Photo uploaded by Shirley Two Feathers (click link for Flickr)

Before I dive into any other aspect of this topic, I want to put it out of your mind that there is some set indicator for healthy weight. Even NPR says BMI is bogus. BMI is an imperfect tool, and it’s not meant to rate every human on the same scale.

On top of that, I will state right now as a disclaimer and to hopefully smooth over some sensitivities: I have never had real problems with weight. I have always been generally small (not always healthy), and I did not grow up drinking soda or eating french fries and pizza. I by no means pass judgment on those who have grown up with those eating habits, but I do caution (along with many notable dieticians and nutritionists) that weight problems we experience in late teens and adulthood often stem from our eating habits as children—or more accurately, our parents’ eating habits—all of these are sensitive subjects, I know.

When I talk about weight and exercise, I talk about it from doing lots of reading, making decisions based off of what I’ve learned, and what I’ve observed when talking with others. I cannot truly understand the time and effort many out there put in to manage weight, and I’d rather push for body-positive, healthy living vs. skinny living. And, I am working hard, also. Keeping healthy isn’t awful, hate-filled monotony, but it is work. I don’t ever want to seem dismissive about that.

Now that that’s cleared up.

I’ve realized that after years of talking about it, planning on it, devising schemes around it, and finally floundering for a week just to give in to the cushy chair gods, there’s only one way for me, personally, to work out. I have to simply do it and do it in my own home at my own pace. I’m not a gym-goer (I can go, but it’s not my first choice), and while I’m a full supporter of buddy-system gym visits, I just don’t follow it. Especially when both my buddy and I are busy students—neither of us fault one another for skipping once, twice, or ten times simply because one or both of us “had work to do.”  When I take classes, I listen to instructors but I often resent them when they push me. I’d rather not think angry thoughts about a dance or fitness instructor, and so, I’ve thought about other things to keep me strong.

Starting this month I run every morning to warm up, then I stretch out, and do my belly dance practicing to keep my moves strong. I have finished out week two of this plan, and next week will be the real test—taking time to work out when I’m off in the wild blue yonder that is “out of town”. And by then, I’ll have completed the bare minimum for habit forming (three weeks to build a habit). From there, I hope to continue making it a part of my lifestyle. I’ll probably eventually make the workout stretch to 45 minutes as my runs get longer and my stretches and dance moves become more complex. That’s the nature of building strength and stamina, after all! And some day, I’ll even add weights! I’m feeling better than I have in a long while, and I’ve stopped to examine it all. However, this is as much time as I’ll devote to working out in a day.

Is there a right or wrong way to work out? We’ll see. I am reserving one day out of my week to rest my muscles. I have my morning routine five days out of the week, and then I rest. Lather, rinse, repeat. My routine is not very rigorous right now as I’m simply conditioning my body to do what I want to do. Soon enough, I’ll start dividing up which muscles I focus on.

What I have learned is that any extraordinary aerobic movement—walking more places at a decent pace, running, jogging, dancing, cardio classes, martial arts, swimming—anything that gets your blood moving during the day helps burn calories and maintain health. Gas prices are going up and will continue to go up here in California, which only means that as it warms up, bike riding and walking are perfect money-saving ways to get around. And, they are active transportive methods that help keep you (and me) healthy. If you haven’t exercised in a long time, and it’s a new goal of yours, start off by walking. Ease into it and try to enjoy it—you’ll feel better, and it can help you enjoy the scenery of your neighborhood. If your neighborhood is seedy, proceed with the caution you feel is best—but otherwise, enjoy what you find in exploring. Make your experiences your own, and maybe find ways to be productive about them (delivering mail, getting groceries, going to work, etc.).

Photo links back to source

Eating Healthy

Because I’m eating generally healthy (but balanced—I love my sweets, I just keep them cut down to a few times a week, or once a day after dinner), my general caloric intake is between 12-1600 calories a day. I don’t count every meal. I know my average, and it rarely changes. I have to eat a *lot* to get above 1600, and part of how I manage this is learning a very simple, beautiful strategy to combat weight loss: eat until you are satisfied—NOT full. (Please click that link, it’s great)

There is a big difference, here. We have been taught to eat everything off our plates, to accept this over-eaten, slow and sleepy feeling as normal. And it isn’t. The feeling of satisfaction is completely different and in the beginning, it’s something you may have to check in with and attempt to ease your body into (especially if you’re used to huge meals—crash dieting and sudden proportion reduction doesn’t help anyone). Also, eating until satisfied helps reduce those with stretched stomachs back down to a more natural size.

“What if I’m hungry an hour later,” you ask? Have some fruit. Or a salad. Something light, nutritious, and good to your body. You may realize that you don’t need another meal, or dessert.  After you’ve had that piece of fruit (or some other low fat snack), you may discover that you feel just fine.

Once I cross-examined my level of satisfaction vs. level of full, I realized how much less I ate, and how much less I really felt like eating. Suddenly, portion control became possible.

“What about foods that I love to eat? What if they happen to be high in fat?” Reduce how frequent and how much you eat of those foods, but you don’t have to cut them out completely. Read that link about satisfactory eating—it will help.

What kind of food constitutes a good, balanced diet? Fresh produce. Eat lean meat like poultry and seafood often, and red meat occasionally (it has its health benefits). If you are vegetarian or vegan, find ways to balance your protein intake—and it shouldn’t JUST BE SOY! Soy has plant chemicals that are similarly constructed to human estrogens, and can screw up your hormones if you have Too Much Soy. Some soy is wonderful for you, only having soy is not. Eggs daily (read up on them: essentially, their cholesterol scare is a myth and if you’re worried about salmonella, get pasteurized eggs. Eggs are amazing—they have many essential daily nutrients and the proteins in them promote healthy skin, hair, and nails. Better than taking any pill, in my opinion). Complex carbs and simple carbs—don’t balk, hear me out. Carbs are energy. Simple carbohydrates give you easy energy fast, because they break down into sugars in your system. Sugars aren’t good long-lasting energy and can turn into empty calories (and be stored as fat), and you want complex carbs, proteins, and produce to help keep you active and alert.

Sweets matter, too. Don’t eat in excess, but the happiness that a pastry or chocolate gives me is never meant to be taken away, and working out daily ensures that the days that I splurge get smoothed over.

If you have any thoughts on what I have to say, or have different input, let me know! I’m always learning, and I like to know I’m giving good, reliable information.