Ride a bicycle dammit....
01-19-12, 08:26 AM
#51
Senior Member
This is not a political comment, by the way. Issues related to obesity, diet and exercise are nonpartisan as best as I can tell.
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Momento mori, amor fati.
Momento mori, amor fati.
01-19-12, 08:42 AM
#52
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Obesity by state data (including DC)....interesting but disappointing when I note that CT (my current state) is #50 and yet is still over 20%. 
We are a mess IMHO.
https://health.msn.com/health-topics/...ntid=100261061
We are a mess IMHO. https://health.msn.com/health-topics/...ntid=100261061
01-19-12, 08:53 AM
#53
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Are you dissing Michelle Obama? She's used her postition of FL to promote diet and exercise, and I think quite well. Should she just shut up, sit down, and mind her own business?
This is not a political comment, by the way. Issues related to obesity, diet and exercise are nonpartisan as best as I can tell.
This is not a political comment, by the way. Issues related to obesity, diet and exercise are nonpartisan as best as I can tell.
__________________
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
01-19-12, 09:36 AM
#54
Senior Member
A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
__________________
Momento mori, amor fati.
Momento mori, amor fati.
01-19-12, 09:56 AM
#55
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A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
__________________
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
01-19-12, 04:41 PM
#56
Senior Member
Sorry, I don't buy it. You can sell a lot to fat people. Sell them pills, supplements, exercise equipment, surgery. The diet/weight loss industry is huge. You can sell them ideas too. Tell them they're not responsible. It works. People buy it.
It's really not that complicated. Really. Move more, eat less, eat right. Hard to make money with those simple concepts, but that's what works. There's a very small percentage of people that might have issues, but for the vast majority of people, it works.
I recently ran into someone I hadn't seen since 50 lbs ago. He asked me how I did it. Radical idea, I said.. diet and exercise.
It's really not that complicated. Really. Move more, eat less, eat right. Hard to make money with those simple concepts, but that's what works. There's a very small percentage of people that might have issues, but for the vast majority of people, it works.
I recently ran into someone I hadn't seen since 50 lbs ago. He asked me how I did it. Radical idea, I said.. diet and exercise.
I lost weight too. I lost a third of my body weight. Sure, I ate less and exercised. Why didn't I before? What were the causes that operated on me that helped me stick to a diet? Why was I successful this time and not before? What keeps me from overeating now that I have lost weight? I spent a lot of time figuring as much of this out as possible so I can use that information to help me keep off the weight. I know a fair amount about habit and conditioning and stimulus control. I know that there is evidence that exercise improves your odds of keeping off the weight, as does weighing yourself regularly. Knowing that my obesity was probably due in large part to factors outside of my control allows me to forgive myself and allows me to be methodical and even a bit obsessive about keeping the weight off. Personal responsibility is a political statement, a truism, not a technique for keeping off weight.
I think that, to a large degree, our perspectives reflect our personal experiences. We know what has worked for us, and believe it has widespread applicability. Sometimes we're right, and sometimes we're wrong. Fortunately, science can help sort things out, and our understanding of our bodies, and what drives us, is constantly growing. One thing is certain: consistent, frequent, and strenuous exercise does a person a world of good, and is likely to get a person into a good weight range. We are lucky that, as cyclists, our exercise is truly enjoyable, and it is easy to become passionate about our sport. Those factors increase the likelihood of being consistent with our exercise.
I've volunteered to be on my companies wellness committee, and will do whatever I can to help those who willing to battle their obesity and improve their fitness.
I've volunteered to be on my companies wellness committee, and will do whatever I can to help those who willing to battle their obesity and improve their fitness.
Last edited by goldfinch; 01-19-12 at 04:57 PM.
01-19-12, 05:10 PM
#57
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Are you dissing Michelle Obama? She's used her postition of FL to promote diet and exercise, and I think quite well. Should she just shut up, sit down, and mind her own business?
This is not a political comment, by the way. Issues related to obesity, diet and exercise are nonpartisan as best as I can tell.
This is not a political comment, by the way. Issues related to obesity, diet and exercise are nonpartisan as best as I can tell.
__________________
"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London
Last edited by Artkansas; 01-19-12 at 05:13 PM.
01-19-12, 08:47 PM
#58
Senior Member
01-19-12, 09:08 PM
#59
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This is what I've been saying repeatedly on the Clydes/Athena forum. Attributing weight to lack of willpower or personal choice begs the question. It is simply saying that a person can lose weight because he can. It also shows polarized thinking, that the world is black or white and we have on and off switches.
Others say losing weight is simple--eat less. Which is another fallacy, the "only reason" someone is fat is that they ate too much. Okay. Not very helpful and also not accurate.
But people rag on me on the Clydes forum for making things complicated. Well, sorry, weight loss and especially maintenance of lost weight is complicated.
Everything we do is the result of causes. Our genes. Our hormones. Our environment. Our relationships. Our learned behaviors. Our thoughts. Etc. All these affect what we do and who we are. Self control is not a stand alone characteristic. There isn't some Mystical Force of Will where girding our loins and gritting our teeth can overcome everything else that operates on us to make us who we are. After all, most everyone who loses weight regains it. We all want to keep off the weight but biology can trump self control. What is important is not assigning blame. It is trying to figure out ways to help people get to and stay at a healthy weight. But the conversations usually never get that far and instead get caught up in blame.
From Jeffrey Friedman, a scientist who discovered Leptin, a hormone important in appetite regulation:
“There can be no meaningful discussion of obesity until we resist the impulse to assign blame. Nor can we hold to the simple belief that with willpower alone, one can consciously resist the allure of food and precisely control one’s weight.“
The facts are these “(i) the increasing incidence of obesity in the population is not reflected by a proportionate increase in weight; (ii) the drive to eat is to a large extent hardwired, and differences in weight are genetically determined; and (iii) obesity can be a good thing depending on the environment in which one (or one’s ancestors) finds oneself.”
“Twin studies, adoption studies, and studies of familial aggregation confirm a major contribution of genes to the development of obesity. Indeed, the heritability of obesity is equivalent to that of height and exceeds that of many disorders for which a genetic basis is generally accepted. It is worth noting that height has also increased significantly in Western countries in the 20th Century.”
“In general, obesity genes encode the molecular components of the physiologic system that regulates energy balance. This system precisely matches energy intake (food) to energy expenditure to maintain constant energy stores, principally fat. That there must be a system balancing food intake and energy expenditure is suggested by the following analysis. Over the course of a decade, a typical persons consumes approximately 10 million calories, generally with only a modest change in weight. To accomplish this, food intake must precisely match energy output within 0.17% over that decade. This extraordinary level of precision exceeds by several orders of magnitude the ability of nutritionists to count calories and suggests that conscious factors alone are incapable of precisely regulating caloric intake.”
“Feeding is a complex motivational behavior, meaning that many factors influence the likelihood that the behavior will be initiated. These factors include the unconscious urge to eat that is regulated by leptin and other hormones, the conscious desire to eat less (or more), sensory factors such as smell or taste, emotional state, and others. The greater the weight loss, the greater the hunger and, sooner or later for most dieters, a primal hunger trumps the conscious desire to be thin.”
The increase in weight is not evenly distributed in the population. “In modern times, some individuals have manifested a much greater increase of BMI than others, strongly suggesting the possibility that in our population (species) there is a subgroup that is genetically susceptible to obesity and a different subgroup that is relatively resistant.”
“Obesity is not a personal failing. In trying to lose weight, the obese are fighting a difficult battle. It is a battle against biology, a battle that only the intrepid take on and one in which only a few prevail.” A war on obesity, not the obese. [Science. 2003] – PubMed – NCBI.
--quoted in https://www.downeyobesityreport.com/t...frey-friedman/
Others say losing weight is simple--eat less. Which is another fallacy, the "only reason" someone is fat is that they ate too much. Okay. Not very helpful and also not accurate.
But people rag on me on the Clydes forum for making things complicated. Well, sorry, weight loss and especially maintenance of lost weight is complicated.
Everything we do is the result of causes. Our genes. Our hormones. Our environment. Our relationships. Our learned behaviors. Our thoughts. Etc. All these affect what we do and who we are. Self control is not a stand alone characteristic. There isn't some Mystical Force of Will where girding our loins and gritting our teeth can overcome everything else that operates on us to make us who we are. After all, most everyone who loses weight regains it. We all want to keep off the weight but biology can trump self control. What is important is not assigning blame. It is trying to figure out ways to help people get to and stay at a healthy weight. But the conversations usually never get that far and instead get caught up in blame.
From Jeffrey Friedman, a scientist who discovered Leptin, a hormone important in appetite regulation:
“There can be no meaningful discussion of obesity until we resist the impulse to assign blame. Nor can we hold to the simple belief that with willpower alone, one can consciously resist the allure of food and precisely control one’s weight.“
The facts are these “(i) the increasing incidence of obesity in the population is not reflected by a proportionate increase in weight; (ii) the drive to eat is to a large extent hardwired, and differences in weight are genetically determined; and (iii) obesity can be a good thing depending on the environment in which one (or one’s ancestors) finds oneself.”
“Twin studies, adoption studies, and studies of familial aggregation confirm a major contribution of genes to the development of obesity. Indeed, the heritability of obesity is equivalent to that of height and exceeds that of many disorders for which a genetic basis is generally accepted. It is worth noting that height has also increased significantly in Western countries in the 20th Century.”
“In general, obesity genes encode the molecular components of the physiologic system that regulates energy balance. This system precisely matches energy intake (food) to energy expenditure to maintain constant energy stores, principally fat. That there must be a system balancing food intake and energy expenditure is suggested by the following analysis. Over the course of a decade, a typical persons consumes approximately 10 million calories, generally with only a modest change in weight. To accomplish this, food intake must precisely match energy output within 0.17% over that decade. This extraordinary level of precision exceeds by several orders of magnitude the ability of nutritionists to count calories and suggests that conscious factors alone are incapable of precisely regulating caloric intake.”
“Feeding is a complex motivational behavior, meaning that many factors influence the likelihood that the behavior will be initiated. These factors include the unconscious urge to eat that is regulated by leptin and other hormones, the conscious desire to eat less (or more), sensory factors such as smell or taste, emotional state, and others. The greater the weight loss, the greater the hunger and, sooner or later for most dieters, a primal hunger trumps the conscious desire to be thin.”
The increase in weight is not evenly distributed in the population. “In modern times, some individuals have manifested a much greater increase of BMI than others, strongly suggesting the possibility that in our population (species) there is a subgroup that is genetically susceptible to obesity and a different subgroup that is relatively resistant.”
“Obesity is not a personal failing. In trying to lose weight, the obese are fighting a difficult battle. It is a battle against biology, a battle that only the intrepid take on and one in which only a few prevail.” A war on obesity, not the obese. [Science. 2003] – PubMed – NCBI.
--quoted in https://www.downeyobesityreport.com/t...frey-friedman/
I worked as a biochemist specializing in metabolism for many years. In fact, my first job in the field involved working for a physiologist whose specialty was hormonal control of food intake. Human food intake is primarily controlled by social factors. Genes and hormones play a role, but whether a population of people will eat beyond their needs is a mostly product of their culture. Unfortunately, our culture is one that seems to encourage a great many people to become obese.
Unfortunately, once one has stored away extra fat, it is a bit difficult to get rid of. You basically have to convince your body that the time has come to draw down those energy reserves, and that isn't going to happen as long as you keep your blood sugar up at happy levels. In other words, weight loss will of necessity involve a bit of hypoglycemic suffering, which we cyclists (and swimmers, runners, soccer players, basketball players, etc) call pleasure.
01-19-12, 11:54 PM
#60
Señor Blues
How about those who are not? How about people who have dieted, lost weight, regained, dieted, lost weight, regained? How about people who exercised, had a bad life event, became depressed, and stopped exercising and started eating? Watch out, if you have a bad life event, if you lose social support, you may get that weight back. Being aware of the risks may help a person catch themselves before they fall.
What makes you think I've not had challenges? At the time of my most significant weight loss, 2007, there were some really unfortunate things going on in my life that I truly had no control over. I chose to maintain control over some things that I knew I could control.
Something challenging could happen to me, for sure. As a matter of fact, a while ago I did put some weight back on when I had a knee injury and couldn't exercise for a period. But for me to return to my larger self it would take some physical change that would prevent me from exercising for an extended period of time.
Look, we as humans can make decisions. Sometimes we make good decisions, and sometimes we make bad ones. I still make bad decisions. But regarding my physical health, I try to make the best and most informed decisions I possibly can.
Knowing that my obesity was probably due in large part to factors outside of my control allows me to forgive myself and allows me to be methodical and even a bit obsessive about keeping the weight off. Personal responsibility is a political statement, a truism, not a technique for keeping off weight.
Last edited by on the path; 01-19-12 at 11:57 PM.
01-20-12, 05:36 AM
#61
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On the Path, the author of the above reply has got it right. Taking responsibility for your own life. Good write.
01-20-12, 05:53 AM
#62
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Wasn't there a case a while back where someone successfully sued an airline for this, claiming that their obesity was a disability?
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01-20-12, 06:15 AM
#63
Senior Member
Really? I never thought the concept of personal responsibility was a political one, nor did I ever think of it as a 'technique'. I just thought it was a way of life. Silly me.
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01-20-12, 06:35 AM
#64
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If all the obese people in the US followed a Dr. Oz diet chances are there would be a lot of weight lost. Is there really anyone posting to this thread that thinks that's untrue? Seriously? Throw in some exercise and more would be lost. Not to mention the fast-food joint that would go belly up (pun intended).
01-20-12, 06:41 AM
#65
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Let's suppose it is a matter of will-power and good decision making. So, if someone does not have will power and does not make good decisions, what to do? Is there a shot of "will-power" available. Can we get them into a "decision-making" course?
It still leaves a bunch of obese folks with health concerns.
BTW, there are certain medical conditions which have obesity as a side effect. I have several friends in wheelchairs who have gained weight as a result of their condition and medications they have to take, etc. And, these folks are great decision makers who have good will-power.
It still leaves a bunch of obese folks with health concerns.
BTW, there are certain medical conditions which have obesity as a side effect. I have several friends in wheelchairs who have gained weight as a result of their condition and medications they have to take, etc. And, these folks are great decision makers who have good will-power.
01-20-12, 07:03 AM
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Good Heavens
Strongly held views here
Can I still participate?
135 pounds as a youth cycle racer. 160 pounds now as 58 year old cycle rider. Diabetic since age 17. Medical advice throughout 'don't eat too much, don't eat rubbish, eat slowly, eat more leaves'
Strongly held views here
Can I still participate?
135 pounds as a youth cycle racer. 160 pounds now as 58 year old cycle rider. Diabetic since age 17. Medical advice throughout 'don't eat too much, don't eat rubbish, eat slowly, eat more leaves'
01-20-12, 07:14 AM
#67
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There are, of course, medical conditions that contribute to weight but I'll bet they don't account for more than 10% of the obese people in the US. For the rest of us....eat less, exercise more and eat healthy food. For the vast majority of us it's about personal decisions.
01-20-12, 07:23 AM
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This is the "one simple thing" fallacy and a circular argument. It wasn't complicated for you because you were successful. How about those who are not? How about people who have dieted, lost weight, regained, dieted, lost weight, regained? How about people who exercised, had a bad life event, became depressed, and stopped exercising and started eating? Watch out, if you have a bad life event, if you lose social support, you may get that weight back. Being aware of the risks may help a person catch themselves before they fall.
I lost weight too. I lost a third of my body weight. Sure, I ate less and exercised. Why didn't I before? What were the causes that operated on me that helped me stick to a diet? Why was I successful this time and not before? What keeps me from overeating now that I have lost weight? I spent a lot of time figuring as much of this out as possible so I can use that information to help me keep off the weight. I know a fair amount about habit and conditioning and stimulus control. I know that there is evidence that exercise improves your odds of keeping off the weight, as does weighing yourself regularly. Knowing that my obesity was probably due in large part to factors outside of my control allows me to forgive myself and allows me to be methodical and even a bit obsessive about keeping the weight off. Personal responsibility is a political statement, a truism, not a technique for keeping off weight.
I lost weight too. I lost a third of my body weight. Sure, I ate less and exercised. Why didn't I before? What were the causes that operated on me that helped me stick to a diet? Why was I successful this time and not before? What keeps me from overeating now that I have lost weight? I spent a lot of time figuring as much of this out as possible so I can use that information to help me keep off the weight. I know a fair amount about habit and conditioning and stimulus control. I know that there is evidence that exercise improves your odds of keeping off the weight, as does weighing yourself regularly. Knowing that my obesity was probably due in large part to factors outside of my control allows me to forgive myself and allows me to be methodical and even a bit obsessive about keeping the weight off. Personal responsibility is a political statement, a truism, not a technique for keeping off weight.
I'm glad you found an avenue that worked for you. (A little OT: I found it was a lot easier to stay mortgage-current when I stopped thinking of it as an investment, as so many do, and just regarded it as 'rent on my own place'.... Hey, you only live for free as a child with Mommy & Daddy)
01-20-12, 07:23 AM
#69
Senior Member
It doesn't mean that you can't get the weight off. It does mean though that you may be fighting a battle against biology.
01-20-12, 07:28 AM
#70
Senior Member
Almost; personal responsibility is a code of conduct for someone who is a full-grown adult -- all too absent in society today, by my observation.
I'm glad you found an avenue that worked for you. (A little OT: I found it was a lot easier to stay mortgage-current when I stopped thinking of it as an investment, as so many do, and just regarded it as 'rent on my own place'.... Hey, you only live for free as a child with Mommy & Daddy)
I'm glad you found an avenue that worked for you. (A little OT: I found it was a lot easier to stay mortgage-current when I stopped thinking of it as an investment, as so many do, and just regarded it as 'rent on my own place'.... Hey, you only live for free as a child with Mommy & Daddy)
01-20-12, 07:42 AM
#71
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We frequently tout the importance of weight loss and exercise as a choice for a life of better health, and perhaps one of longevity. The one thing that has not be discussed (at least I haven't noticed it) is those people who don't mind carrying extra weight, or make a choice that allows for obesity as part of their lifestyle. Will their lifespans be shorter? There's a good chance they will be. My maternal grandmother is an example. She was a world class chef that easily weighed 250+ lbs. She died of heart disease at age 68. She knew that her eating habits would shorten her life, and she knew that smoking two packs of Pall Malls cigarettes a day wasn't going to help. And, we haven't even begun to see the whole issue until you know that she could blindfolded, identify any one of five or six cognacs with no more than one taste of each. She would openly acknowledge that she would likely live a shorter life, while also stating that some things in life were what made it pleasurable for her. There was no way she would give up her taste sensations. She did give up smoking, but only when she realized it was having an impact on her ability to taste.
Yet, there is another group of people who are making life choices that will, as a group, have shorter life spans too. Yet, we seem to honor them, not blame, despise, ridicule, or demean them. On average, elite athletes will die by the age of 67, and as one particularly shocking example, an NLF player has a life expectancy of 58. Source: https://strengthplanet.com/other/15-s...s-athletes.htm
So, I go back to my original thoughts, how much bias and prejudice enters into this whole discussion?
Yet, there is another group of people who are making life choices that will, as a group, have shorter life spans too. Yet, we seem to honor them, not blame, despise, ridicule, or demean them. On average, elite athletes will die by the age of 67, and as one particularly shocking example, an NLF player has a life expectancy of 58. Source: https://strengthplanet.com/other/15-s...s-athletes.htm
So, I go back to my original thoughts, how much bias and prejudice enters into this whole discussion?
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A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
Last edited by NOS88; 01-20-12 at 08:59 AM.
01-20-12, 07:51 AM
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01-20-12, 07:52 AM
#73
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Walk a mile their shoes.. then.. realize your saying more about yourself.. with your words.
01-20-12, 08:35 AM
#74
I need speed
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Combining recent reading, and lectures from a PHd physiologist/coach, I believe that strenuous exercise, preferably 6 times per week, does several things:
1. It tells your 'primitive brain', which controls your metabolic systems, that it is spring, game is plentiful, and you need to be able to hunt. The body responds appropriately, burning fat and building muscle.
2. It builds muscle mass, which gets you burning more calories every minute of the day.
3. It creates the positive, more optimistic attitude needed to succeed hunting (or our modern substitutes for hunting: work and sports)
4. It builds mitochondria, red blood cells and capillaries, increasing the O2 you can carry, which increases the amount of fat you can burn. Fat molecules are large, and need lots of O2 to burn.
Conversely, if you aren't constantly exercising (vigorously), you are telling your body that you are in a time of famine, and it needs to shut down as much as possible. It's winter. Go to sleep. There are scientists who believe depression evolved to help put you in that mode. When you are depressed, you don't get out of bed; you don't burn the fat you need to make it through winter. That makes sense to me, as there is clearly a link between lack of exercise and depression. It's a circular thing. I understand the depression side pretty well, having fought it much of my life. I don't, anymore, and credit that to my constant exercise (10-12 hours/week). I've become one of those happy, (almost) every day is fantastic sort of people. Annoying as hell to those like I used to be: exasperated, frustrated, depressed, blaming other people and factors.
For me, I can tell when I really have my body in fat burning mode, and I only got there by 'training' versus just doing some exercise. 4-5 hour rides at a level of exertion that balance fat and carb burning, with no pre-ride meal, and almost nothing during the ride (some peanut butter). I train my body that all it has to burn is fat. I've really only been in that mode twice, during "base" training periods. Last year, and I'm there right now. Cutting the long rides back to taper for races puts me in a different mode.
Plugging "Younger Next Year" again, they propose these three keys to extending a healthful life:
1. Exercise intensely 6 times per week (7 is best)
2. Eat right.
3. Be "Committed" to something. Have a passion that gives your activities purpose.
I combine 1 and 3, and do #2 to support that. It works for me. I'm at my ideal weight, healthy (my immune system amazes me now), happy (from within) and productive. More so than at any other time in my life.
IMHO, it's all about the exercise. If you exercise enough, and do it correctly, there is just no way to be obese. I recognize that doing so just won't happen for some people, for a variety of factors. Hey, I was 56 before I did it. I do look at it, however, as having made a decision, and one that was available earlier in life had I just made it then.
1. It tells your 'primitive brain', which controls your metabolic systems, that it is spring, game is plentiful, and you need to be able to hunt. The body responds appropriately, burning fat and building muscle.
2. It builds muscle mass, which gets you burning more calories every minute of the day.
3. It creates the positive, more optimistic attitude needed to succeed hunting (or our modern substitutes for hunting: work and sports)
4. It builds mitochondria, red blood cells and capillaries, increasing the O2 you can carry, which increases the amount of fat you can burn. Fat molecules are large, and need lots of O2 to burn.
Conversely, if you aren't constantly exercising (vigorously), you are telling your body that you are in a time of famine, and it needs to shut down as much as possible. It's winter. Go to sleep. There are scientists who believe depression evolved to help put you in that mode. When you are depressed, you don't get out of bed; you don't burn the fat you need to make it through winter. That makes sense to me, as there is clearly a link between lack of exercise and depression. It's a circular thing. I understand the depression side pretty well, having fought it much of my life. I don't, anymore, and credit that to my constant exercise (10-12 hours/week). I've become one of those happy, (almost) every day is fantastic sort of people. Annoying as hell to those like I used to be: exasperated, frustrated, depressed, blaming other people and factors.
For me, I can tell when I really have my body in fat burning mode, and I only got there by 'training' versus just doing some exercise. 4-5 hour rides at a level of exertion that balance fat and carb burning, with no pre-ride meal, and almost nothing during the ride (some peanut butter). I train my body that all it has to burn is fat. I've really only been in that mode twice, during "base" training periods. Last year, and I'm there right now. Cutting the long rides back to taper for races puts me in a different mode.
Plugging "Younger Next Year" again, they propose these three keys to extending a healthful life:
1. Exercise intensely 6 times per week (7 is best)
2. Eat right.
3. Be "Committed" to something. Have a passion that gives your activities purpose.
I combine 1 and 3, and do #2 to support that. It works for me. I'm at my ideal weight, healthy (my immune system amazes me now), happy (from within) and productive. More so than at any other time in my life.
IMHO, it's all about the exercise. If you exercise enough, and do it correctly, there is just no way to be obese. I recognize that doing so just won't happen for some people, for a variety of factors. Hey, I was 56 before I did it. I do look at it, however, as having made a decision, and one that was available earlier in life had I just made it then.