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Fitness for Everyone
By Joan Frentz
Can you be fit and be fat?
I have a close friend who has fought the weight battle for years. It has been a battle, one she finally had to admit, she wouldn’t win. She exercises on a regular basis, walking, working out at the gym, taking aerobic classes and swimming. “Fat and fit” has become her motto. “ I realized if I wasn’t going to stop making myself miserable by being overly concerned about my weight, the stress affect was going to undo me long before accepting being overweight.” Diet after diet had been unsuccessful. Psychiatric therapy hadn’t helped. Desserts and sweets were not a concern or was her daily glass of wine. “I’m from a traditional Italian family, I love my pasta and the wonderful Italian bread, and living in New York, the bagels aren’t too bad either.
In fact, at one time the gym she worked out at was called, “Fit and Fat.” Annamaria could go and feel comfortable there. She didn’t have to confront a roomful of beautiful trim bodies. The members, all overweight took their exercise programs seriously. Motivated by the encouragement she received from the trainers, Annamaria knew she could be fit.
Do calories count?
Our bodies are continually burning calories. When determining how many calories you burn during a day first start with the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), or the calories needed to keep us alive, breathing, making red blood cells, maintaining body temperature, and even thinking, which burns calories. One’s BMR accounts for almost two thirds of the calories we need. The higher our BMR is the more we can eat. The second largest user of calories is physical activity, exercise and moving through one’s day. And the last component is the energy needed for transporting, absorbing and metabolizing nutrients from the food we eat. Take in more calories than your body needs and you will gain weight. Therefore finding out your caloric needs plays an important role in weight control. However, this doesn’t seem to be the ultimate solution. Counting calories is only part of the answer. Your age, physical activities, mental stress, and digestive health all influence your caloric needs. The answer is in knowing what you are eating and how much (moderation can go a long way) and keep trying until you find what works for you.
Check out “Diet & Fitness” at www.ivillage.com. “Calories alone don’t account for how various foods affect the body… the food we eat has an impact on mood, digestion, immunity, water retention, energy, blood sugar levels and the all-important hormones glucagons and insulin.” According to a University of Chicago study, women’s metabolism rose 40 percent with a good night’s sleep.
Maintain a balanced diet that includes fresh vegetables, fiber and some fruit. Cut back on processed and refined foods - white bread, baked snacks. Eat plenty of protein and lessen the carbohydrates… I am certain that you have heard all this before. Repetition never hurts.
If you must you must!
If you must have that snack or can’t resist your favorite piece of candy or cake, relish the time you spend eating it. Don’t gulp it down. Stick with snacks that have fewer calories… A hard piece of candy has only 20 calories and can last a long time. Skip the 300-400 calorie dish of ice cream. Two Oreo cookies, a McDonald’s ice cream cone, Starbucks frappuccino ice cream bar, Jell-o and whipped cream, angel food cake with strawberries, and a fudgsicle, all are less than 150 calories.
Instead of moving your mouth, move your body!
Strong muscles burn more calories. Get out there and mow your lawn, dig in your garden, take that long daily walk, walk your dog, and then thoroughly enjoy a thank-yourself treat.
Presently in the process of writing a book and speaking on the subject of “Body Awareness - Exercise & Fitness for the “Active/Mature Woman,” Joan teaches privately and at The Firm Athletic Club in Carpinteria. She can be reached at 566-4987.
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| "Exercise, combined with proper diet
and an active and curious mind, plays
an important role in the quality and
length of your life."
- Joan Frentz |
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