Dr. Kelley's Blog
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Thursday, June 1, 2006, 09:57 AM
If you're like many people who have struggled to lose weight over the years, you probably have been through your share of fad diets. You've likely experienced the emotional pain of depriving yourself of something you really wanted to eat, saying to yourself things like, "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." Or you've given in to your cravings, only to be flooded with feelings of guilt and anguish while you beat yourself up for 'being so weak.'
The fact is, your body requires a steady stream of nourishment to function properly. The way you choose to fuel your body, or not fuel it will determine the amount of difficulty you experience in dealing with cravings for your favorite 'cheat foods.'
I am a strong advocate of fitness oriented eating. I don't believe in starving one's self to lose weight. Starvation diets will almost always result in feelings of frustration and guilt. Most people generally fall off of a starvation diet in the long or short run, because we are biologically wired to resist starvation. Starvation is physically and emotionally painful, and from a neurological standpoint, your body will not allow you to tolerate this state for long.
The good news is, you don't have to struggle like this. Just as I advocate fitness oriented eating, I am also an advocate of 'Living a Fitness Oriented Lifestyle.'
What 'The Fitness Lifestyle' means, may be different for everyone, but to me personally, it means that I try to consistantly plan to exercise on a daily basis, engaging in either cardiovascular or resistance training, and I try to eat 5 to 6 small nutritious meals throughout each day. This is how many athletes and individuals in the fitness industry live and eat. It does not mean you have to be perfect.
However, when you make daily exercise a part of what you do each day, and it becomes automatic, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower, and you begin eating 'to nourish' your body, this frees you to 'cheat,' on occassion without feeling guilty. As a matter of fact, many athletes and natural bodybuilders 'cheat' strategically once per week either taking one meal or sometimes an entire day where they eat certain foods which they have been craving or foods they've denied themselves during the week. I'm not talking about going completely wild, in an attempt to see just how many calories can be consumed in a day, rather, taking a day to incorporate some foods you've really been craving, but denying yourself. Many feel this allows them to satisfy their cravings on a regular basis, and allows them to jump back into healthy eating again the following day. So in a 30 day month, you've eaten very well for 26 days of that month, and taken only 4 days where you can eat certain things you really want...without the guilt.
Living in the manner I've just described can acually increase your resting metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn calories more efficiently throughout the day, and while you sleep. One of the benefits of this lifestyle is weight loss. By exercising daily, and eating 5 to 6 small meals each day, in a sense, your body has permission to burn fat. There are various theories as to why this happens, but the fact is, it does happen. And along the way, if you can enjoy an occassional 'cheat,' then more power to you.
As always, Live Lean, Live Fit, and be Well!
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( 3 / 837 )Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 11:08 AM
If you've been struggling with your weight over the years, nobody knows the frustration that you've had to endure in this battle more than you. By the same token, you are not alone. Greater than 60% of the adult population in the U.S. is now overweight, many of whom are considered obese. As you are probably aware, this constitutes a health care crisis, with implications we will not fully appreciate for years to come.
The secondary disorders and diseases associated with obesity are many. Because of this, we will see the development of chronic diseases such as Adult Onset Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Renal Disease and various other vascular disorders developing in this population at an unprecedented rate in the years to come. Our children, many of whom are becoming obese as well, will develop these disorders at younger ages, and in greater numbers than ever before.
The health of our nation is declining at a startling rate because of the problem of obesity, and it will continue to do so unless our society collectively embraces a healthier way of living. This is something that will only happen if each of us makes the decision to do so.
So what can you do to ensure that you do not become a medical statistic? One thing you can begin to do is start to examine the triggers that cause you to live in a certain manner. If you consistently overeat, there is likely a reason that you're doing so. Maybe you're lonely, and using food to bring satisfaction where you're lacking relationships with friends or a significant other. Are you placing yourself in social situations where you overeat frequently?
Are there certain times during the day or evening where you feel you just have very little resistance, and as a result, you give in to temptation? Maybe there are certain people you're around on a regular basis, where their presence seems to encourage your eating or drinking in excess. Whatever the scenario, there may be a trigger involved that is contributing, and as a result, you respond in a manner which encourages you to gain weight.
One of the very best ways to determine what your negative triggers are, is by keeping a journal, and documenting everything you eat for a two week period, along with the circumstances surrounding any episode where you overeat. By doing this, you will be able to shed some light on the emotional and situational triggers that contribute to poor or excessive eating. Journaling can be a powerful tool. It can be used year round in an effort to document your daily diet, and your daily exercise, plus it's a great tool to use from the standpoint of goal setting where your weight, and physical fitness is concerned.
As always, Live Lean, Live Fit, and be Well!
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( 3 / 855 )Saturday, April 1, 2006, 10:20 AM
We've all had those times when finding the will and motivation within ourselves to exercise or eat right, just seems to be too daunting a task. Sometimes it's just a moment that we're talking about, other times it may be days or weeks where the energy is just not there, or so it seems.
The fact is, we all struggle with times like these. The key to overcoming this lack of inertia is simply to get moving. The hardest part of starting just about any task, is just starting. The first day of a new exercise program or a new nutrition program is always the hardest, because you're moving from a place of comfort, to a place just beyond your comfort zone.
There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, mind you, but when it becomes a place that is causing you to stagnate, because your becoming mentally or physically lazy, and it's inhibiting your growth as a human being, then it may have become a problem.
So often, fatigue is really a mental thing. Our brain is saying, "it's just too hard for me to get up off this couch an put on my running shoes...I need to rest, and I'll feel better." When the truth of the matter is that if you can get up and get moving, the exercise you're about to engage in has a way of renewing you mentally and physically.
Daily exercise has a way of repaying your efforts in dividends...weight loss, increased energy, improved mental outlook, better stress tolerance. To quote Anthony Robbins concerning the power of movement, from his best selling book, 'Awaken the Giant Within,' "Emotion is created by Motion." Everthing that we feel is the result of how we use our bodies. Even the most minute changes in our facial expressions or our gestures have the ability to alter the way that you may be feeling in any given moment, and therefore the way we evaluate our lives---the way we think and the way we act.
Consequently, if you choose to give in to laziness, and neglect to keep your body moving and healthy, you may well suffer the consequences of this lifestyle, both mentally and physically. It is very difficult to feel depressed when you're in the middle of a three mile run on a sunny afternoon, or any other time for that matter.
So if you've been struggling to find the will and the motivation to exercise or begin eating right, don't wait for it to magically appear. Get moving! Just begin, even if it's in the most simple way you can think. Put on your running shoes. The next thing you know, you may acually be out the door! Get started, and your will and motivation will follow. Until next time, Live Lean, Live Fit and be Well!
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