You can't buy fitness
I've always had huge respect for people who are in shape, because it takes enormous discipline, consistency and sacrifice. Building an athletic physique isn't easy, and anyone who tries will find that out.
At least once in your life, see what the best version of you looks like. See what you're capable of and how much grit you've got. See whether you can take the very best care of your earthly vehicle.
If you think running regularly or going to the gym 3 times a week will do the job, you're very wrong.
I once heard a great line:
You go to the gym to get strong. Abs are made in the kitchen.
You may find that two days of letting loose on the weekend wipe out your whole week's effort.
Diet math seems simple. Someone once said:
Eat less, move more!
All you have to do is go into a calorie deficit and your body will start getting rid of fat.
It's a bummer when it turns out that sure, it's getting rid of fat, but your cheeks are shrinking while your belly stays right where it was. Or when you start working out every day and suddenly you want to eat more, the couch looks comfier, and your body has automatically cut back on how much energy it burns. After all, it's a machine whose job is to keep you alive as long as possible.
After the math, life often kicks in, and in the evening it's really hard to go to bed hungry. Pizza and a beer with friends surely won't change anything, and how many calories can a sandwich with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil really have?
Why do we get fat?
Obesity and diabetes are becoming more and more visible problems. It might seem the causes are simple and come mainly from processed food loaded with sugar, but the problem is more complicated.
Here are a few interesting facts you've probably never heard of:
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In the 1930s there was obesity among children, and there was no KFC or McDonald's
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Obesity also occurred among the Native American Pima and Sioux tribes at the beginning of the 20th century
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In 1950 in Naples, where poverty and malnutrition reigned, there was obesity among working women
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The fitness revolution of the 1980s did nothing to reduce obesity
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Runners gain weight over time even though they keep running. They'd have to increase their distance as they age.
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A 1970 experiment on rats that involved removing their ovaries. After the surgery, the rats eat too much and get fat.
Over the years, many theories have come up, along with different kinds of diets that eliminate the potential suspects:
- less fat!
- zero carbs!
- more protein!
or cut out specific foods:
- don't eat anything white!
- don't eat eggs!
- eat legumes!
I think all of this just scratches the surface.
I think the body's biochemistry and the hormonal control of everything going on inside it is complicated machinery. We've all probably had one friend who stuffed her face with everything and was forever skinny, and another who just thought about a donut and gained weight.
Two facts that make sense to me:
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Insulin has a huge influence on triglyceride metabolism and on how fat stores are used. That would line up with ideas like cutting carbs (e.g. the ketogenic diet) and intermittent fasting (IF).
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Cold exposure speeds up your metabolism (through thermogenesis) to keep your body temperature stable. I don't necessarily mean regular dips through a hole in the ice, though that probably builds great character. It's more about a swimming pool or a winter walk in lighter clothes. Water draws heat away 20 times faster than air, which is why professional swimmers who spend hours in the water burn unimaginable amounts of calories.
If you're going to take this on, your best bet is a good dietitian who'll send you to the gym, load you up with protein and tell you what to eat. The biggest problem is that we simply overeat. And that's not particularly hard, because a bit of butter, a handful of nuts and a drizzle of olive oil on your salad is all it takes to blow past your calorie limit.
And remember, when Grandma tells you you're looking good, it's time to go on a diet.