Fat vs Obese

Last week in our LVAD/Transplant Support Group we were discussing how hard it is to lose weight and how much more difficult it is to not put on pounds at the holiday season.

We were all saying how difficult it is that our charts say we are "OBESE."  We came to the conclusion that we would much rather just be called fat.  There is something about the word "fat" that paints a semi-pleasant picture of a joyful, happy person. (Perhaps this is because some of my favorite relatives and friends are fat and they are so much fun to be around.)  But the word "obese" just gives an instant mental picture of harshness and disgust.

In the last several months, Ray and I have both been trying to diet.  Some of you may not know, but there is a cutoff limit to how high your Body Mass Index or fat level can be in order to receive a heart transplant.  Because of the possibility that I may one day have to have a transplant, and because it is easier on my heart to not have to support my weight, we are trying to shed the pounds.

So far, Ray has lost 24 pounds whereas I have only lost FOUR. LOL!!  I know that men lose weight faster than women and that we can't compare ourselves to them.  But it is difficult.  I try not to make excuses for myself and just use my disappointment to fuel the flames of going to the gym and eating less.  We do pretty good with our diet and try to get a good amount of exercise in.  However, there are days when I am just so tired I can't think of going to the gym.  And I am certain that my low blood pressure and heart failure meds play into my metabolism being slow.  So, I have decided instead of being discouraged or disheartened by my "obeseness" I will try to be positive and remember that I have a lot of people I love and want to spend time with and I'm pretty sure they don't care if I'm a few pounds heavier than I should be.  As my good friend Paul says, "Thin is in but fat is where it's at!"