feel of your body will tell you more than a number ever could.