By Stephen Pate – Dieting has to be one of the more profitable businesses. Americans spend $40 billion a year on diet products according to BusinessWeek. In Canada diet centers are raking in more than $500 million annually reports Health Canada.
When you are overweight it’s like carrying two 30 pound turkeys on your body every minute of every day.
Despite all that effort, many of us – note the “us” – are overweight. Why? Food is good. Food is great. It’s a legal sin. It feels good. It’s social. It tastes good.
For the update on this story see Losing weight when you have a disability
After struggling for years with obesity, in 2003 I dropped 60 pounds and kept it off for several years. I didn’t pay more than $40 for diet products, didn’t read any books, didn’t go to any classes or buy diet foods.
Whatever goes in the mouth goes directly to the hips and stomach
We are what we eat. If we eat more, we will weigh more. Eat less and we might weigh less. Or as a wit so finely put the point: What you eat in ten minutes takes ten years to take off.
To help keep track of intake, I used a cheap program called Diet Power ($39 US). It was well recommended, reasonably priced and I didn’t have to confess my eating sins to anyone but the computer.
Update – March 2017 – it’s a mobile world and Diet Power is not a mobile app. I switched to the free version of My Fitness Pal app (Android, Apple and Windows).
Adults need between 1,800 and 2,500 calories a day depending on sex, metabolism, and activity level. If your level is 2,000 calories consuming about 20% less will cause your body to burn fat. My stable rate is 1,900 calories and I easily lost weight eating 1,300 to 1,500 calories a day.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. Food tastes good, too good. It means smaller portions and better food choices. It means shopping for nutritious but low calorie foods. Takes too much time? Sure, an early death takes forever. Balancing a life with diabetes or any of the numerous conditions from being overweight takes time.
Calorie counting is important but not enough. We must get the right balance of nutrients which is the benefit of Diet Power. I tell it what I am eating, what activities happened through the day and it gives me feedback on my total diet, calories, fats, fibre , protein, vitamins, minerals. It can tell you if you are getting too much or too little of 34 important nutrients. I like that part of Diet Power because I don’t want to get sick from eating too much of one food – the all celery diet.
Problem with being over-weight
Everyone needs to be at the proper weight. Along with looking better which is good for the old self-esteem, it’s easier on your body. Less chance of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a whole raft of aging medical conditions are improved by being at or close to your ideal weight.
People with neuro-muscular disabilities like MS, MD, post polio need to weigh less to enable them to support their weakened bodies.
Back in 2001 I weighed 219 and was struggling with total immobility. I spent all my time in a wheelchair. Dr. Walker the former dean of physiotherapy at Dalhousie University told us at a seminar “Go to Sobey’s and buy a 30 pound turkey. Carry it around all day.”
Of course no one can carry a 30 pound turkey for more than a few minutes, certainly not when your arms are weakened from Post Polio. I protested.
“Well from the what I see,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye “you are carrying two 30 pound turkeys on your body every minute of every day.” No wonder we were tired.
Only extreme exercise drops the weight
Forget exercise as a way to lose weight. Unless you are into some extreme physical activity like bicycle courier you cannot exercise any pounds off. Bicycle couriers burn more than 5,000 calories a day. They have to eat lots of carbs.
With only minimal exercise – how much can you do sitting in a wheelchair – I was able to lose about 60 pounds in a year.
Exercise is good for muscle tone, to keep the heart healthy and it’s fun. Exercise rarely drops pounds.
So what happened?
Three years on Diet Power and I got complacent. Started having that second beer, three meals a week in restaurants and wheeling into the drive-through for those burgers and fries. Six years later I’m back up to 197. I know I can lose it. I just upgraded to the latest version of Diet Power and Will Power.
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