The Resolution Solution
29/01/07 12:57
The Resolution SolutionBody fat serves some important roles. In addition to giving us curves, it cushions and insulates delicate parts of our bodies. It helps to keep us warm and stores certain vitamins and vast amounts of energy for future use. Fat is a necessary part of our lives, but can you have too much of a good thing? Absolutely!
Winter is the time we swaddle ourselves in extra layers of clothing, and if we’re not vigilant, some of us put on extra layers of fat as well. For many people, the long, dark months of cold, slippery weather result in large couch-prints all over our bodies. Inactivity, combined with the rich bounty of holiday festivities can lead to some unwelcome ‘gifts’ in the New Year. If you wait until after the holidays to come to terms with the effects of over-indulgence and under-activity, you may have a much bigger mountain to climb. Those who take time to plan ahead can avoid having to wear their ‘buffet’ clothes until spring arrives.
It may help to consider some of the harmful effects of excess body fat. An article in Arthritis Today Magazine (Obesity Front & Centre, p 62 – 67, September – October 2004, www.arthritis.org) highlights current research about the effects of obesity on health. We have long known that extra pounds can increase health risks for heart disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis in load-bearing joints. In Obesity Front & Centre, D.R. Sigfried reviews a number of research studies that expand our understanding of the damaging effects of excess body fat. It seems fat deposits can take on a glandular function. Enlarged fat cells can trigger inflammation and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Breast and prostate cancer, atherosclerosis, gum disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteo arthritis are proving to be connected to excess body fat.
How fat is too fat? If you haven’t checked your body mass index (BMI) lately, there are many web sites that will help you do so. All you need to know is your current height and weight. BMI does not account for body composition differences (whether your weight is made of muscle or fat) but it will give you a good benchmark for whether your weight is in the healthy zone, too heavy or too light. Type “BMI” into any search engine on your computer. The following site from the US National Heart Lung & Blood Institute also offers lots of good information to foster healthy lifestyles: www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi
Kellogg’s old “Pinch an Inch” test is very useful (and only a little painful). If you can grab hands full of fat on any area of your body, these are excess fat pounds that could be (and most likely ARE) damaging to your health. Consider the following facts about load-bearing joints. Due to the physics of joint actions, one pound feels like 3 – 8 pounds to your knees when going up or down stairs, performing a lunge, or getting out of a chair. Think how much easier these simple tasks would be with 10 fewer pounds (feeling like 30 – 80 fewer pounds) on your joints! If you already have some issues with your feet, ankles, knees, hips, or back, a weight loss of only a few pounds can make a substantial difference to your ability to move comfortably.
It seems fat is loaded with extra nerve cells, because in most circles, fat is a sensitive issue. It is also hard to budge. If losing excess body fat were easy, we’d all be our ideal weight. I count myself among those who have the genetic predisposition to survive global famine (thanks, Dad!). While it isn’t easy, I hope I have convinced you that healthier body composition is a goal worth working toward. Here are a few ideas that may help you achieve slow, gradual, healthy fat loss. If you start now, you don’t have to wait until summer to make a healthy difference in your body composition.
1. Don’t beat yourself up for having too much body fat, how much you ate over the holidays, or the bulging roots of your family tree. Hating yourself, or your body, or making food your enemy is counter-productive. You need to treat yourself like you would your best friend: with kindness and respect.
2. There are no magic formulas for losing unwanted fat (other than plastic surgery, and that’s cheating!).
3. Your body works on an “energy-in energy-out” basis. If you consume more energy than you expend, you will store the extra energy as fat. Conversely, if you expend more energy than you consume, you will use up fat stores.
To reduce body fat, you need to look for healthy ways to increase energy expenditure and decrease energy intake (while still maintaining good nutrition for your body).
Below is information to help you conquer the fat-loss equation:
Healthy ways to decrease food intake:
Food is your fuel, not your enemy.
You need lots of fruit and vegetables, moderate amounts of whole grains, and small amounts of low-fat proteins daily.
If you need to re-educate yourself on healthy nutrition, see the following web site for nutrition information on-line:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/ onpp-bppn/food_guide_rainbow_e.html
or just type “Canada’s Food Guide” into your computer search engine.
No computer? Ask your doctor, librarian, or public health department for a copy of Canada’s Food Guide.
Recognize and counteract “portion distortion’. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, not a plate-full. A portion of protein is the size of a deck of cards, not the size of a baseball glove. Visualize an airline meal…those are proper portion sizes unless you are extremely active, a growing teenager or a pregnant or nursing mom.
Eat your meals on smaller plates. Take smaller bites, and chew each bite thoroughly. Take time to savour and enjoy each morsel of your nutritious meal. Eating over the sink or in front of the TV reduces the enjoyment of food, and can foster mindless over-consumption.
The other thing we tend to distort is the impact of activity on caloric needs. A heavy-duty workout will likely only burn 300 – 400 calories. A fast-food meal (burger, fries, and soft drink) will add about 1000 calories to the metabolic equation. Beware of liquid calories. Flavoured coffees can pack as many calories as a meal.
Alcohol has similar calorie content to fat. It also weakens your resolve to eat the right foods in healthy quantities.
Remember that more than 3 servings of alcohol (4 oz of wine; a shot of spirits; a bottle of beer) increases your breast cancer risk.
If you are someone who prefers group support for weight loss, try joining your local Weight Watchers or TOPS organization. These groups offer weekly weigh-ins, helpful tips and support. Weight Watchers now has an on-line program if you prefer to follow your progress in the privacy of your own home.
The book, "You on a Diet" (Roizen & Oz, Free Press) is useful in terms of a common sense approach to waist management, healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle choices. It does a lot of explaining about how the digestive system works, and how eating habits influence health. The website to is free to use, and includes all the information, recipes, and tracking tools to help you be successful. Check it out: http://www.realage.com/ click on the "You on a Diet" link.
If you like the discipline of a prescribed ‘diet’, the DASH diet is available on-line. The South Beach Diet is well-reviewed by many dietitians. It is less severe than the Atkins diet, while it offers quick results in a heart-smart way. One recommendation is that you skip the strict Phase 1 and just do Phase 2 while you lose the weight.
Healthy ways to increase energy output:
You may think you can’t increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), but you can. BMR is the energy cost of running all your daily bodily functions. The best way to increase your metabolism is to increase your muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate (because muscle is metabolically more active than fat).
To increase muscle mass, engage in resistance training (weights, aquatic exercise, elastic resistance, etc). Use proper technique and work to fatigue. Usually, resistance training every other day is best. This gives your muscles a day of rest and recovery between training sessions. Recovery is the time when new muscle mass is built.
Exercise daily. Cardiovascular exercise (the kind of exercise that has you breathing harder and breaking a sweat) is the kind of activity that really burns calories. The harder and longer you exercise, the more energy you consume. However, exercise common sense as well as your heart. You can do some cardiovascular exercise every day, but stay in your comfort zone (working “somewhat hard”). Make sure you are consuming lots of water, and listen to your body. If you are gasping for air, feeling stressed, dizzy, or overheated, you probably need to slow down a little and pick up the pace again when you feel ready to do so. If you haven not done cardiovascular exercise in years and you are over 40, it is best to have a check up with your MD before getting started. A health professional can give you a PAR-Q (health screening questionnaire) to help you determine your readiness for cardiovascular exercise. The more active you are in general, the higher your energy expenditure.
Active Daily Living (ADL) is one of the best places to start spending more energy. This is healthy, gentle activity such as walking. To increase daily activity, look for every opportunity to be more active. Park farther away from the door, take the stairs, take several trips to transfer laundry / groceries, exercise during the commercials when you watch TV. Every little bit of activity adds up. Even fidgeting counts!
Thermal Effect of a Meal: Food is fuel for your body. Use it regularly and wisely. Every time you eat, your metabolism is elevated while your body processes the meal.
Dieticians recommend that you eat every 3 hours: 3 meals and 2 – 3 snacks per day. Every time you eat, have a small amount of each of the following: a fruit / vegetable; a whole grain; a source of protein.
Meals and snacks are SMALL amounts of nutritious foods, prepared in heart-smart ways. If you need more help with special dietary needs, it is best to have a consultation with a dietitian.
Changing habits is a challenge!
First, it is important to recognize that change is necessary.
Next, it is useful to identify the specific habits that need revision.
After that, make small, healthy changes you can maintain:
• Try changing one new thing per week that will move you toward your goal. For example, substitute water for your afternoon soft drink; get up and exercise during the commercials of every TV show you watch, or every 30 minutes if you’re reading or doing some other sedentary activity.
• It is easier to deal with one change at a time.
• This is important: reward the behaviour change, not the weight-loss goal. Body fat will not melt away quickly, and impatience with weight-loss can cause discouragement.
• Focus on positive behaviour changes, and forget the scales. Look for changes in your energy levels, your strength, and the way your skin and clothes fit.
Good luck with your positive changes. Here’s to a fit, healthy New You!