Starting Stats

Here are my numbers to kick off this whole adventure from hell. I confirmed them all right before my workout today, which wasn't too strenuous, considering I feel about as in shape as a first-week contestant on The Biggest Loser and didn't want to overdo it.

Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 277 lbs.
BMI: 37.6 (Obese>29.9)
Body fat: TBA

Waste: 45.5"
Stomach @ belly button: 52"
Chest: 50"
Neck: 17"
Upper arm: 15" relaxed, 16.25" flexed
Forearm: 12.75"
Thigh: 28.5"
Calf: 16.25"

Body Mass Index
I included this "number", but honestly I think it's crap, and should not be used as it is for insurance ratings and other things. For example, if I were to shed 80 lbs. and drop to an even 200 lbs., I would still be considered overweight on the BMI scale. I would have to get down to a sickening 183 lbs. at my height to barely make the "normal" weight category. There is NO WAY I will EVER weigh that little. It would be unhealthy. I could carry no muscle weight, and I'd look like an AIDS patient. Yet, I'll never qualify for the lowest major medical premium unless I'm that thin. Ridiculous.

According to the website for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - Obesity Education Initiative, who's BMI calculator I used, here are the limits of the Body Mass Index:

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are:

• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
• It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

That makes me feel a little better, even though it doesn't help with the insurance premiums. Regardless, I am a big fat fatty, and I need to get on it now. My 30th birthday is only 6 months away, and I have to consider the legitimate risks associated with obesity, outside of it hampering my ability to be as active and capable as I desire. Here is a WebMD page detailing some of the aforementioned risks.