A Dieter’s Juggling Act

 

You never know where life will take you.

Over 5 years ago, I started on my life-altering journey of trying to lose my excess weight and become a “normal-sized person” for the first time in my life.

Diets had never really worked for me in the past but this time was different. I wanted it more than ever before and I learned this time that by putting down my fork and moving my butt I could actually lose weight.

Pound by pound, my dream of living in the land of the “normal-sized person” was achieved.

It wasn’t easy to lose 185 pounds and it will always be a struggle for me to keep those pesky pounds from jumping back on to my body. Truth be told in the last 2 years, I have lost and gained the same15 pounds more times than I would like to admit.

Sometimes I am better at maintaining my new weight and sometimes I allow stress to run my life. The economy, the rapid decline of my beloved newspaper profession and the pressure to figure out what my next career will be have lead to more stress eating than my new smaller-sized pants have allowed for.

This is why I have been absent from my site for the last few months. I am pursuing certificates to become a wellness coach and personal trainer so that I can help other people with weight issues. Hours of studying online courses is harder than I thought it would be because it is up to me to do ALL the work.  I chose the gold standards for the industry and Wellcoaches and American College of Sports Medicine are putting me to the test to become the best coach I can be for the future.

 

Then I met the wonderful guy that has shown me that you need to have balance in your life and as they say, stop and smell the roses along the way. He is a runner and has the best metabolism of any human I have ever met. In short, he can eat anything and he never gains a pound. I have to learn to start using him as my human portion control device.

Plus: Diana Keough, a friend of mine who is a former medical reporter, has started a new website, www.medicalmommas.com and has asked me to be a featured columnist. She and others are coming together to give great advice to women about medical and everyday issues. Join us as we muddle through our days and seek words of wisdom from doctors and experts on subjects that we all face like weight loss.

Oh yea, I am burying the lede, as an editor would tell me. I am a cover girl, like I thought I would ever being saying that in my lifetime. Check out the June 22 issue of First magazine at a newsstand. I am one of several women featured that used the tips from “The Biggest Loser” to get rid of extra pounds. My mom says my teeth look great. Thanks Mom!

Well, I am off to enjoy my summer, the morning walks with my dog, bike rides along the lake and swims at the local pool. Enjoy your summer and I would love to hear from you.

Your gal pal,

Lisa

P.S. I saw a guy walking his snake in the park the other day. You just never know what life will bring.

 

Diets through the ages

The last edition mentioned taking a look at the Paleolithic Era.  I said it would be fun but you will be the judge of that.  Our stone-age brothers were nearly the same genetically as we are but did not suffer from obesity; starvation was more like it.  The Stone Age period lasted about two million years.  During the Paleolithic era (two million BC to 10,000 BC) hominids or two-legged primates used bone, stone, and flint tools for gathering, hunting, and fishing. 

The study of their bones indicates that ninety percent of the Neanderthal diet was composed of high-protein meat according to Paul B. Pettitt of Oxford University, England.  The American diet in contrast contains about thirty percent fat. 

Modern man, according to archaeologist Albert Goodyear, of the University of South Carolina, appeared in North America some 50,000 years ago as the Neanderthal was beginning to fade from the globe over the next 28,000 years.  Modern man and the Neanderthal shared the planet during an overlap of about 20,000 years.  Modern man’s foray into a much more varied diet than that of the Neanderthal may have had something to do with Neanderthals demise; however no one knows for sure.  Many factors played a role in our evolution including the ability to harness fire and the option to cook meat and other foods.  Cooked foods are easier to digest, allowing for a shorter intestinal tract, resulting in lower energy needs to process food.  It is believed by some experts that the energy saved from this shortened digestive process was diverted and used for brain development, placing us intellectually at the top of the food chain.  I think they are right.  As of this time, I know of no other animals preparing cooked meals. 

Early forms of humans ate an omnivorous diet consisting of any sort of edible vegetable, fruit, or animal meat, often eaten indiscriminately based on availability.  The Paleolithic Era was followed by the Neolithic or agricultural era, which has only been in existence for the past 10,000 years, representing about one half of percent of our existence on earth.  The rate we are going, our era will be referred to as the Clown Era and is likely to be the shortest on record. 

The study of fossil remains and recent research about the lives of Eskimos and African Bushmen give scientists a rounded picture of the hunter-gathering life style for the first 99.5% of our time on Mother Earth.  It is estimated that hunter-gatherers worked less than three hours per day to find and prepare food, provide for shelter and of course make clothing.  They must have had plenty of time for golf.  They paid no taxes but still had to defend themselves (the main function of government).  They were very fit and about 10% of them lived into the 60’s or beyond.  Many died from trauma (read cheating), accidents (more cheating), infections (even more cheating), childbirth (serious cheating here was possible), or trespassing (cheating again), which gets us back to the trauma category.  Survivors likely kept to themselves (didn’t cheat) and did not likely suffer from osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity,vascular diseases, cancers, or STD’s. 

Next we will touch upon other medical problems that were less likely in the Paleolithic Era along with a few more interesting facts.  The cheating issue will not be broached again. 

Dr. Philip 

 

Caveman diet

What did humankind eat one million years ago and why does it matter? 

If you were to look at yourself in a mirror about one million years ago, you would have looked very similar then as you look today with a couple of notable exceptions.  You would have been leaner and more muscled, though your facial appearance would have been nearly identical.   The concept of being hairy, big and bulky is well should I say; “I don’t think so.” 

So why then were we so lean.  To better understand what is wrong with our diet, we must know where we have been.  We must also have a tangible idea of what our physical work load was like a million years ago.  We didn’t go to “the fridge” and pick out lunch.  We ran around the woods chasing little critters with sticks and stones, setting traps or whatever else it took.  They had to be careful about using up more calories than they ingested during this entire process or hunting or gathering. 

In any case, like animals, we ate a natural diet.  What is the correct diet?  To read about it today, you will not get two nutritionists, nor physicians to agree too much on any one diet as being the diet.  We have all heard of the Atkins Diet, the grapefruit diet, The South Beach diet and on and on.  

We need look no further than our roots to find the correct diet.  Out Stone Age ancestors had the right idea.  Actually it wasn’t exactly an idea.  It was called eating anything that was edible or starve.  That left many options, though few were simply there for the picking unless you discovered a fruit tree, a few mushrooms, or similar items to ingest.  Our natural diet is what lived and grew in the woods.  It either could be picked or chased (meaning it had a mother). 

Has anyone found a bagel bush growing out in the woods?  What about a pasta tree?   Where is the pudding pond; the ice cream lake?  Where are they?  OK, that is about it for the diet.  If it doesn’t live or grow out in nature, it is not part of our diet.  It is part of an abnormal diet but not our intended diet.   See how simple this is? 

The further you deviate from this concept the worse off you will likely be and the closer you adhere to it, the better off you will be.   OK, lets look for a cracker tree, a bread bush, a cookie cash?  I don’t think so.  When you find them growing somewhere, let me know and National Geographic know. 

You are now almost ready to accept a degree in nutrition but not just quite yet.  One egg a day (which can be found in nature) would be a great and an acceptable find.  Maybe a few small bird’s eggs would be just fine as well.  I am sure they were considered some sort of a treat, especially when starvation may have been around the corner.  Berries are special and valuable sources of minerals and vitamins.  Nuts of various kinds are also quite nice.   Beans are your best form of food, having protein and carbohydrates along with minerals and vitamins.  Thus as a single food, you cannot beat beans.  Let’s not broach the topic of gas for polite reasons on this blog.

Many diseases are related to eating processed foods but that is a topic for another day.  Many fruits and vegetables are high in potassium which lowers blood pressure, by the way.

Many experts believe that the population explosion over time led to the development of agriculture and later processed foods.  I would say they are right about this, but we are wrong about  changing natural foods into processed foods for want of convenience more than necessity. 

The next time we will take a look at the Paleolithic era.  That should be fun. 

Dr. Philip 

His blogs are his own opinions and do not reflect those of his current and past employers. 

Time to get into shape!

Less than a week before the official start of spring but who is keeping track. I have even seen a few flowers making their way above ground. I know how they feel. I want out of my winter cocoon but I am not ready to reveal to the world what my winter eating habits have done to my weight loss mission.

I need to get back in shape and ready for the swimming pool. Time to put me new workout shoes on my feet and put them into action.

Time to get my winter comfort foods out of the house and replace them with more fruits and veggies. I think while I am at it I will put my bulky sweaters in storage and get out my shorts and t-shirts. I am sure seeing myself in summer skirt will put me into action to get back into shape.

No more excuses. No more chocolate. Time to get back into shape.

Care to join me for a walk?

Tackling Obesity

At the risk of becoming a bore, I wish to define the problem of obesity with a few more facts to highlight the issue a bit more.  Research indicates that over 70% of adults are struggling to maintain or lose weight.  Over 63% are overweight.  Over 20% of children are obese, up from about 7% in 1975 and over 35% of college students are overweight.

 

Since 1985, the average dress size has gone up from a size 8 to a size 12-14.

Many “experts” want to blame genetics for the problem of obesity, but only rarely are they correct.  Even if they were right 100% of the time, we will not be altering our genetic makeup any time soon and therefore other avenues must be attended to, to solve the problem.

If you look at photos taken back during the 1860’s when photography was an emerging art, you will find that nearly everyone was normal weight.  Excess weight became an issue related to a change in exercise (or lack there of) status because as you know, our genetics could not have changed substantially over the past 160 years.

Solving the problem of obesity is a matter of survival.  At our present rate of increasing weight problems, statistically everyone will be obese in less than twenty-five years.

“Change for the sake of change is not necessarily good.  But, change to adapt to the situation is survival.”

Adapt-or-lose! Ohio State Bar Association Report, Vol.XL no.21 (May 22,1967).

My suspicion however is that the Ohio Bar was not speaking of obesity related issues with this article though the statement seems to apply.

In our culture, the average 35 year-old- male gains between one-half pound and one and three-fourths pounds of fat per year until the sixth decade of life, despite a progressive decrease in the amount of food eaten.  Even worse, women gain about thirty pounds between ages twenty-five to thirty.  This so called normal pattern of weight gain is anything but normal.

Kathleen Ashton, PhD, Department of Psychology at the Cleveland Clinic, believes that certain situations and emotions trigger eating often to excessive amounts as many of you are already aware.  On May 5, 2004, at a course entitled, Obesity: Aggressive Management and Outcomes Measurement, Dr. Ashton presented a paper entitled, The Psychology of Eating.  She noted several categories of situational or emotional triggers.

Social:  Eating when around others, sometimes to fit in or maybe to atone for feelings of inadequacy.  Sometimes over-eating when encouraged by others to do so.

Emotional:  Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety, or loneliness as a way to “fill a void.”

Situational:  Eating because the opportunity is there as when walking past a bakery or a food vendor and selecting something to eat when not really hungry.

Thoughts:  Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating.

Many individuals, are depressed over their love life, job loss, loneliness, work-load, financial worries, family squabbles, parenting issues and then resort to cookies, chocolates, chips, ice cream (my weakness), and other similar “foods” (maybe they are more like poisons) to console themselves.  Others resort to alcohol, drugs, shopping sprees, or similar indulgences which are self-destructive.

The outcome is essentially the same regardless of which poor choice we make to slowly destroy our bodies.

Remember, about 27% of individuals are normal weight and most of them are facing the same daily issues that the rest live with.  What makes them different?  As time goes on, you will see why they are trim (normal) and why you may not be.

How important is fitness?  How important is diet?  How important are our emotions?   We shall see.

The most celebrated Greek of all, Plato, said:  ”Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being while movement and methodical physical exercise save and preserve it.”

 Thomas Edison put it this way, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but instead will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

That is where I am at today.  As we all know the old yet still useful, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

 Dr. Phillip

His blogs are his own opinions and do not reflect those of his current and past employers.

 

DNF, Did Not Finish

A friend of mine pointed out a license plate to me this weekend that had the letters DNF on it. He wanted me to know that those letters to a runner meant, “Did not finish” a race. Bob said that to a runner it was a black note on a their record. I could really relate to those letters with my weight-loss mission.

Once again I have let Old Man Winter take over my eating and workout habits. I use food to comfort my dislike of the cold weather and I let the frigid winds keep me inside and less active. But spring is just around the corner and it is time for me to get into action.

Yep, the calorie count is going to go down and the workouts need to heat up. I say every winter that I am not going to let it happen but once again it has. Bad Lisa!

I just packed a healthy lunch and dinner for myself. I just finished my hour-long workout. It’s Monday and I had to start my week off right.

I have had the finish line in my sights for over a year but I have yet to cross the 200-pound weight loss finish line. The time is now to put my feet in action and put my fork down so that I can make my dream of losing 200 pounds come true. I am not sure what I have been waiting for but now is the time to set my sights on my own trophy and finish what I set out to do.

I owe it to myself and so do you to be the healthiest we can be. Let’s get going!

Healthy living on a budget

How isn’t watching their pennies these days? My job is to keep up on the news and to top it off I work as a designer for the business section of the newspaper. I call it the department of doom and gloom. The only good news in the business world is that it is so bad it that it should keep us in business for a while.

Eating right on a budget is tough but it can be done with some planning. Here are some of my tricks to keep my pennies in my pocket .

1. I make a list and shop the sales.
2. Limit how much you eat out. Not great for the restaurant business but I am not alone in this rule. When I do go out I try to go to family places so that they can stay in business. They have more pride in what they are serving and are they grateful for your patronage.
3. Pack my lunch and dinner. I work a swing shift and this allows me to stay on my diet with little effort.
4. Take advantage of the frozen veggies. There is no waste and are there for more economical.
5. Search out the discount stores and compare prices. Target has great prices on staples.
   

Sure a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese is a cheap meal but it is far from a nutritional meal. Frankly, I think the box has more nutrients and fiber. When I am grocery shopping I look at other peoples carts and I wonder what they are thinking. God gave us one body and it is our duty to take care of it. Eat healthy, be wise with your money and enjoy the temple that you create.

 

Get active!

Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, a family physician and Texas Health Commissioner, said in November, 2003, in Austin, Texas, at a conference on patient education, “By 2040, the cost of medical care associated with obesity, superimposed on the cost of care to the elderly, is going to break the system. Super-sized burgers and super-sized fries are the new weapons of mass destruction.  We have more to fear from Big Macs than from anthrax.”  FPReport, January 2004.

Most of us spend at least one third of our day either in school or at work.  To build effective programs to deal with the problem of obesity and long term success, good eating practices and fitness must occur across all spheres of our lives.

Our dollars could be spent wisely on preventive medicine instead of construction of obscure museums, turn-of-the-century wooden bridges (as in one location in central Illinois), $500 toilets, and the like.

Building bicycle paths, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, ballparks (baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football) and exercise facilities would be a boost to the economy, a boost to fitness and a smack across the face to obesity related diseases.  The sedentary life too many of us are dying with, rather than living with, needs to be corrected now. Tomorrow is too late.

Unsurprisingly, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Sallis et al; 15:379-397, 2000) reported a correspondence between the location of parks and recreational facilities and an increased level of physical activity among local residents.

It is also interesting to note, a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Anderson et al; 1998), found an increased use of stairs in public places when signs were placed to encourage their use.  In 1980, another researcher, Dr. K. D. Brown reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, that when signs were taken down, stair use diminished until the signs were replaced.  A little subtle prodding works very nicely for many of us.  Maybe you can work with your local governments to achieve some simple, inexpensive signs to guide your fellow Americans into better living.  When you do, we will place your name on this web site and praise you and your efforts.  Building a new bike path will likely do us more good than another highway.  Let’s bike to work, walk to work, and skip to school.  The era of the school bus is another contribution to obesity among children in the guise that it is safer.  I am sure our seniors, parents and the retired can keep an eye on our children when they walk a mile or two and back each day from school.  We could develop a cadre of individuals dedicated to the elimination of the school bus and the resumption of fitness and exercise among our children.  Like the Peace Corps, maybe we need The Fitness Corps?

For years, some European countries have taken the lead by building activity areas available to their citizens to improve or maintain fitness.

A. Mary Walborn, M.D., a well-respected internal medicine physician on Cleveland’s West Side has experienced this a “Recently on a trip through Scandinavia, I was impressed with the lack of fat people.  The city of Copenhagen has wide bicycle paths, which are greater than twice the width of American bike paths.  There is virtually an army of Danes on bikes.  Men dressed in suits, women in high heels, even older people with grocery bags, as well as young people in attire from bikinis to sports uniforms, travel the city on bicycles.  Actually, Copenhagen has “free bikes” for anyone to use.  People using public transportation need to be careful exiting as bicycles have the right of way. You can easily be hit by a flock of 10 speed bicyclists going very fast.”

Much of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have even installed special traffic lights for bicycles.  Their commitment to outdoor activities has led to a culture of Nordic well-being.  Mr. President, can you help us?

Dr. Philip

His blogs are his own opinions and do not reflect those of his current and past employers.

 

Life in moderation

 

I am a Cancer, a homebody by nature, but it is time to go back out into the world with my new life and take it for a test drive.

Eating out has been a downfall for me. For some reason, I thought that the calories consumed at a restaurant didn’t count. Wrong Lisa. They count and what is worse the food preparation is out of my hands. Only the cooks know how much oil they use and not to mention the other goodies that they hide in their treats.

Being antisocial really isn’t in my nature so I have learned a few tricks to eating out that I thought I would share with you. I am far from perfect and I still over eat  when I go out but life is short, so when I overeat I hit the gym harder the next day. Try these tricks when you go out to eat:

1. If I am going to an unfamiliar place for dinner I will Google the place and look over the menu and figure out what would be good choices for dinner in advance. My game plan is motion and it helps fight off the temptation to order things I know I shouldn’t.

2. I never order from the main entrée menu. The portions are just too large. I know that some people ask for a take out box to come with their dinner and then they put half of their meal in the box before they start to eat. Nice thought, but it never worked for me. The waiter forgets the box and the next thing you know my plate is empty.

3. I allow myself two items total. I look over the appetizer, soup and salad menu and then pick the two things that I want. The great thing about the appetizer menu is that portions are more inline with what they should be so, if I choose something strays from my healthy eating regime I don’t feel like I fall off the horse too badly because at least the smaller portions keep the calorie count in control.

4. If I know that the desserts at the eating establishment are great I will adjust more my ordering to account for the extra calories at the end of the meal. I ask my friends to share the dish and get extra forks with the treat. It is a great bonding tool and helps again keep the calorie count in line.

5. Moderation is key and enjoying yourself is always on the menu. Life is too short not to enjoy yourself.

 

Dr. Philip

Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, a family physician and Texas Health Commissioner, said in November, 2003, in Austin, Texas, at a conference on patient education, “By 2040, the cost of medical care associated with obesity, superimposed on the cost of care to the elderly, is going to break them system. Super-sized burgers and super-sized fries are the new weapons of mass destruction.  We have more to fear from Big Macs than from anthrax.”  FPReport, January 2004.

Most of us spend at least one third of our day either in school or at work.  To build effective programs to deal with the problem of obesity and long term success, good eating practices and fitness must occur across all spheres of our lives.

Our dollars could be spent wisely on preventive medicine instead of construction of obscure museums, turn-of-the-century wooden bridges (as in one location in central Illinois), $500 toilets, and the like.

Building bicycle paths, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, ballparks (baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football) and exercise facilities would be a boost to the economy, a boost to fitness and a smack across the face to obesity related diseases.  The sedentary life too many of us are dying with, rather than living with, needs to be corrected now. Tomorrow is too late.

Unsurprisingly, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Sallis et al; 15:379-397, 2000) reported a correspondence between the location of parks and recreational facilities and an increased level of physical activity among local residents.

It is also interesting to note, a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Anderson et al; 1998), found an increased use of stairs in public places when signs were placed to encourage their use.  In 1980, another researcher, Dr. K. D. Brown reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, that when signs were taken down, stair use diminished until the signs were replaced.  A little subtle prodding works very nicely for many of us.  Maybe you can work with your local governments to achieve some simple, inexpensive signs to guide your fellow Americans into better living.  When you do, we will place your name on this web site and praise you and your efforts.  Building a new bike path will likely do us more good than another highway.  Let’s bike to work, walk to work, and skip to school.  The era of the school bus is another contribution to obesity among children in the guise that it is safer.  I am sure our seniors, parents and the retired can keep an eye on our children when they walk a mile or two and back each day from school.  We could develop a cadre of individuals dedicated to the elimination of the school bus and the resumption of fitness and exercise among our children.  Like the Peace Corps, maybe we need The Fitness Corps?

For years, some European countries have taken the lead by building activity areas available to their citizens to improve or maintain fitness.

A. Mary Walborn, M.D., a well-respected internal medicine physician on Cleveland’s West Side has experienced this a “Recently on a trip through Scandinavia, I was impressed with the lack of fat people.  The city of Copenhagen has wide bicycle paths, which are greater than twice the width of American bike paths.  There is virtually an army of Danes on bikes.  Men dressed in suits, women in high heels, even older people with grocery bags, as well as young people in attire from bikinis to sports uniforms, travel the city on bicycles.  Actually, Copenhagen has *free bikes* for anyone to use.  People using public transportation need to be careful exiting as bicycles have the right of way. You can easily be hit by a flock of 10 speed bicyclists going very fast.”

Much of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have even installed special traffic lights for bicycles.  Their commitment to outdoor activities has led to a culture of Nordic well-being.  Mr. President, can you help us?

Dr. Philip

His blogs are his own opinions and do not reflect those of his current and past employers. 

 

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