I'm watching Dr. Phil. The show today is the Ultimate Fat Debate. There is a guest named Michael Karolchyk, owner of the Anti-Gym who is wearing a shirt that says "No Chubbies". He is the perfect example of what I've found in most commercial gyms. If he thinks he is helping the obesity epidemic with that method he is wrong, however, watching his video I see no obese members of his program. This is what I've found in my quest for assistance with an exercise program, gyms and trainers are for skinny people.
First, most machines cannot accommodate obese (morbidly or super morbidly). Treadmills and elliptical machines do have weight limits, and weight machines don't allow room for big legs and bellies. I started my workouts at 500lbs in the water, my swimsuit didn't fit, but I wore shorts and t-shirt over it because I was determined to get in the pool. However, it can be difficult to find a pool with steps; obese people have a difficult time with pool ladders.
Second, personal trainers don't seem to want to help the obese. I did find Matt at the SOMC Life Center to be helpful, but that was a hospital based gym. At Bally's, LA Fitness, etc, they aren't interested in really helping. I sign up and show up; as soon as I mention I have a medical condition that might limit what I can lift I'm deemed "not willing to try". I do try, I never refused to do a workout, but I notice while I'm working out the trainer is looking at other chicks. I later find out he didn't have the machine seat level properly set for my height. I inquire about water workouts and I'm told "they are not a good workout". Never was asked for detailed medical information. While I was on an upper body weight machine he noticed the scars on my arms and asks "are those surgical scars?" Sure are...and even then he didn't ASK for any further information.
I just mentioned this to a friend last week. I would love to partner with a personal trainer/exercise physiologist and develop REAL workout program for someone with lymphedema/lipedema. I live in Miami; there are tons of trainers around here, anyone interested in the challenge?
Showing posts with label lipedema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lipedema. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Surprised, Shamed, Accepted
I'm not working, but I'm trying to find a job. I want to work. I got myself off SSI, Medicaid and food stamps six years ago because I wanted to be a contributing member of society. And after years of living on SSI and credit cards I can't afford to be on SSD.
I am disabled. As much as the smile on my face, and positive outgoing attitude might indicate I'm otherwise, it's not easy for me to work. The best thing for my lymphedema would be to keep my legs elevated at all times. Find me a legal job, without having to move to Nevada, where that is possible. Wearing compression garments allows me to be on my feet or sitting throughout the day, but as the day progresses and the swelling resumes, the garments pinch and start to hurt. But I know others deal with far worse than I do, and I'm lucky to have garments so I don't complain. I go about life the best I can.
So I go in for the review, I explain to the woman that I had called SSA when I got laid off and was told that if I made more than $500 a month they could not help me. In addition, I had a 401k to which I thought I would have to completely drain before I could receive any assistance. She said well it appears you now have enough work credits to get SSD whereas when you first applied in 2000 you did not and could only get SSI. Do you want to apply for SSD?
No, I don't want back on the system. I can't live off SDD for the rest of my life. But I also don't want to tell SSA "no". What if I need them in five years, will a "no review" on my record hinder my ability to receive assistance in the future? I told her I'd rather apply and be told I do not qualify than to refuse the review. Oh, but by the way, my unemployment benefits is more than $500 a month. She said that doesn't matter for SSD.
So she asked if I'm married, have kids, work, address, etc. No request for my current doctor, no request for any of the thick folder of bank statements, ultility bills, or tax documents. She did confirm my disability was morbid obesity and I quickly added "and lymphedema and lipedema". Sadly, my SSI was given to me simply because I was fat. How embarrassing, true my weight at over 500lbs prevented me from being able to work but embarrassing to have to admit. So a few more taps on the keyboard and she says, "o.k. everything is good to go, you'll get a check in 4-6 weeks".
What? That's it. I know people fight for years to get SSD and I just got coverted from SSI to SSD in all of 15 minutes.
Surprised: I couldn't believe it was that simple. Someone is watching over me, had I not been called in for a review I would have never thought I could get any type of help. I had asked and was told otherwise based on my previous status.
Shamed: While the assistance is needed and is a relief that I'll be able to live and pay my bills while looking for work, and I could possibly get Medicare (I *heart* government healthcare) in the future, I have a feeling of shame. I had worked so hard to better my overall condition through improved health and education to get OFF the system, and here I am back ON. I don't want to be like my cousin who boasted to my mom about "finally getting SSD, so he'll never have to work again". He even claimed to have "the same thing Sarah's got wrong with her legs"...the loathing I feel towards him....I started to feel towards myself for slipping back on assistance.
Accepted: I am disabled. I'm not working. The point of SSD is to provide assistance to the disabled. I paid into the system, and now it is helping me when I need it. It's not forever. When I find a job the benefits will stop, as they did before. There is no shame in needing help. I will not resign to living on the system, what I did before I can do again. Only this time it will be a bit easier, I already have my education and my health is improved since 2000.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Does More Butt And Thigh Fat Make You Healthier?
Interesting that there is no mention of Lipedemic fat. Lipedema is the abnormal accumalation of adipose tissue (fat) in the hips, thighs, buttocks and sometimes upper arms. Primarily affects women. Now if your body is just producing excess fat on it's own, not fat as a result of poor eating habits then it would be "healthy" fat. Perhaps an e-mail to the researchers is needed.
Studies Find That Having More Weight in Lower Body May Be a Good Thing
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
Jan. 12, 2010
Public health officials have harped on actively taking steps to reduce obesity, but it seems for some genetically lucky individuals, reducing their body fat isn't as important.
Research shows that a big bottom is healthier than a big stomach.A new review published by researchers at the University of Oxford and Churchill Hospital in the United Kingdom suggests that people who carry their body fat in their thighs and backside aren't just carrying extra weight, but also some extra protection against diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with obesity.
"It is the protective role of lower body, that is [thigh and backside] fat, that is striking. The protective properties of the lower body fat depot have been confirmed in many studies conducted in subjects with a wide range of age, BMI and co-morbidities," the researchers write in the most recent issue of the Journal of Obesity.
"If you're going to have fat, you're definitely better off if you've got some fat in the lower body," said Dr. Michael Jensen, director of endocrine research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "If you look at people who have primarily the pear shape, they're healthy in all the ways that this fat behaves. It's not just less heart attacks or less diabetes, it's all these ways we think about fat as an important organ for our health."
For years, researchers have looked into the idea that not all fat is created equal. People who carry their fat in their stomachs, also known as "apple-shaped" people, are said to have more problems from obesity than those who carry their fat in their hips.
People who carry their fat in their thighs and backsides -- otherwise known as their gluteofemoral region -- appear to be in a similar class to those with fat in their hips.
"There's a lot of evidence that shows that the fat depots are not the same in the body," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor medicine specializing in obesity at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
He explained that the fat stored in the stomach is harmful because "it is more metabolically active," sending fatty contents and messages throughout the body, whereas fat in the lower regions of the body tends to be more stable and release fewer cytokines, which have been implicated in the insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes.
"There's a whole range of these hormonal markers that seem to be more preferentially released from the belly," said Kushner.
Getting More Back
But it is unclear if the fat in the thighs and backside are better for you than simply being thin, experts say.
But while lower body fat may be healthier than upper body fat, at this point people have little control over where their body chooses to store its fat, with spot-toning a myth and the only options coming from pharmaceutical side effects.
"You can't direct or drive the fat in one part of your body versus another," said Kushner. "For the average person on the street, it's determined by genetics."
He noted, however, that "One can develop, perhaps, medication to deposit in one area," a possibility noted by the authors of the review who point out that it is one effect of some existing diabetes drugs.
Different Fat, But Better Fat?
While the review seems to indicate that having fat lower down can be a good thing, not all experts are convinced.
"I think that the article makes a fairly compelling point that there are likely differences between these two fat stores," said Floyd Chilton, a professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. "But I think it certainly falls short in making a convincing argument that one is protective and the other is the major source of the problem."
Some of the measurements, he explained, were not performed in a way that would allow for a conclusive judgment. For example, he said a number of studies cited by the researchers used hip circumference to determine where fat was being stored.
Chilton noted that many of the diseases discussed by researchers of the study -- including heart disease and diabetes -- have been connected to inflammation in the body.
"Many of them are increasing in incidence at a very similar rate to the dramatic increase in obesity," he said.
Getting the Skinny on Fat
While he is not yet sure that lower body fat can be said to be protective, Chilton said that recent years have shown that biomarkers have helped give a more nuanced picture of how the body regulates itself -- and how conditions like obesity really affect the body.
Studies Find That Having More Weight in Lower Body May Be a Good Thing
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
Jan. 12, 2010
Public health officials have harped on actively taking steps to reduce obesity, but it seems for some genetically lucky individuals, reducing their body fat isn't as important.
Research shows that a big bottom is healthier than a big stomach.A new review published by researchers at the University of Oxford and Churchill Hospital in the United Kingdom suggests that people who carry their body fat in their thighs and backside aren't just carrying extra weight, but also some extra protection against diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with obesity.
"It is the protective role of lower body, that is [thigh and backside] fat, that is striking. The protective properties of the lower body fat depot have been confirmed in many studies conducted in subjects with a wide range of age, BMI and co-morbidities," the researchers write in the most recent issue of the Journal of Obesity.
"If you're going to have fat, you're definitely better off if you've got some fat in the lower body," said Dr. Michael Jensen, director of endocrine research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "If you look at people who have primarily the pear shape, they're healthy in all the ways that this fat behaves. It's not just less heart attacks or less diabetes, it's all these ways we think about fat as an important organ for our health."
For years, researchers have looked into the idea that not all fat is created equal. People who carry their fat in their stomachs, also known as "apple-shaped" people, are said to have more problems from obesity than those who carry their fat in their hips.
People who carry their fat in their thighs and backsides -- otherwise known as their gluteofemoral region -- appear to be in a similar class to those with fat in their hips.
"There's a lot of evidence that shows that the fat depots are not the same in the body," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor medicine specializing in obesity at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
He explained that the fat stored in the stomach is harmful because "it is more metabolically active," sending fatty contents and messages throughout the body, whereas fat in the lower regions of the body tends to be more stable and release fewer cytokines, which have been implicated in the insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes.
"There's a whole range of these hormonal markers that seem to be more preferentially released from the belly," said Kushner.
Getting More Back
But it is unclear if the fat in the thighs and backside are better for you than simply being thin, experts say.
But while lower body fat may be healthier than upper body fat, at this point people have little control over where their body chooses to store its fat, with spot-toning a myth and the only options coming from pharmaceutical side effects.
"You can't direct or drive the fat in one part of your body versus another," said Kushner. "For the average person on the street, it's determined by genetics."
He noted, however, that "One can develop, perhaps, medication to deposit in one area," a possibility noted by the authors of the review who point out that it is one effect of some existing diabetes drugs.
Different Fat, But Better Fat?
While the review seems to indicate that having fat lower down can be a good thing, not all experts are convinced.
"I think that the article makes a fairly compelling point that there are likely differences between these two fat stores," said Floyd Chilton, a professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. "But I think it certainly falls short in making a convincing argument that one is protective and the other is the major source of the problem."
Some of the measurements, he explained, were not performed in a way that would allow for a conclusive judgment. For example, he said a number of studies cited by the researchers used hip circumference to determine where fat was being stored.
Chilton noted that many of the diseases discussed by researchers of the study -- including heart disease and diabetes -- have been connected to inflammation in the body.
"Many of them are increasing in incidence at a very similar rate to the dramatic increase in obesity," he said.
Getting the Skinny on Fat
While he is not yet sure that lower body fat can be said to be protective, Chilton said that recent years have shown that biomarkers have helped give a more nuanced picture of how the body regulates itself -- and how conditions like obesity really affect the body.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Frog legs and butt cracks.
Note to self: Jump test.
The pretty blue Land's End bathing suit fits, I swear it does. But my "baby got back" needs extra coverage when jumping is involved. I walked around in it just fine, but bring on the jumping in water and it's weggie time. So next time I'll be sure to wear a different bathing suit...I have more than one...I umm have more than five.
Next time.
Why yes, next time. This was the class I've been looking for, great workout, fun instructor, and did I mention great workout. Despite what the dumbass at Bally's on 163rd Street in Miami said (which was that I could get a better workout than water aerobics, saying this in reply to my question does your club have water aerobics...the answer was no, but hey let's diss her choice while we're at it) water exercises are an excellent workout option for all. And according to the YMCA 45 minutes of walking in water is equivalent to 3 hours on land. It also puts less pressure on your joints. And hands down I can do more "things", positions, stretches, crunches, in the water than I can do on land.
And as a bonus for me, unlike land excersises than can strain my lymphatic system, water exercises are beneficial for lymphedema patients. The depth of the water creates compression, and the motion of the water against my legs works like gentle massage.
No wonder I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now at the end of class.
The pretty blue Land's End bathing suit fits, I swear it does. But my "baby got back" needs extra coverage when jumping is involved. I walked around in it just fine, but bring on the jumping in water and it's weggie time. So next time I'll be sure to wear a different bathing suit...I have more than one...I umm have more than five.
Next time.
Why yes, next time. This was the class I've been looking for, great workout, fun instructor, and did I mention great workout. Despite what the dumbass at Bally's on 163rd Street in Miami said (which was that I could get a better workout than water aerobics, saying this in reply to my question does your club have water aerobics...the answer was no, but hey let's diss her choice while we're at it) water exercises are an excellent workout option for all. And according to the YMCA 45 minutes of walking in water is equivalent to 3 hours on land. It also puts less pressure on your joints. And hands down I can do more "things", positions, stretches, crunches, in the water than I can do on land.
And as a bonus for me, unlike land excersises than can strain my lymphatic system, water exercises are beneficial for lymphedema patients. The depth of the water creates compression, and the motion of the water against my legs works like gentle massage.
No wonder I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now at the end of class.
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