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U.S. women's rugby player dropped the mic on viewer who mocked her BMI

They're right, but it doesn't mean what people think.

@ilonamaher/Instagram

“BMI doesn’t tell you what I can do.”

It seems like at least once a year, the topic of “BMI,” or “body mass index,” being a flawed measuring system for fat mass and health comes up in conversation. Experts will explain how BMI leads to an incomplete perspective at best—since it doesn't take into consideration several key factors that influence a person’s body composition—and at worst, actual health risks, affecting eligibility for things like weight loss medications, insurance rates, joint-replacement surgery and fertility treatment. And then life moves forward.

And yet, despite the constant debunking, the belief in BMI still marches on. And this time, it was hurled at the USA rugby star and Olympian Ilona Maher. More specifically, someone commented “I bet that person has a 30% BMI” on one of Maher’s TikTok videos.

ilona maher, olympics, team usa, rugby, bmi, body weightBMI is not always an accurate measure of health.

Could this person have simply been pointing out the inherent flaw of BMI? Saying that Maher, an elite athlete, would be considered “overweight” using this system? Perhaps. But this is the internet we’re dealing with, so Maher (and others) interpreted it to be an insult.

And under that context, Maher wasn’t having it, and chose "not to just ignore the haters."

“Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact. I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be exact,” Maher said in response video…which became something of a roast itself.

Maher talked about how she had been considered “overweight” her entire life, and even recalled being “so embarrassed” to turn in a physical form to the office which had “overweight” written on it.

“I chatted with my dietician, because I go off facts, and not just what pops up here. You know, like you do.” she quipped while tapping her temples.

Maher is 5-ft.-10-in. and 200 lbs, which is considered “overweight” by BMI standards. But as she explained, about 170 of those 200 pounds are “lean muscle mass.”

“Do that math in your head…you probably can’t,” Maher said sarcastically.

It’s easy to see through this example how bogus BMI really is, especially for athletes.

Essentially, “BMI doesn’t tell you what I can do.”

“It doesn’t tell you what I can do on the field. How fit I am. It’s just a couple of numbers put together,” she said. “It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have, or anything like that.”

Maher concluded by faux lamenting, “I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight. But alas, I am going to the Olympics, and you’re not.”

u.s. women's rugby, jill biden, 2024 olympics ilona maherThe U.S. women's rugby team with First Lady Jill Biden and members of the U.S. delegation to the 2024 Summer Olympic GamesThe White House/Public Domain

While Maher’s clapback was certainly satisfying, it also provided some much needed reassurance to folks. So many commented on how this outdated concept has affected (or still effects) their own body image of that of a loved one.

“How can I get my teenage daughter with a high BMI (but fit!) to understand this?! She feels shamed even at the doctor for her BMI.”

“Dancer here, I'll never forget at 13 being told I had the BMI of 24 of ‘overweight.’ I broke down and the nurse said it didn’t mean anything and all I could think was then WHY are you making me do this?!”


body weight, scale, BMIWeight and BMI can't say what we can do.Giphy

“I had to ask the doctor’s office to put a note on my child’s file to not bring up/talk about BMI in her check ups. It isn't an accurate representation of health!”

“Thank you for sharing your weight, bc seeing lbs numbers in different bodies has been so helpful in me loving mine. I’m nowhere near an athlete's body but damn, the numbers really do us in.”

Until a more affordable solution pops up, BMI will continue to rear its ugly head in doctor’s offices and in our psyches. Maybe this is a reminder that our bodies are so much more than height and weight every now and again is a good thing. And if it comes from an Olympian…even better.

Maher also shut down any notions that her BMI was high due to anything other than muscle with a Sports Illustrated cover shoot in August of 2024. Um, yeah.

Thin and fit are not the same thing. Thank you, Ilona Maher, for the powerful reminder.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Woman tired of being told to 'cut out sodas' shares eye opening rant about losing weight

"I'm so frustrated because why is it this freaking hard?"

Photo credit: Canva

Overweight woman shares eye opening rant on losing weight

Losing weight is a personal journey, though when someone is visibly overweight, it seems sometimes others can feel that it's their business to comment on their weight. The media isn't much help in this area since they generally portray overweight people as someone who over eats due to lack of self control. They're also often seen as lazy and disheveled in movies and television shows, even when it's supposed to be comedy.

These sorts of portrayals can easily seep into the subconsciousness of viewers who may then prejudge overweight people they come into contact with. But just because someone is overweight or even obese, it doesn't mean they got that way due to unhealthy habits. It also doesn't mean they're maintaining the weight due to unhealthy habits.

Alecia, is someone who is frustrated with the prejudgement about her weight but even more frustrated about the difficulties she's had while trying to lose weight. It sounds like Alecia has been doing everything right for years but the weight won't come off and doctors don't seem to be of any help, so she decided to vent her difficulties to her followers.

"I am 34 year's old and I have battled my weight for 20 years. That is longer than I...I have battled weight longer than I have not. That is ridiculous. I have ketoed, I have weight watchered, I have counted calories. And I'm talking weighed my food, I still do. I've been with my husband 10 years in March and in 10 years he has never known me to not work out minimum four days a week, count my calories...either counting calories or Weight Watchers. He has never known me to not do those things," She reveals before sharing her pet peeve.

woman in black t-shirt and blue denim jeans holding brown hat Photo by Jade Destiny on Unsplash

"And I'm so sick of the people that are like, 'ugh cut out sodas.' I don't drink sodas. I don't drink sodas."

It's clear Alecia is frustrated with the accusations and misconceptions, pointing out the discrepancies in what Hollywood portrays and her actual reality. The woman assures people that she doesn't sit around on the couch all day eating "three Whoppers and two large fries" followed by a tub of ice cream.

"I might even cry because I'm so angry about it. I don't even like that kind of emotion on social media but I'm so frustrated because why is it this freaking hard," Alecia shares before being interrupted by her rooster being upset that she's upset. "If you have not worked so freaking hard to have no results, you don't get it."


person standing on white digital bathroom scale Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

It's clear early on in her nearly 10 minute video that she has been doing everything she possibly can to lose weight. Even demanding her doctors try to figure out what is causing her to hang on to the weight despite working out and eating very healthy foods. Alecia complains that the doctors continue to tell her to cut out sodas and junk food though she does her best to make them believe that she isn't eating those things anyway. But it seems as if they are dismissing her very real health concerns about how her body is responding to living a healthy lifestyle.

When recounting a dinner she made, she explains that her husband had six tacos loaded up with sour cream and cheese while she had a singular taco topped with plain Greek yogurt and fat free cheese. Aleicia does admit that there are times when she will drop around 30 pounds but that seems to be where it stops, though she feels stronger, the struggle with weight is still there no matter what.

@aleciathecountrybumpkin #frustration #weightloss #weightlosstransformation #weightlosscheck #wls #losingweight #overweight #momsoftiktok #momsover30 #sickandtired #fypシ゚viral ♬ original sound - aleciathecountrybumpkin

"I've had hormone panels done, I've had all the blood drawn," she says before taking a mocking tone. "Everything's in range, everything's fine. Everything is not fine. Everything's not fine. If it were fine wouldn't I have lost weight by now? Wouldn't I be able to lose weight continuously?"

Alecia reveals later in the video that people often point to how fit she looked in high school assuming she could get there again, but it turns out the woman was struggling with an eating disorder during her teen years. People really resonated with Alecia's message sharing their own experiences with struggling to lose weight while others share what they think the issue may be.

Working Out Body Type GIFGiphy

"Same girl. SAME. GLP1 medications have quite literally saved my life. Insulin resistance is REAL," someone writes.

"And the SECOND you stop trying to lose weight, dieting, working out.. you gain everything back. I’m so tired," another shares.

"You are not alone. If I had a dollar for the “what are you eating?” Comments from Dr’s. Nothing. Some days I was literally was eating NOTHING. Could not loose an oz. I am seeing change with a GLP1," another person chimes in.

the simpsons exercise GIFGiphy

"All of this! It wasn't until I went to a functional Dr and paid out of pocket that the right testing was done. Diagnosed with PCOS, Hypothyroidism and Insulin Resistance. On Zepbound and down 60lbs," one commenter shares.

Alecia's rant and the subsequent comments from followers is extremely eye opening for those that may not understand the struggle some face with losing weight. It also solidifies that judging someone based on their outward appearance can be harmful. Hopefully, her rant helps others understand the importance of valuing others based on who they are as a person and not what size they wear.

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Woman posts dramatic before-and-after pics of one pound loss to prove that weight is meaningless

It's almost as if the numbers on the scale don't mean anything at all. 🤔

Adrienne Osuna is a fitness blogger with a focus on weight training. After years of struggling with her weight, this mother of four finally got serious about her health, adopting a rigorous schedule of power lifting, cardio, and intermittent fasting to lose weight, gain muscle, and kick ass.

And while her personal regimen might be a little too ambitious for most of us, she's still inspiring—because she keeps it real.

An image she posted on her blog is going viral for pointing out that focusing on your weight is a misleading goal. The before-and-after pic shows her before she started lifting and after—a complete physical transformation which resulted in a staggering one pound of weight loss.

I know what you're thinking—that's two pounds! Well, I can explain.

After Osuna's pic was copied from her blog, it blew up all over the internet—on Facebook, Twitter, Imgur, and more.

Youtube Mix GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphy

After she went viral she made another Instagram post revealing she was actually a pound heavier in the after photo. Unfortunately, that post has since been made private.

She would later explain that she felt it was important to reclaim her image because it had been used in advertisements for weight loss products, and that's not what she's about.

"But I DID NOT use anyone's products to do this," she wrote in a post which since been made private. "This was all hard work in the gym lifting heavy weights and intermittent fasting.

Kudos to Ms. Osuna for getting the word out—fitness isn't about a number, it's about having awesome muscles you could use to punch a hole through a plaster wall.

This article was originally published on 12.22.22 by our partners at someecards and was written by Matt Nedostup.

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Simple 'Lazy Girl Fitness' hack can help you have a gym routine that sticks

It's backed by science.

via Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

A woman working out at the gym wearing headphones.

In 2018, author James Clear released “Atomic Habits,” a book about making significant changes through building small habits. The book's takeaway is that you don’t have to commit to drastic, overnight changes to improve yourself. You can do so by slowly working your way towards a goal.

"All big things come from small beginnings,” Clear writes in the book. “The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time."

TikTokker Ashie Adams has a similar theory she calls the Lazy Girl Fitness hack. She says people can create a regular fitness routine by breaking a trip to the gym down into 2 distinct events instead of one that feels overwhelming.

“It’s my secret formula for making becoming a gym girlie happen,” she explains. "When you start working out, actually getting to the gym is 90% of the battle. You have to treat the action of getting to the gym and the action of working out as 2 completely separate habits.”

I never hear anyone talk about this so its my burden to bear i guess 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 

@ashieadams

I never hear anyone talk about this so its my burden to bear i guess 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 #fitness #fitnesstips #fitnesshacks #weightloss #weightlosstransformation #weightlossprogress #lifting

Ashie then breaks down the two distinct tasks: “Getting to the gym is a matter of waking up early, finding the time to do it, finding your workout clothes [and] getting out of the door on time,” she says in a video with over 500,00 views. “Working out is a matter of having the motivation and having the right workout program. But one cannot exist without the other, so the first habit to develop is just getting to the gym.”

The Utah mother says that for the first 30 days, people should focus on getting to the gym and little else. If you leave the car and enter the gym try walking on the treadmill for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, slowly, once you’ve mastered getting to the gym, you can start developing a workout routine.

Ashie says that this 2-step technique allowed her to build a positive gym habit without getting overwhelmed and quitting after a few days.

“Nine times out of 10, when I tried and failed to create the habit of going to the gym, it was because I was completely overwhelming myself,” she says in the video. “I wasn’t trying to do one new thing, which is work out. I was doing 40 things, [which] is genuinely too much for one person to undertake all in one go.”

The 2-step Lazy Girl Fitness hack doesn’t just sound easy and effective, it’s based on solid scientific principles. According to neurology researchers, micro-habits are one of the easiest ways to develop new routines. Micro-habits are small, regular behavioral changes that are easy to build into a routine because they don’t encourage psychological resistance and won’t disappear as willpower erodes.

Eventually, these new behaviors, such as driving to the gym or having a glass of water when you wake up every morning, become hard-wired into the brain, and you’ll start doing them without thinking. That’s when the real change begins to take place.

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