Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Getting Fit

Caveat: I am not a nutritionist, personal trainer or medical professional. Having said that, I read a recent article about First Lady Michelle Obama speaking out about obesity, proper nutrition and other related topics, all in an effort to encourage us to be healthier. There was typical commentary about the government getting involved in this issue in any way. Most of those comments said (quite rightly to some extent) that individuals and families ought to be left alone to deal with obesity issues. The problem is they are either not doing it because they don't care or because they lack access to quality, affordable food, the time to prepare it and do not have the time to exercise.

There is nothing wrong with the First Lady's involvement as a spokesperson, role model and cheerleader. Let's not forget that she is working for free. Let's also not forget that the government pays billions to states for Medicaid which means that we are all paying for the treatment of obesity-related diseases on some level. The government has a right and, to me, a duty, to work at espousing the virtues of getting fitter than we are. There are so many stories of people with Type II diabetes who lost a significant amount of weight and are no longer diabetics.

I realize it's not easy to drop weight. It requires some planning and real commitment. Other than a few years in college and just afterwards, my body weight at 45 is the same as it was when I was 18, give or take five pounds. Some people think I'm too thin and I occasionally agree but my Body Mass Index is within the low end of what is considered healthy. I was genetically lucky, as well. Neither of my parents ever gained enough weight to be considered obese and it was never an issue at all until my father was in his 50s and my mother in her late 50s/early 60s. I don't think it's just genetics, though. My father tried to watch what he ate and my mother loves mayonnaise more than she loves some people but tries to stay away from it. Genetics notwithstanding, I think there are a few things most people can do to become fitter and healthier.

Excercise more. Whether aerobic or through weight training (it's a myth that women who lift weights get bigger. They get leaner and may even gain weight because they are replacing fat with muscle.) Muscle is heavier than fat. Park the car far away from whatever supermarket or store you are visiting. It's raining? Get an umbrella. Go ahead and take the advice to eat 5 small meals a day instead of three bigger ones or one huge one. I do exactly what everyone seems to say is the worst thing you can do: eat one large meal a day. It's really about the calories you consume. If you eat fewer calories than you burn off, you'll lose weight. Get enough sleep. Don't open the refrigerator every time you enter your kitchen. Get rid of the sugared soda. Drive past fast-food restaurants. I think gum chewing is an ugly habit but if it keeps you away from bad snack food, by all means chew gum. If you can, even if you are alone, sit down to eat and try to do it slowly, giving your body the time to tell you when you are really full. Don't deprive yourself of everything but understand that a candy bar is a treat, not a daily part of your routine. If you have kids, try to eat at least 5 meals together every week and while doing so, talk to each other about something other than the food on the table. My mother insisted that we eat dinner together on weekdays, regardless of whether a sports practice got the last person in the door at 8:00 p.m. Become an omnivore. I am always shocked to find out that the people with the greatest number of food phobias are heavier than people who have a more accepting palate. If all you like are fried chicken nuggets, pizza and pasta, you are probably doomed to weighing much more than you need to. Look at your thinner friends and try to do what they do. You'll find that many slimmer people eat half their restaurant meal and have the rest wrapped up for the next day's lunch (and probably throw it away when they get home). If vanity is your motivation - fine. If setting an example for your kids is your thing - that's great, too. Unless you are a diabetic, skipping a meal or two won't kill you. I eat between 7 and 10 meals per week. I might have a handful of roasted almonds during the day but not much more than that. Apparently, at my level of exercise, I burn off about 2200 calories a day. I probably eat about 2200 calories a day if you take an average over a week. For most of us, just reducing that number to 2000 or 1800 will, in time, result in slow, sustainable weight loss. It's not rocket science. And, for God's sake, have some bread if you want it. Just don't ask Appleby's to refill the basket. Better yet, ask them to give you the salad before the bread comes.