13 January 2010
Derailing for Dummies
Good site if you want to invalidate others who aren't aware that you don't care about them.
Click on the title
Click on the title
02 January 2010
Deep Thought
"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."
— Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)
— Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)
01 January 2010
Eat to Live
Someone once told me that they didn't live to eat, they ate to live.
Sounds good.
Eat to sustain a healthy body composition.
I say composition instead of weight because weight is pretty relative. Despite what the charts say, Ideal body weight is different for everyone. There's a calculator that says you should weigh 115 if you're 5'3". I know that when I was 120 pounds people were worried about me, thinking I lost too much weight.
I'm not a big fan of BMI either because it still doesn't account for the ratio of fat to lean body mass.
I used to say that these were a waste of time; but now, I figure these tools could be used to alert you to potential problems. I wouldn't weigh myself then go out and diet based on the numbers; but I would schedule an appointment with my doctor and a nutritionist. It also gives you cause to reevaluate your exercise program.
What's more important than weight is percent body fat.
General Body Fat Percentage Categories From American Council on Exercise:
If my scale or BMI told me I was overweight or obese, I would test my body fat to verify.
One of the best tests is a DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). Fancy x-ray machine that shows how much body fat you have and where it is. It takes about 20 minutes and 100 dollars (insurance may pay for it, it may not.).
The next is hydrostatic weighing that cost about half as much.
My point is that it's less about weight and more about health. It's more beneficial to eat in order to stay healthy rather than eat in order to lose weight.
Fact of the matter: when you just focus on losing weight, you're not just losing fat, you're potentially losing valuable muscle.
What does eating to stay healthy look like?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats. Things that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, low in fat, rich in nutrients. Why nutrients twice? The whole point of eating is to fuel your body with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, unsaturated fats, and energy.
I do think body weight is important for figuring out how much you should eat.
Once you find out what your ideal body weight (I'm talking about your lean body mass), you should eat to sustain that weight.
Most scientist say that 0.8 grams of protein per pound daily is enough to sustain an athletic male. Most people only need 0.4 grams per pound.
Most active people need 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound daily.
0.45 grams of unsaturated fat per pound is also needed.
Regardless of weight, most people need 35 grams of fiber a day.
Translate that into calories. One gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories, as does a gram of protein. A gram of fat, meanwhile, equals 9 calories, and the same amount of alcohol equals 7 calories
I've also heard about shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. This is where all the fresh foods are. Foods low in additives or preservatives. Usually, more processed foods lose their nutrients and are essentially worthless.
This reminds me that healthy eating includes a thorough sweep of your kitchen. Just get rid of all the crap so it doesn't tempt you.
I want to touch on something I hear frequently that actually angers me. "I don't eat fruit. Fruit makes you fat." Ugh. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Let's think this out. How much fruit would you have to eat in order to gain 3500 calories? Secondly, fruits are nutrient dense foods; meaning the nutrients you get from the fruit offset the calories you get from it.
I am weary of canned or other packaged fruit, and fruit juices. They usually add ridiculous amounts of sugar to the fruit. 100% fruit juice is the way to go.
Sounds good.
Eat to sustain a healthy body composition.
I say composition instead of weight because weight is pretty relative. Despite what the charts say, Ideal body weight is different for everyone. There's a calculator that says you should weigh 115 if you're 5'3". I know that when I was 120 pounds people were worried about me, thinking I lost too much weight.
I'm not a big fan of BMI either because it still doesn't account for the ratio of fat to lean body mass.
I used to say that these were a waste of time; but now, I figure these tools could be used to alert you to potential problems. I wouldn't weigh myself then go out and diet based on the numbers; but I would schedule an appointment with my doctor and a nutritionist. It also gives you cause to reevaluate your exercise program.
What's more important than weight is percent body fat.
General Body Fat Percentage Categories From American Council on Exercise:
| Classification | Women (% fat) | Men (% fat) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Fat | 10-12% | 2-4% |
| Athletes | 14-20% | 6-13% |
| Fitness | 21-24% | 14-17% |
| Acceptable | 25-31% | 18-25% |
| Obese | 32% plus | 25% plus |
If my scale or BMI told me I was overweight or obese, I would test my body fat to verify.
One of the best tests is a DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). Fancy x-ray machine that shows how much body fat you have and where it is. It takes about 20 minutes and 100 dollars (insurance may pay for it, it may not.).
The next is hydrostatic weighing that cost about half as much.
My point is that it's less about weight and more about health. It's more beneficial to eat in order to stay healthy rather than eat in order to lose weight.
Fact of the matter: when you just focus on losing weight, you're not just losing fat, you're potentially losing valuable muscle.
What does eating to stay healthy look like?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats. Things that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, low in fat, rich in nutrients. Why nutrients twice? The whole point of eating is to fuel your body with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, unsaturated fats, and energy.
I do think body weight is important for figuring out how much you should eat.
Once you find out what your ideal body weight (I'm talking about your lean body mass), you should eat to sustain that weight.
Most scientist say that 0.8 grams of protein per pound daily is enough to sustain an athletic male. Most people only need 0.4 grams per pound.
Most active people need 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound daily.
0.45 grams of unsaturated fat per pound is also needed.
Regardless of weight, most people need 35 grams of fiber a day.
Translate that into calories. One gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories, as does a gram of protein. A gram of fat, meanwhile, equals 9 calories, and the same amount of alcohol equals 7 calories
I've also heard about shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. This is where all the fresh foods are. Foods low in additives or preservatives. Usually, more processed foods lose their nutrients and are essentially worthless.
This reminds me that healthy eating includes a thorough sweep of your kitchen. Just get rid of all the crap so it doesn't tempt you.
I want to touch on something I hear frequently that actually angers me. "I don't eat fruit. Fruit makes you fat." Ugh. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Let's think this out. How much fruit would you have to eat in order to gain 3500 calories? Secondly, fruits are nutrient dense foods; meaning the nutrients you get from the fruit offset the calories you get from it.
I am weary of canned or other packaged fruit, and fruit juices. They usually add ridiculous amounts of sugar to the fruit. 100% fruit juice is the way to go.
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