My husband doesn’t let a day go by until he figures out ways to keep moving, no matter what. How did he arrive at this decision? Years ago he read the book, Younger Next Year* Live strong, fit, and sexy – Until you’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D. Crowley provides the inspiration and color commentary to motivate movement and exercise goals while Dr. Lodge provides the physiology and biology of what happens internally to a body when it achieves and maintains certain levels of fitness – and why it’s so important to move in ways that make you happy and fulfilled.
I think what appealed to my husband in the book’s message was the idea that he didn’t need to become an elite tri-athlete or body builder, but rather could simply make sure he did something every day that involved moving as many muscle groups as possible, and was something he enjoyed doing. To that end, mission accomplished. However, the extra pounds accumulated year after year were not going anywhere no matter how religious he was with regard to his daily workouts. He was generally in good health (with the exception of statins his doctor wanted him to take), following most of the dietary guidelines with the idea that a calorie is a calorie, and to lose weight all he had to do to ‘burn off’ the calories ingested was exercise. In spite of doing most everything right, he was gaining, not losing weight, and was heading towards insulin resistance, and so was I.
This reminds me of another, quite severe case. The other day my hair stylist handed me a book written by a friend of hers. Lance (not his real name) details his horrific decades-long battle with Type II Diabetes. From his late twenties to his current mid-sixties, Lance has endured a cascade of ailments including debilitating pain, nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), amputations, numerous surgeries, vision issues, skin and fungal infections, gum disease, bone loss, sleep apnea, suicidal thoughts, erectile dysfunction, digestion issues (gastroparesis), kidney damage, job losses, and permanent disability status. All the while, his doctors simply managed his diabetes with surgeries, pain medicines, and increased levels of insulin - - never once mentioning, or discussing with him his diet related to sugar and starch overload, but just told him to simply watch his calories, and exercise to mitigate his rising need for increased dosages of insulin. That didn’t work…at all. He blames himself and praises his doctors - all five of them.
Someone once said that you cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet. Could it be that there is something deeper going on here? Like many of you, I have tried and failed at many diets throughout my life – all the while following the dietary guidelines with portion and calorie control from many a dietician’s and doctor’s advice. But, in spite of those guidelines, and the calories in, calories out (CICO), eat less, move more narrative, many of us are fat, sick and nearly dead – or rapidly heading that way.
Why?