What Is A Healthy Weight?

One of the questions I get asked a lot from my clients is, "What is my healthy weight?"  It is a difficult question and one that doesn't really have a short answer.

If I was a dietitian who didn't believe in what I believe in, I'd probably answer something along the lines of, "Well your healthy weight is when your Body Mass Index (BMI) is in the normal range (18.5 to 24.9)"  But I don't believe that.  If you've read my blog before, you're not surprised that even just typing that phrase, makes me cringe.

So how would I define a healthy weight?  I asked my wife what she thought that meant and I think that her answer pretty much captures how I feel. "Your healthy weight is the weight you are at when you stop worrying about your weight."  I would tweak it just a little to say, "A healthy weight is when you focus on health, not your weight."

But what does that mean and what is health?  That my friends, is where the real conversation begins.  As with all things, the real question might not be what is asked but rather why are you asking?  Why are you wondering about that? Why is finding your healthy weight important?  Why do you include "weight" in the question?  Shouldn't the question simply be about finding your health?  I've shared the graphic below many times and it's on my Facebook page but it really helps illustrate why weight should not be at the center of the question but rather your health should be at the center.

When weight is the focus, we do anything to change it and that can lead to difficult relationship with food.  So let's take weight out of the equation and just focus on health.  

So what does health look like and how do you find it?  Well it's not just one thing it is going to be a whole host of things.  If I had to boil it down to a list (because we all love lists), here's what I would say a "healthy" person is doing on a regular basis (in no particular order). 

1) Connecting with friends and/or family on a regular basis.

2) Finding pleasure and satisfaction in everyday things

3) Moving their body 

4) Finding ways to reduce stress

5) Getting adequate sleep

6) Finding time to stop, unplug and truly rest

7) Listening to their bodies cues on hunger and fullness

Of course the problem is that these things are hard.  There's no simple solution to health and tryting to improve one thing on the above list is not done in a vacuum.  Getting healthy touches all parts of our lives and it takes work. 

What does health look like to you?  Can you take "weight" out of the equation and instead focus on learning to just be healthy?  

Happy Is The New Healthy

Recently I saw this interesting article on Huffington Post.  It was an infographic (displayed on the left) that showed which states were the happiest.  The study done by the University of Vermont analyzed Tweets from across the country looking for negative language.  Using that data and calculations they tried to see which states were the most negative and positive thereby assuming which regions were happier than others.   The states with the ligther colors were "happier" than those that were darker.  

When I saw that map, the first thing I thought about was a similar map we've all seen so many times from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which shows obesity rates across the country (see map below). 

These maps make me think about the old chicken vs. the egg argument.  Which came first, the weight gain or the negative attitude?  Thinking about it, I thought of course the happiness is first then weight follows.  My wife saw this and thought of course the weight gain came first and then the decline in happiness follows.  We each saw it totally differently.  

My theory is this: happiness leads to healthy behaviors.  I'm not discussing obesity rates, I'm talking about behaviors.  The states that are happiest--California, Colorado, Arizona Nevada, Minnesota, etc--also seem to have lower obesity rates.  Ok, so I don't love BMI as a tool to determine health but for the sake of this argument it is an interesting basic correlation.  

It reminds me of another theory about health as it relates to behaviors and that is Blue Zones, These are communities around the world where people have longer life spans than the general populations.  The notion is by looking at these communities we can try to see the key to not just living longer but also living better.  The Blue Zone site recommends the Power 9®: the behaviors these Blue Zones have in common that lead to longevity.  If you take a look at them you'll notice that many are about belonging, connection with people, friendships and overall happiness.  

My theory is simple.  Live happier, live longer.  I don't care what your weight is but if you are happier, you are going to have healthier behaviors that will help you have a better quality of life.  

Think about it, when you are depressed, sad, lonely, bored or angry, how many of us go to food to help us feel better?  Perhaps if we worked on being happier instead of being thinner we'd eat a lot better. We'd move our bodies more.  We'd live longer and live better.

So what do you think?  Is your health determined by your happiness?

What's Wrong with Fat?

Photo Courtesy of Oxford University Press

I was fortunate enough today to attend a lecture with Abigail Saguy, PhD discussing her new book, "What's Wrong with Fat?"  It was a very interesting discussion and I'm excited to read the book to learn more about what she has to say about "fatness" and our society.

The major point of her discussion today was to help us question whether our society's emphasis on the "Obesity Epidemic" is really helping or are we stigmatizing those individuals who are overweight or obese.  By the way, Dr. Saguy used the word fat so I'll use that here instead of the former terms.

Her talk was very interesting and I'm not going list each point but the the highlight was learning about how we "frame" the obesity or fat issue has an effect on how we address it.  Most of my fellow employees in healthcare see fatness as a medical issue.  Something that can be cured or fixed with the right treatment.  Some of my fellow RDs see it as a public health issue where numbers are reaching epidemic proportions.  But lastly, there are some who would see fatness as a social justice issue, where fat is just a diversity issue and we must learn to accept people no matter what their size without bias or stereotypes.

She also discussed how no matter what perspective we use, there is research that would suggest that weight alone is not a good predictor of mortality.  One study she highlighted was Flegal KM, et al., 293[15]: 1861-7, 20 April 2005 in which the authors found this notion of an "obesity paradox" where people with BMIs between 26 and 29 (overweight) actually had a decreased risk of death compared to those in the normal weight category.

As we concluded she closed by questioning why our perception of fat changed over that last 100 years.  It used to be that being fat was a desirable trait but that is no longer the case.  But today, being fat is quite negative.  When you see someone who is fat, what do you think?  "They're lazy and weak. They're slobs and how could they do this to themselves?"  One interesting point that Dr. Saguy made was by explaining that a disproportionate number of minorities and lower income people are fat compared to other groups.  Fatness aside, these groups are also ones that are often discriminated against for other reasons so are we just adding another by making obesity such an issue?

As a dietitian, this topic is extremely important in the work that I do.  Many of my colleagues and other health-care providers will not agree with me, but I agree with Dr. Saguy and I feel that if we can take weight out of the equation we can focus on the behaviors that really matter.  Why should we force our clients to lose weight when 1) most will likely gain weight and 2) losing weight might not improve their health unless they change their behaviors?

As a individual, this topic hits home with me.  I am fat!  I have a belly but that does not limit me in my health.  I can run, I can play sports, I can bike and I am healthy.  I know that some of my clients and some of my fellow employees look at me and say to themselves, "Why is this guy teaching a class on losing weight! He should take some of his own advice."   Well to those folks I say this: my weight is just one part of me. From what I learned today and what I continue to learn, it does not mean I have five years less to live than you.

So what do you think, does Dr. Saguy make you change the way you think about how we frame the question of obesity/fatness?

Ready for 26.2!?

My apologies for not updating this blog more frequently but life has been busy.

I've written about my fitness bucket list that I created to help motivate myself and others to be more active and so far its been working.  I am getting ready to cross the first thing off my list.  Watch out world, because I will be running the LA Marathon this Sunday, March 17th.

There are so many emotions as I get ready for this Sunday.  I'm excited because the long road of training is finally over.  I'm anxious about my performance.  I'm scared of not being able to finish.  I am proud of how far I have come to date.

My goal is to finish the marathon.  I won't lie, I wish I was faster but I'm not. I wish I could run without walk breaks but I can't.   I wish I could finish in under 5 hours but I won't.  But I have to keep telling myself that it is about progress not perfection.  Three years ago I would have never dreamed of doing a marathon and each long training run has been a new personal record for distance. I look forward to setting a new personal record this Sunday!

My running partner shared a great quote with me today that captures it all, "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John Bingham, spokesperson for the slow running movement.

What will you have the courage to start?

Don't Believe the Hype!

Being a dietitian is one of the best jobs.  I love meeting new people, telling them what I do and then, like magic, they start to talk to me about the latest new diet they are on, hoping to hear my vote of approval.  The only approval they usually get is a smile, a nod and simple comment, "That's nice." I also love just walking around and seeing all the ads and products out there that entice us to lose weight with minimal effort.  Being a dietitian is not just about having good counseling skills, you have to have a little myth busting skills also. This past week I had two different experiences that were great examples of what I described above.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

First off, my family and I ventured to the local mall on Saturday night.  It's 100+ degrees where we live and my wife and I figured we'd give our A/C a rest and head over to the mall for dinner and some people watching.  As we were strolling along, I came across one of those kiosks they have set up in the middle of the mall.  This particular one was selling a vibrating platform exercise machine (left).  Naturally, I had to stop and take a look.  My myth busting sensors were going berserk. Could standing on a vibrating platform really deliver all the benefits they promised?  They claim that you can replace your 60 minute workout with just 10 minutes on the vibration exercise machine and "melt" the fat away.  The machine is simple, you stand on the platform and it vibrates from side to side.  In order to maintain your balance you contract your muscles multiple times per minute.  The constant contracting creates a feeling like your muscles have exerted themselves but are you getting the same benefit from other forms of exercise?  From what I've found here, here and here, the answer is that these machines do serve some purpose for a select few groups: It can provide a brief benefit to athletes, it can help prevent bone loss and may be beneficial with some improved balance.  There has not been substantial research to prove that it is as effective as a 60 minute workout especially for the benefit of weight loss.  Research aside, these products (and there are a lot of them) prey on our hunger for the easy way out.  We want so badly to think that vibrating for 10 minutes a day will pay off with six pack abs, tighter tushies and will make the fat fade away.  If this is really how desperate we have become, I shudder to think about what product is coming out next.  Your guess is as good as mine.

The second "dietitian moment" I had this week was when I learned about a new weight loss plan: the 4-Hour Body Diet.  I was at a wedding and someone who was sitting at the same table told me about their experience trying this diet. What is the 4-Hour Body plan? Well first off, the author has created this amazing movie-style trailer that would sell anyone!  The program claims: 20 lb weight loss in just 30 days, improved testosterone and sperm counts, increased energy with only two hours of sleep each day and six pack abs with just a six minute workout.  The meal plan is similar to any other low-carb or paleo style diet.  No carbs, no fruit and limited dairy.  What's new about this though is there is one day when you are allowed to eat whatever ever you want and as much as you want.  The author, Tim Ferriss has no credentials in nutrition or exercise to substantiate his boastful claims but instead says he was the "guinea pig" and tested the different ideas on his own body. So for those who love studies, when it comes to the 4-Hour Body, n=1.  There are some great articles that discuss why the 4-Hour Body is not a good idea and you can read them here, and here. Besides not being based on any sound science and totally unrealistic, if you need another reason not to do something like the 4-Hour Body, it is endorsed by my favorite TV doctor, Dr. Oz which should speak volumes enough.  So back to my encounter at the wedding, I asked the person telling me about the diet how they did and they said, "Great, I lost 5 lbs."  They also said that they stopped the diet because they got sick of eating so much meat and ended up craving more fruits and carbs.

One week and two more examples of our quick-fix mentality about weight loss.  As we focus on the scale and obsess about our bodies, we lose sight of the fact that improving our health takes work.  Getting healthy is not about the number on the scale or about your dress size or about how big your biceps are.  It takes effort.  It takes a commitment to self-exploration.  Improving your health is about learning how to deal with your emotions without food. Its about moving your body not just to sweat or to build muscles, but because movement helps relieve stress and because you feel better about yourself after a workout.

If you want to lose 20 lbs in 30 days go for it.  If 10 minutes on a vibrating machine sounds fun to you, have at it.  Once you get tired of your no-carb, no fruit, high protein diet with one day to "pig out" and once you realize that our rattling innards have had enough, call me.  I'll be here, waiting to help you on the journey to improved health.  No gimmicks, no promises of quick fixes.  Just an honest conversation about food, exercise and your health.

Why I Garden

This summer is the third year that I've planted a vegetable garden in our back yard and each time I learn something new.  You might think, "Well of course he has a garden, he's a dietitian." I originally planted my garden for almost that exact reason but also because:  

• I wanted my twins to know where fruits and vegetables come from. 
• I wanted to have more control over my food and where it comes from so a garden seemed like a great way to accomplish that.
• I wanted to see if I could actually get anything to grow!

Now, I must confess that I am a very low maintenance gardner.  I water, I weed, and I harvest and probably not as often as I should.  I basically have a Ron Popeil attitude: I set it and forget it.  I would not say I have a green thumb, it's more yellowish and probably from over or under watering, I don't know which.

As the years go on, though, my garden has become more than I expected.  It all started a few days ago,  my daughter said something to me that really made me think.  She's 4 1/2 and when we were outside watering together she said, "Dad we have to share the food we grow, right?  That's what we are supposed to do with our garden."  She probably said this because she noticed that if we have something ripe to harvest, and we are going over to a friend's house, we bring whatever we pick as a gift. 

After thinking about what my daughter said for a couple of days I realized that yes, part of the fun of having a garden is that I get to share my harvest with friends.  

My garden is not just about what I do to the dirt and to the plants, it's about what the dirt and plants do to me.  If I spend 5 minutes outside in my garden, I notice I am more relaxed.  I am so proud when I see a small piece of fruit or vegetable start to form.  I feel accomplished.  I also get great joy from watching my kids look for worms, pick ready-to-eat vegetables, and help choose what to plant each year.  Although my yield each harvest is relatively small, nothing tastes as good as a vegetable that you grew in your own yard. 

My garden helps connect me to my food which is another exercise in Intuitive Eating.  I want to savor each bite of cucumber, corn, tomato or pepper that comes from my own work. 

To really understand what a garden can do for you, watch the YouTube video below from a recent Ted Talk. 

 

So how is my garden doing this year?  Here are some pictures so you see how things are going.  And I will add more photos as things continue to grow.  As always, I welcome your comments and thoughts.

Starters I purchased for planting.  Total cost ~$25

Two raised 4x4 beds divided into 1x1 squares ready for planting

Plants organized in their 1x1 plot

Planted and ready to grow!

Our first jalepenos 

This kids chose to plant "burpless" cucumbers!

Look how things have grown so far

Summer squash flowering after just a few weeks.

"Intuitive Eating? That Sounds Dangerous"

That is exactly what my close friend's doctor said after their most recent visit this week.  Apparently my friend has gained some weight over the past two years and the doctor said she was concerned about the trend.  My friend mentioned that I'm a dietitian and of course what did the doctor say, "You should have him make you a meal plan." My friend, who has been trying to become an Intuitive Eater, tried to explain some of the basic principles.  That is when the doctor laid out the gem that is the title of this blog post.  Her next sentence was, "I would intuit to have a candy bar every day."  Well doc, maybe that is just what your body needs.

Intuitive Eating (IE) is scary for some people.  Imagine what it must be like after years of dieting and the constant good vs. bad fight going on in your head to then say, I can eat whatever I want.  The answer is yes...yes you can.  One of the basic principles of IE is to make peace with food.  This means giving yourself unconditional permission to eat.  When we don't have permission to eat what we crave, we hide what we eat, we binge and most of all we feel guilty and like a failure when we do "cheat."  Until you break down all the existing food rules and diet mentality, you can not learn to listen to your body and choose the foods that honor your health.

I feel horrible now because my friend is once again obsessed with the scale.  They are once again looking at diet books and different tools to help that silly number on the scale go in the right direction instead of focusing on their health.

I think what upset me the most about the doctor's comments was two things.  First, the doctor dismissed IE like it's just some trivial notion...that eating what we crave and making peace with food is something from a science fiction movie.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  IE is written by accomplished RDs, it's based on research and we are finding that Intuitive Eaters are healthy individuals.  The second is that doctors have influence over people.  And to make a comment like that to someone who is struggling to listen to their intuition is a real set back into their diet mentality.  This is the exact sort of situation that believers of Intuitive Eating struggle with all the time.  It is part of all of our journeys.

If you would like to read some of the research on IE, just click here.  Also, weight is not the only determinate of good health and some would argue that weight is actually a very poor indicator of health. If you are interested in learning more about that go here and here.

As always I welcome your comments.

Source: operationbeautiful.com via Jessie on Pinterest

Becoming an Intuitive Runner

At the finish of my 2nd 10K.  Notice the smile
on my face!

Since the start of 2011, I've found that I really enjoy running! I never EVER thought I would say that but it's true. All this coming from someone who swore they would never run again after Jr. High PE.

Why do I like running? First off, I feel really good about myself after a run.  I get this amazing feeling like I can do anything.  Secondly, I find that after a run, I'm more centered, my stress level is down and I feel better throughout the day.

Just like all things exercise in my past, I hit a bit of a drop in my running over the past few months.  Lack of motivation and less free time to run with my great running partner have really had an affect on my workouts. Even though I missed running, for some reason I couldn't get out and do it...even though rationally I knew I would feel better after. 

But after using some of my Intuitive Eating (IE) principles, I think I might have found the answer to my running.  I am pleased to say that I am on my way to becoming an intuitive runner! 

What is intuitive running? For me it starts with this foundation: tune into what my body is telling me before, during and after a run.

Here are some of my self-created principles for intuitive running:

1) Run just to run no matter how fast or how slow.  When I started running, I enjoyed the challenge.  I signed up for a 10K and completed it.  But a funny thing happened when I was running my race. I got really frustrated that I wasn't faster and that people were passing me.  I finished my race and looked at my time and saw that I was in the bottom 2/3rd of all finishers.  I asked myself, "Why can't I run faster?" and instead of enjoying the experience, I was beating myself up for something that was not realistic. From now on I'm taking the advice from my running partner and just running to run.  To let go of the inner dialogue and listen to what my body is telling me.

2) Who says I can't take a break?  I've changed how I run to running for 5-6 minutes and then walking for 1 minute.  It's a modified Jeff Galloway method of running and so far I love it.  I am more energized after each run and I notice that I can go further distances without more effort.  The funny thing is that when I told my wife about this she asked how this could be intuitive running with such a strict structure to your run (My wife is brilliant by the way). It made me think about it and I realized that it is intuitive running because by taking a break I can listen to my body, see how I feel and continue to run without the negative self-talk like, "Why aren't you running faster?"

3) Take a pause to listen to your body.  I've notice that during my runs in the past, I would be so focused on the time and distance that I never enjoying the journey of running.  I especially noticed this during my 10K races.  But when I ran with my running partner, we'd chat about family, food and running and the time would fly by.  It was these runs that helped me enjoy the journey.   I have seen that since I started to take a 1 minute break every five to six minutes, I can focus on how I feel, notice my surroundings and enjoy the experience of running.

Just like Intuitive Eating, my running is a process and just how I counsel clients to embrace the process of becoming an Intuitive Eater, I too am embracing the process of becoming an intuitive runner.  I  am embracing it so much that I am seriously considering doing the 2013 LA Marathon so stay tuned!

As always, I welcome your comments.