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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