This may not seem big to you...

I have recently hit a big point for myself in weight loss. Although when thinking about it I realized that not everyone may appreciate it as much as others. And some may not think it is a big deal at all, yet for myself it is. So bear with me.

When I began losing weight, I had no idea how much weight I would want to lose. I still don't know an exact amount and really I try not to put too much stock into any one measure of weight loss. But I did know that there were more measures of weight loss than just your actual weight. Especially because at 5'7" 120lbs was going to look different on me than a woman that is 5'1". And no I don't aspire to be 120lbs. So I started using a BMI calculator on occasion to see where I was at. The BMI calculator uses your height and weight to give you an approximate percentage of body fat that you have. It's not perfect, but it is a good general measuring tool.

Anyways I've mentioned before that I have brought my BMI down quite a bit and I have now reached a new milestone with it. My BMI at the beginning of February was 43.8%, that is in the severely obese category. Other charts will call it morbidly obese. When I think about that I can't believe I ever let myself get that far. People who are morbidly obese are at higher risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and can cause breathing problems. On top of this as a woman it can cause fertility problems, I consider myself lucky to have had 2 healthy uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries at the weights I was at. When I think about that term morbidly obese it scares me. That means that my weight could have literally been a factor in killing me. Okay I know that your weight is not the only factor in health things, but it is something that I have control over and that i can do something about. I cannot control that all the negative things that are related to obesity run in my family. But this I can do something about.

Anyways, this past weekend my BMI entered a new category. I am now just overweight. Okay that may not seem that great, but when you consider I came from severely obese, crossed through the obese section, and am now overweight it doesn't seem so bad. I still want to get myself to the normal range and am working on that, but just knowing that I have come so far is encouraging to myself. Oh and my BMI is currently 29.9% (yes right into that overweight range).

If you want help in getting started losing weight and need encouragement or guidance on how to start, let me know. I don't have all the answers, but I can tell you the things that have helped me and point you toward different sources for help.