The truth: fitness and beating load-shedding need more than talk
Q
Why is everyone losing weight except me? What ’ s the big secret?
A
We don’t know which area code you live in but from our glass house it appears as if everyone is doing the exact opposite. If, however, everyone around you is losing weight and you’re not, don’t be so quick to feel sorry for yourself.
At the time of writing it was announced that the ANC national executive committee would meet to discuss, among other things, the energy crisis. While the committee was deep in discussion I was writing this column with the aid of lithium. While you’d be forgiven for imagining a little pill, I am in fact referring to lithium iron phosphate backup batteries.
While the ANC gathers to talk, the rest of us do what we can to keep a semblance of an economy moving.
You may wonder what generating electricity and getting in shape have in common? Both are very easy to talk about but accomplishing anything requires “a little less conversation, a little more action, please”.
You can talk about it, plan it and debate it. Results only happen when you move. The single greatest irritation about fat loss is that it requires dropping the cookies — and the Water Cooler column — and putting on those tekkies.
Your midsection crisis is no different. You need to accept it, and then do something about it.
American Milton Berle is credited with the wise words:
“A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours.”
I don’t want to spoil your pudding, but consider this: when you eat fewer calories than your body needs, it will eventually use fat stores for the energy required to perform biological functions such as breathing and digesting food, and physical functions such as performing daily tasks and exercising. As you can see, exercise is a variable we can increase to — you guessed it — increase the amount of energy our body uses. There are other reasons too, such as healthier bodies, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Let ’ s remind ourselves of the basics. Assuming you are not in a state of ketosis, when you exercise your muscles must first work through glycogen stores, which is how your body stores sugar. Simply put, if you eat carbohydrates and fruit, or drink juices, these go towards glycogen stores, and if not used by the body, will be converted to fat. Your body will use glycogen and fat for energy, but glycogen is the quickest and easiest option. So, if you eat carbohydrates, how long does this take to get to the fat?
The Cleveland Clinic quotes an endocrinologist who says that only after about an hour of moderate aerobic exercise, does your body start burning
“mainly fat”. Guesstimates are just that, but it is enough food for thought when we think about Berle’s committee. Would you rather spend valuable hours getting to the fat stores, or talking about it?
However, losing weight is not always a good thing. Some people lose too much weight because they exercise too much and eat too little of the right food. Others have dangerous eating disorders, while others may suffer from chronic stress, serious genetic or hormonal disorders, or even undiagnosed dread diseases. You read it here first: Smaller is not always better.
Communities of likeminded people are important, as are those who inspire and motivate you. But stop comparing yourself to everyone else.
Are you exercising at least three to four times a week? Do you have a carefully designed programme that increases the exercise intensity and difficulty in an appropriate manner for you, your body, and your circumstances? Have you overhauled your diet or do you still have a secret cookie jar? Have you chosen wellness over wine? Do you really exercise even when you’d rather watch TV?
There are a million reasons you may not be losing weight, but it starts with accepting that your journey has nothing to do with anyone else, or their reasons for becoming smaller.
It requires lifelong honesty with yourself and stoic discipline — which becomes easier over time. That’s stage eight honesty right there.