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So there has been an article going around this week, "Why the Campaign to Stop America's Obesity Crisis Keeps Failing". The article is largely a rebuttal of sorts to some of the information presented in the upcoming HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation. The author of the article, Gary Taubes, points out that the anti-obesity establishment largely touts the principle of energy imbalance as the reason we get fat. At heart, the problem being that "we consume too many calories and expend too few".
Taubes's argument is that the establishment's theory "ignores" the implication of specific foods--namely refined sugars and grains--which have negative effects on the insulin hormone that regulates fat accumulation. Simply put, not all calories are created equal, and those that come from refined sugars and grains are the most harmful.
And you know? I KNOW THIS. I've seen it in practice, when I was following the glycemic index meal plan while I was pregnant. I started out with a few pounds to lose and only ended up gaining 26 pounds, most of which was comprised of babies and fluid. I fully believe that it was because of the way I was eating that kept my weight in check, and the babies were able to use a lot of what I already had for their nutrition.
Now, I could be wrong on that whole theory about the babies using my "extra" weight, but I am certain I am not wrong about my diet keeping my weight under control. After I had the girls, I continued to follow the glycemic index for the first several weeks. Even when I slacked off a bit, I kept a lot of what I'd learned in mind and was able to keep my weight well below my pre-pregnancy number for quite some time.
I can't pinpoint exactly when that all went out the window, but the scales and my body clearly reflect that it did. Experience tells me that instead of drastically reducing my daily calorie intake and struggling to exercise more and more (which I could stand more of, sure, but that's not really the point here), the single best thing I could do for myself is to return to eating by the plan that I know works. WHY AM I NOT DOING THIS?
I really have no answer to this question, except that it's hard sometimes. Which kind of sums the whole thing up in one statement, because again, I know from experience that after awhile it's not nearly as hard to turn down those tempting desserts, the potatoes, or that basket of bread. Well, okay, the bread is always a hard one for me, but it's a lot easier to do when I am seeing the results of those sacrifices. But I have to start--really and truly start, not half-assing it the way I have been--to see a difference and therefore, keep my motivation going.
So I guess this is my commitment anew to getting myself in gear and doing what I know needs to be done for myself and my health and my body. I really am at pretty much an all-time low regarding my satisfaction with my body right now...no better time to start again, right?
Here we go....
Good for you! I had gained about 15 pounds after the girls turned one and I'm positive it was due to them eating more adult food. It was so easy to pick off their plates. I've now lost most of that due to exercise and using My Fitness Pal, which helps me to document exactly what I'm putting in my body.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it!
Good for you! I had gained about 15 pounds after the girls turned one and I'm positive it was due to them eating more adult food. It was so easy to pick off their plates. I've now lost most of that due to exercise and using My Fitness Pal, which helps me to document exactly what I'm putting in my body.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it!
It's not so much of a weight issue for me, but a health issue...but I often marvel at myself. I am so particular about what the girls eat, 95% of the time. If I could hold myself to a similar standard, even 85% of the time, I think it would be great.
ReplyDeleteOf course the girls don't really know the evils of the food they have never had (jelly beans don't call out to them from the candy aisle, as they've only ever had two jelly beans in their little lives!). It is hard to make the right choices many times, even though we KNOW they are the right ones.
I had gotten into a terrible habit of snacking on CRAP after the girls were in bed. I would do fine all day, and then succumb to something icky (or even too much of something not-terribly icky) at night.
I'm trying to curtail that habit. And I do believe - at least for me - it's a habit.
Good luck, Deanna!