Christmas is over, the clearance sales are picked over, the Christmas cookies are getting stale, the roast beast is mostly gone, and the time has come to consider the New Year fast approaching.
Once more, retail-land is getting rid of those winter clothes, because goodness knows we all want to buy shorts for January. And of course, if you want to look good in those shorts, you may want to pay attention to how much of this week’s Target circular is dedicated to workout gear.
You’ve heard the figures before, and they aren’t getting better: about 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. The best thing we can say is yeah, but at least Americans are smoking less.
I have written my thoughts concerning weight loss before, but some things bear repeating, revising, or additions. Disclaimer: I lost a bunch of weight some years back and kept it off; so did certain other members of my family; right now I know people who are in the process of losing what I consider to be a lot of weight, and I would like congratulate them for their progress in a very difficult task.
First, BMI is not a crock. It is not the only thing a person should consider when looking at his or her weight, but it does mean something. Unless you are a professional athlete –in which case, defer to your trainer’s judgment — it is worth getting your BMI to 25 or lower. Frankly, the overwhelming majority of people who talk about the inaccuracy of BMI are overweight or obese.
You don’t have to buy her book, but one thing Susan Powter was right about is that you do have to move and you do have to eat. Losing weight is not as simple as skipping meals or bouts of self-destructive exercise. In fact, skipping breakfast or lunch is counterproductive, as your body thinks it is smarter than you and will hoard calories until the self-induced “famine” is over. Breakfast really is important, and should ideally be something nutritious.
Next, added sugar is still the deadly enemy of weight loss. I am not talking about the natural sugars you will find in fruits and vegetables, I am talking about sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, and sugar by any other name. New research keeps saying so, much to the displeasure of the Corn Refiners Association. As I have said before, Dean Ornish never said you could lose weight by switching from Snickers bars to (fat free) Twizzlers.
Calories still matter. You can’t eat huge quantities of even healthy food and expect to lose weight. A thousand calories worth of fresh fruit is still a thousand calories. You have to pay attention to serving sizes, and sometimes what a package calls a serving is unrealistically small. For that matter your body still needs protein. If you fail to eat enough protein, your body will take what it needs out of your muscles, making you less fit. This is particularly true if you do not exercise.
You don’t need prepared foods. This one is tough, but eating a pear is better for you than eating a canned pear (which has added sugar) or pear juice (which has less fiber). You don’t need someone to add sugar, preservatives, colors, and/or unpronounceable chemicals to your food. This counts double for at least 90% of reduced fat, reduced carbohydrate, or other “diet” foods.
Anybody who is trying to lose weight should not consume “sports nutrition” products. If a half hour on the stationary bike is burning 130 calories, and a 20 oz bottle of Gatorade is 140 calories, well, you see my point.
Don’t forget to drink water. If you have to put something in your mouth, let it be water. You might not need 8 cups of water every day, but it’s better for you than a lot of things.
Don’t forget to move your body. I am not saying that you need to buy large pieces of exercise equipment, or sign up at the YMCA. I am saying that physical activity is good, even if it’s a brisk walk around the mall — without a latte! It has to be something you can (and can stand to) do 3 to 6 days a week, every week. If you are claiming lack of time, maybe you can find or think of an exercise regimen that can be done during your favorite TV show. Don’t worry if it isn’t “fun.” It isn’t about “fun;” it’s about how you look in the mirror.
Finally, your body is the result of your lifestyle. This means several things. First, you will have to make changes to lose weight. Second, you will have to maintain certain of those changes if you intend to keep weight off. Funny thing, if you go back to what made you fat in the first place, you will get fat again.
You can do this. In fact, you are the only person who can get you to do it.