Take care of yourself

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I have to work more on two things: 1). Eating breakfast, as it is right now, I usually only eat one real meal (it would be lunch, eaten a little closer to most people's dinner hours, then grazing the rest of the day)
2). Not eating out so much. Even if you do order something without butter, oil or cheese and no side of fries, the people making the food always seem to find a way to screw it up.
Of course I don't have to order the value meal, but when somebody orders a grilled chicken sandwich, it's usually to cut down on fat and/or calories, so why do they try to push the fries with it? I swear the next cashier who asks "do you want the value meal" when I order grilled chicken is going to get his face punch-upsized, for free.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Whenever I consider an exercise regimen, I hearken back to James Fixx. Running gura, picture of health. Drops dead in Midtown. So what's the diff?

I do walk some each day (I mean at a brisk pace), and I am losing a bit of weight.

I do agree with Lee Trevino equating dieting with communism, so I don't do that. I do buy diet soda, and most all of my groceries are low fat.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

The James Fixx thing is definitely real. I wasn't saying that exercise is fundamentally fatal (tho the cult of fitness leads to abuse of steroids, supplements, etc.), I just don't get the superiority some people feel about it. How much you exercise or how well you eat doesn't make you a better person.

In the grand scheme of things, a person spending two hours working on a Habitat for Humanity project or playing with his or her kids is doing something much more worthwhile than the person spending those two hours in the gym.

I've known fitness freaks who died young and fat people who smoked and drank, too, and lived into their 80s. Living in a way that you're at peace with is going to keep you alive the longest. If it's in the gym, fine; if not, fine too.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

You hear so many theories about the best time of day to exercise - what's worked for all of you?

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Whenever given the choice of walking or driving my best advice is ...

walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.

Running is ok, I usually do 2-3 mini-marathons per year, but the health benefits of walking are many. And, it's about the easiest type of exercise.

I'm convinced that the primary reason why Americans are so overweight is our fascination with the automobile. We sit in our cars, in traffic, in drive-thru's, we look for the closest parking spot so we can walk the shortest distance possible and then climb back into the car. Sick!

If the ballpark is accessible on foot then add years to your life by forgoing the cab or car. Walk!

If there are steps, take them. Forget the elevator or escalator. Walk!

Obviously, not every destination is going to be within reasonable walking distance. All I'm saying is that IF GIVEN THE CHOICE always choose to Walk!

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Sean Kimerling, Steve Tracy, John Ritter, Johnny Cash ...

Not to sound corny or anything, but ... Man, I hope everyone is eating a healthy breakfast right now and planning to be good to themselves today and every day.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Best time to work out is morning; you burn calories all day with a jacked up metabolism.

But if you can't, do it anyway, you still benefit.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Damn, John Ritter and the Man in Black both in one day.

Cash was 71 and lived a hard life, the others ... WAY TOO YOUNG

I think I'll have salad today.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

If the obits won't scare you guys into working out or eating healthy, especially those of you who are already in halfway decent shape or better, let me scare you another way -- or at least appeal to your sense of vanity or self-esteem and dignity.


Here's what you can look forward to if you become the stereotypical overweight sportswriter picking cheese balls off his sweater. Buying new clothes all the time because you outgrew the old stuff, not because you want to be fashionable or trendy. Shopping at the same store all the time -- Big and Tall -- because nobody else has your size. Having to settle for the dorky-looking garb there because nothing else fits. A dress shirt in a color other than white, light blue or off-white? Forget it. Land's End might show it on the size chart, but it's ALWAYS "unavailable in that color, sir.''

Circulation problems. Foot problems when you try to walk off the pounds. Even worse circulation problems below the waist if you're in a job that requires you to sit a lot (sportswriting, maybe?). And I think you can draw your own conclusions when I say circulation problems below the waist.

Worries about diabetes. Then, getting diabetes. Insulin shots. Kidney problems. A loss of flexibility, which tends to result in less activity, which perpetuates a vicious cycle. More fat. Less flexibility. Less exercise. More pain. More problems. Over and over and over.

Need that one extra quote to fill out your story on deadline? Yeah, but the guy's 300 yards that way, and that's 600 yards round-trip back to the press box, worse if there's no elevator and you have to climb the stairs and try to file while your heart's exploding and your sweat is hitting the keys. Never mind. The story's fine as it is.

Trying to fit into a seat in coach on a flight to your next assignment without spilling over into your neighbor's personal space. Agonizing hours spent in the air, legs cramped and achy. Seat belt won't reach around you without an extension. Taking off your shoes at the airport security check and then having to put them back on again? That'll be fun, when it's an ordeal just to try to tie them when you have such a big gut.

Work out? Sure. Good luck finding an exercise plan or a personal trainer geared toward obese people. Good luck finding a routine that's been studied and fine-tuned for seriously overweight, out-of-shape people and not for already-fit or average people. A needle in a haystack. Pick up the magazines. Everything's geared toward people who look like they need to lose 3 pounds and tone up, at worst. Good luck finding a partner who is near your fitness level, and really good luck finding exercises you can do together.

*** do not read the rest if you are sensitive or eating breakfast, or if you just ate breakfast ***


For Pete's sake, and yours, don't ever let it get to the point where you're so fat that certain areas of personal hygiene (not going to get specific here) get more and more difficult for you (re: flexibility and reach). There's a reason Larry David referred to that area of personal hygiene by saying, ''If it ever gets to that point for me where I can't **** my own ***, I'm calling Dr. Kervorkian.''



I could say more, but I am sure I have said enough. Lord knows it was hard enough to write what I wrote without it bringing up all kinds of emotional baggage for me.

Now, as George Carlin once barked, ''Eat some fucking grapes.''

I am.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Slap: that was just outstanding.  Nauseating too, but appropriately so.

But no grapes!  All sugar!