Fat or Fit…It Is Up To YOU!
America is a land of huge proportions. The wagon train settlers discovered this as they crossed the great plains on their West to find new homes. The gold prospectors discoverd this as they combed the vast Southwestern Deserts with their burros seeking riches through that prescious metal. Now we discover the vastness of this land as we stroll through the malls. We can explore the width of America on the sidewalks of any metropolis. The depth of the nation is obvious in movie theaters, fast food restaurants and high school gyms as we watch basketball. The difference between us and the settlers or prospectors is that now these immense sizes are found in the populace. That’s right. Americans are huge and there doesn’t seem to be an end in the constant expanse of our friends and neighbors (or ourselves if we will admit it)!
Spend a morning with the newspaper or a magazine. Or watch the evening news or talk show dramas on television and you will be inundated with excuse after excuse. The fattening of America is blamed on the use of corn syrup in our food supplies. This widening of our rear ends is connected to the increasing availability of frozen dinners laden with saturated fats. Better yet, the constant shuttling of our children to ballet lessons or “play dates” with their friends; leaving time only for a trip through the pickup window for a triple burger or bucket of deep fried chicken. Nope. These are not the reasons that rear ends are widening or that thighs are thundering! Bottom line is that we eat too MUCH and MOVE too little!
Simply put, if you consume more calories then you burn then it will be necessary to poke another hole for your belt buckle. Too many pizza slices coupled with no walking and elastic waist bands will not stretch enough to cover your butt and belly at the same time. A second or third slice of apple pie after dinner and soon you will not be able to remove your wedding ring without soapy water!
It’s not necessary to give up pizza, fried chicken or apple pie in order to shrink your waist: however portion control just may increase the number of birthdays you celebrate!
Remember, what you put into your body either must be burned through metabolism or will be stored in those nasty old fat cells for later use. Of course later use never comes around because those frozen lattes are just too easy to come by.
If that expanded waistline is no longer a desirable physical attribute then decide to do something about it. Learn a little about nutrition and what our bodies actually need to function properly. Study various dietary methods from Atkins and South Beach to the Warrior Diet or a “simple-to-six” method of eating. Put that nutrition knowledge to use for your own needs and adapt an eating plan that acceptable to how you want to live. The point here is that you NEED to have an eating strategy that keeps you functioning and is easy or fun to follow. Then keep up with it and watch your body return to its youthful appearance (somewhat!)
Finally, some sort of training schedule is definitety in order. Do not join an expensive gym if you too bashful to work out in front of strangers. However do find some method of burning calories. For some this would be walking the dog for an hour. For others it may consist of an hour with a Swiss ball on the living room floor. Possibly you have room in your house or garage to create a space you can do a workout with weights (try the Russian Kettlebell if you want to combine strength and cardio jointly). Again, the point is that you NEED to have some way to burn those calories if you do not want to go the that “husky” rack in the clothing store!
So eat less and eat better on a consistent basis. Develop a training system that will fit your lifestyle and keep with it. Then you just may have to find a way to control your ego as your belly shrinks and the compliments start pouring in!
Join me at my personal challenge at Escape Your Shape as I take this article to heart.
glchandler is an early senior (62) who is attempting to live his words and get on with life. Although disabled approximately eight years I have decided I do wish to live longer and better. Hope to see you around the gym!
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