Lost and Found – a Novel by Ron Rink

What Makes Us Fat?

What makes us fat?

So far we’ve talked about how much water we drink, how many miles we walk, what effect genetics might play, how getting older might play a role in our nutrition and weight loss goals, what that awful junk food will do to us, our need to avoid calorie-rich foods, how eating out can be fun if we use some caution about what we order and how much we eat, how alcoholic drinks can have a major effect on the size of our waistlines, and yesterday, what it can mean if we don’t pay attention to the details on those food labels.

(Have you noticed how long that paragraph is getting? I do that just in case you’ve missed a couple of days so you can go back and read.)

Now for today — let’s focus on how much exercise we get.

Lack of exercise is just one of the many reasons why we are getting so fat in this country. We spend way too much time on our butts — and not enough time doing the things that will help us to burn off some of those calories.

When you think about what happens in the average home in the USA at the end of a normal workday —

(1) — We get home.
(2) — For many of us we make a drink, have a glass of wine, or have a beer to help us relax after a hard work day.
(3) — For many of us (even if we don’t make a drink) we have a snack before dinner.
(4) — Again, for many of us, while we’re sipping our drink and having our snack, we begin the preparation for our big meal of the day. (Even though the snack will often fill us up.)
(5) — Then we eat the dinner — and it’s usually the largest meal of our day.
(6) — Then, for many of us, we settle down with a full belly, very relaxed because we have a drink in us, and we sit and watch TV until its time to go to bed.

Now, I used the phrase “for many of us” because I do know the above routine is not the same in every household. In fact, in some households, particularly those who farm for a living, the “big meal” is eaten at lunchtime. with only a “supper” after the workday is done.

The main point here is that we tend to live very sedentary lives. In fact that is the rule, rather than the exception, in the United States.

When we don’t get enough exercise, our metabolism slows down and our bodies cut way back on the calorie-burning when we’re at rest. When you don’t burn the calories, your body will automatically start to store those extra calories as fat, and you’ll gain weight. Not only that, but if you don’t exercise, your body will begin to break down your muscles — and you need those muscles to burn fat. The cycle then replays — lack of muscle-mass causes the metabolism to slow down even more — and on and on and on.

You see, if you are an active person, and you get plenty of exercise, your metabolism will keep your calorie-burning furnace working even when you’re not exercising and your nutrition and weight loss objectives will be reached.

So, up and at ‘em folks — let’s go for a walk!

I’ll be back the first of the week.

Until then, remember to follow a good-fat — good-carb diet and stay with your regular exercise.

Here is some information about the nutritional supplements I add to my nutrition and weight loss program. These have helped me more than I would have ever imagined. I’m not kidding. Click on the links in the box below — you won’t be sorry!

Have a great day. I’ll be back tomorrow with some more nutrition and weight loss thoughts for you.

And give the South Beach Diet a try. That’s what I follow. Here’s where to go to learn more:

Shanti,

Ron
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This entry was posted on Saturday, March 25th, 2006 at 11:18 am and is filed under Nutrition and Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.