"Fed Up," the latest documentary about nutrition, dietary theories, and food politics makes a case for the risks of a diet high in sugar and processed foods. If you've been reading my blog posts, you'll know I support staying clear of sugars and artificial sweeteners found in all processed foods.
But, it's a second idea put forth in this documentary that troubles me.
The idea that the calorie deficit equation or calories in vs. calories out does not work.
Weight loss is not a simple task. If it were, we could figure out our resting metabolic rate or energy it takes for our particular body to just survive. We could subtract 3500 calories per week or balance with calories burned on the treadmill or in spin class and lose about a pound a week.
Does this work? Yes... and no.
And, more importantly, if we cannot burn calories to lose weight or body fat, does this mean we get a free pass to avoid the gym or physical activity?
Let's start by addressing the first part of the equation, calories in. As much as the food processors and marketers would like you to believe, all calories are not equal. The human body is designed to maintain a state of homeostatis or balance in order to survive. This means we need a particular balance of macro- and micronutrients, enzymes, water to function. If we do not feed our bodies what we need, we will experience cravings, eating an indefinite amount of excess calories.
In other words, man cannot live on bread, or In & Out, or Lean Cuisines or fro yo, or power bars alone.
Think of your body like a very expensive, fine-tuned engine. More Maserati or Ferrari than Hyundai. Car enthusiasts use premium gas to ensure their wheels run smoothly. You'd never dump a bowl of sugar under the hood and pray for the best.
Feed your body whole foods, lean proteins (primarily plant-based), fruits and vegetables, actual whole grains like brown rice rather than some Franken-fiberized "whole grain" fluffy hamburger bun or chips. Include healthy fats like Omega-3s and even some saturated fats found in coconut oil. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you're full. Listen to your body, even if that means you must get reaquainted with the feeling of hunger and fullness. Be present when you eat.
So, if you do switch to a "clean" diet, should you eschew exercise for watching "The Bachelorette" on the couch or pressing the snooze bar a few more times?
If we look at exercise as only part of the calories burned paradigm, we'd need to log sixty minutes on the treadmill just to cover that bowl of cereal with milk. The focus on calories burned is a pretty ineffective tool for weight control.
I spent most of my adult years as a compulsive dieter and calorie torcher. But even during my calorie counting mania, I enjoyed exercise classes for the feeling I'd experience during and after a sweaty class, perhaps even more than the promise of a few pounds burned each month.
Exercise is so much more than a tool to burn extra calories or lose a few pounds. Our bodies are designed for movement. Since our daily lives don't involve chasing after our food or being chased by a dinosaur or other threat, we live rather sedentary lifestyles.
We need a combination of cardio (exercise that raises our heart rate), resistance training to build and maintain muscle and bone mass. And stretching for flexibility. I haven't even mentioned the psychological and stress-releasing benefits.
As we age, we lose muscle mass. When we don't feed our bodies the right balance of protein, fats, carbs, we pull from muscle mass to feed our bodies, just like if our diets don't include enough calcium, our bodies pull from our bone mass. Dieting alone without exercise will accelerate loss of muscle. And when we lose muscle mass, our resting metabolic rate decreases.
Resistance training, with weights, machines, or our own body resistance, helps preserve muscle mass so for hours after your barre or yoga class or hour at the gym, your metabolic rate is still increased.
When we practice mind/body exercise like yoga or barre or Pilates, we become more in tune with our bodies and needs. Since I switched up most of my workouts to yoga and barre, I have found I am much more aware of actual hunger and what I want to eat. If you've spent a few hours exercising, you are likely not running out to grab a double double or the rest of that box of cookies in your cabinet.
Most of us live hectic, hurried, stressful lives in with little downtime. We aren't present because we are tethered to our i Phones or smart phones, panicked without WiFi access. The seductive temptation of a cupcake or some other fat/sugar double whammy is alluring when we are exhausted, facing work deadlines, have to bring the kids to soccer, and hoping to have a healthy dinner on the table.
Lots of women have shared with me they are unable to resist the call of a midafternoon dessert, frozen yogurt with toppings, or an iced blended mocha. Sugar lights up the same receptors in our brain that cocaine and other drugs light up. And sweets bring us back to our childhood.
Switch out the afternoon treat with a walk with a friend. Throw in an exercise tape. Take a class. The endorphin rush you'll get from a workout relieves stress and makes you feel better about yourself.
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