Living by the Numbers . . .

What is it about numbers?  Whether we should or not, most of us live by them – thirty days, makes a habit;  eight glasses of water a day; 13.5/26K runs, you know the drill.

Well, here’s a couple of more for you.  Did you know that the ideal Body Mass Index is 18.5 – 24.9?  The long and short of it is that if your BMI is higher than 24.9, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease.  Click this link to access the American Heart Association’s calculator for an easy way to figure your personal BMI.  http://bit.ly/1KPgMcQ

Okay, so now that you’ve had a sobering reality check, let’s talk about some ways to reduce your Body Mass Index.  Here’s the theory:  Water weight resides in fat cells.  Salt accumulates in fat cells.  Salt holds water.  So if you want to reduce your water weight, you’ll need to reduce your salt intake, – in my case, hard to do – drink 64 ounces (also hard to do in my case) of water each and every day.  Guess what? You’ll flush that salt out of your fat cells in no time, and begin the process of true weight reduction.  While fat cells never really die, the mass of them do change in form as the body begins to use stored fat cells for energy production.  This is when it becomes obvious to you, and others, that you’re losing weight.

And then there’s that Triglyceride thing.  Lipid fats are found in the blood,  and stored in fat cells,  and are later used and released by hormones to be used as energy between meals.  Normal triglyceride levels are measured at 150 milligrams per deciliter. You ask,  what is a deciliter? It’s one tenth of a liter.  This is where monitoring your fat intake comes in.  And, if your triglyceride levels are abnormally high, watch out! Here comes that dreaded heart disease, and the treatment for it is that controversial drug called a “statin.”  In my case, as having a “borderline elevated” triglyceride level, I’ve decided to beef up my Omega-3 intake.   It’s a simple fix, but will only be successful if all the other pieces of this weight-loss-fat-cell-reduction puzzle are in place.  

Okay, so getting back to this ongoing process of fat cell reduction/elimination, what do you do to further improve your energy levels and develop, maintain, and strengthen your muscles?  Those around me call it “buffing up.”  In short, weight lifting, resistance training and exercises that not only improve your appearance but also your mental outlook.  Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?  While it may sound simple, to monitor and control your weight loss/gain is nothing short of  hard and arduous work – especially for those, like me, who love to eat at night and, and as a writer, have a mostly sedentary daily lifestyle.  We have to make a determined effort to make every step count in our daily routines. But, take heart, as you can do it.  After assessing your opportunities for victories and pitfalls, take a minute to figure out new strategies for weight loss and how you can implement them.  I’m telling you that, as resistant as I am to –whatever-, if I can do this, you certainly can, too.  My little Scottie dog, Quincy, has never enjoyed his morning and afternoon walks so much.  For my other weight loss remedies and exercise/food routines, he just takes a back seat and watches cautiously. 

So having said all of this, I’m also making sure that I’m eating enough protein every day. Did you know that protein works with fat and carbohydrates to give the blood it’s needed composition to take oxygen to the heart, brain, lungs, etc., in addition to carrying the hormones that use elements to fuel the body?  Simply put, protein fuels the body as well – and you need lots of it.  Easy sources of protein include the ingestion of eggs, milk, yogurt, lean mean, pistachio nuts, pork, fish, leafy green vegetables – broccoli, kale, spinach, etc. – and legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, alfalfa, etc) nuts, and seeds.  And, of course, there’s always that great low-calorie, high-protein summer cooler,  cottage cheese.  For those of us on the run, we can always grab something easy like roasted soy nuts, protein bars, jerky, string cheese, almond peanut butter packs, protein powder drinks, boiled eggs, etc. as we run out the door – or as a nutritious in-between-meal snack. All of this can work if you set yourself up for success instead of surrendering to impulse, or worse yet, old habits.  

So I’ve given you lots of numbers, strategies, food recommendations, etc.  I mention all of these, as when I’m generally pleased with myself and my energy levels, I tend not to over-eat, binge-eat, or even worse – eat at night.  For me, it works; and, I hope it does for you, too.
Copyright © 1/1/2015 -      , CB, Bed Warrior