A return to paid ass-whoopin'

So where have I been? Not really anywhere, but usually too pooped to actually get to bloggin'. And why is that? I've gone back to my trainer...or let me put that in a more dramatic way...

My trainer has come back to me!

It's an online version of what we've been doing previously, which is obviously helped by our past in-person experience. I know that I was sort of falling by the wayside on my workouts. Not that I didn't work up a sweat, but more that it was getting boring and I was losing focus. I needed to try something new or at least mix up the old. And while I could and did peruse various training sites, videos and magazines (thanks, Jack Lalanne!), I needed someone who knew my mindset; how I worked, what would push me farther and, of course, what injuries were already in/on/around my body.

And in just a little over a month, I have noticed the difference. There's definitely more of a solidness to me and the muscles are bigger. I haven't actually felt like I was really getting something out of weight training for some time. I was enjoying it, but I can't say I saw many changes as of late. But now the difference is noticeable, which sometimes makes me wonder just how hard we really think we work it when there's not someone watching over us.

And it is noticeable in that, even though I've been getting up at 5 AM to work out for a few years now, it's been a while since I've felt the absolute need to crash by 10 PM. I guess I am expending more energy.I am whooped.

As silly as it sounds, I take things much more seriously and honestly when I have to record my progress and report it to my trainer. I could easily fudge the numbers of weight and reps and duration when I use my trainer's app, but I don't. Maybe all this time I just needed approval? Hmmm...telling, but probably true.

But even my new found self-approval and newer pectoral growth haven't changed my weight much. And that's actually fine.I'm actually fitting into some snugger pants again, even though the scale is somewhat increasing. And studies show that waist circumference and abdominal obesity are the big issues to health, not just overall chunkiness and a high BMI. 

My BMI is definitely back up into the "above normal" range, even if only for the fact my shoulders and back have gained several inches. And the longer I go at this getting into shape thing, the more I find that BMI chart more annoying and sad.

So I'm saying goodbye to official dieting. I'm finally saying goodbye to some of constant diet perusal time online. Eating healthy is one thing, but trying to make my way through so much morass, both from posters and commenters, is getting harder. Maybe it just brings so many flashbacks of fat-shaming throughout my life, but man, people are nasty! 

I don't even have to link to any specific post, because a lovely, recent mixed methods analysis  on obesity in social media shows that a majority of postings are derogatory, negative and often misogynistic.  Blogs tend to be "more nuanced", although even humorous, supportive comments can get pretty gnarly. 

This is not to say I still won't be basing future blog posts on research about weight and nutrition, because I do find that research fascinating. But I'm seriously trying to move myself away from reading the nastier self-abuse out there on the topic. It's to easy to fall into that. 

People gotta play nice. Or my whooped, newly firm ass will kick yours!

References:

Chou, Wen-ying Sylvia, Abby Prestin, and Stephen Kunath. “Obesity in Social Media: A Mixed Methods Analysis.” Translational Behavioral Medicine 4, no. 3 (September 1, 2014): 314–23. doi:10.1007/s13142-014-0256-1.

Ford ES, Maynard LM, and Li C. “Trends in Mean Waist Circumference and Abdominal Obesity among Us Adults, 1999-2012.” JAMA 312, no. 11 (September 17, 2014): 1151–53. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.8362.

Accountability or just plain ol' fat shaming?

I know I usually start my blog posts with a jaunty introduction about something in my life, but then I was checking up on the website of Registered Dietitian Aaron Flores and he posted about this video:

I am so disgusted, I can't even be jaunty. 

I know we need to take accountability for our actions in life. And yes, it shows the "body" in question avoiding too much exercise and eating a lot of cake. Mmmm...cake.

And yet for all this lack of moving and hidden stash binge eating (that was a trigger for me) and endless huge meals, it was this guy's mother's fault for enabling this lifestyle! The shame! Fast food and juice for infants! You ruined your baby, mommy!

Look, my mom forced me to eat home-made granola and foods from The Vegetarian Epicure and Recipes for Small Planet. In other words, healthy, hippie food. And I still ended up with binging on hidden candy stashes, giving up on exercise, and tipping the scale at 300 lbs. in my 30s. 

Giving your kid french fries isn't the sole reason he dies of a heart attack.

In fact, studies show that parents trying to set more stringent dietary rules on their kids end up with more eating disorders AND obesity issues. 

Then again, you can blame it on television. Or the school system. Or anyone else who you need to place shame upon. 

In other words, its a rich tapestry of reasons as to why we might be obese and suffer from health issues because of it. And by shaming both the obese person and their parents..you might as well be blaming them for the economy, too. It doesn't help. In fact, I can only imagine it will make it worse, because you're making the situation worse. You're not asking or helping people take accountability. You're just abusing them for having birthday cake.

Mmmm...cake. 

Which reminds me of THIS video, which is meant as a joke, but I think covers what the ad is trying to convey in a much better fashion and far more truthfully:

The answer is try to be healthy. Work on it and own it. I can certainly blame my parents for a ton of things, but my current weight and health are my responsibility alone.

 

 

References:

Carter R. “The Impact of Public Schools on Childhood Obesity.” JAMA 288, no. 17 (November 6, 2002): 2180–2180. doi:10.1001/jama.288.17.2180-JMS1106-6-1.

Clark, H. R., E. Goyder, P. Bissell, L. Blank, and J. Peters. “How Do Parents’ Child-Feeding Behaviours Influence Child Weight? Implications for Childhood Obesity Policy.” Journal of Public Health 29, no. 2 (June 1, 2007): 132–41. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdm012.

Flores, Aaron. “Balance Variety and Moderation RDN: Childhood Obesity PSA - The Completely Wrong Message.” Balance Variety and Moderation RDN, August 14, 2014. http://bvmrd.blogspot.com/2014/08/childhood-obesity-psa-completely-wrong.html.

Klesges, Robert C., Mary L. Shelton, and Lisa M. Klesges. “Effects of Television on Metabolic Rate: Potential Implications For Childhood Obesity.” Pediatrics 91, no. 2 (February 1, 1993): 281–86.

Robinson, Thomas N., Michaela Kiernan, Donna M. Matheson, and K. Farish Haydel. “Is Parental Control over Children’s Eating Associated with Childhood Obesity? Results from a Population-Based Sample of Third Graders.” Obesity Research 9, no. 5 (May 1, 2001): 306–12. doi:10.1038/oby.2001.38.

Librarians vs. Dietitians: Does This Profession Make Me Look Fat?

Oh, Superboy, don't you know Lana doesn't care what YOU look like? It's only Lana that needs to stay away from the Midwest casseroles.You can have super seconds!

I'd like to say this was the only "fat shaming" comic from that era, but they did use it quite a bit. Then again, they were the prototype of the typical sitcom situation of chubby hubby - hot wife. In fact, they went one better: chubby-hubby - multiple hot wives!

Which is why the most recent episode of FX's Louie, "So Did the Fat Lady" showed some amazing moments of true statements on how fat women are treated even when on date with a non-buff guy. You just need to read that monologue and see the clip here.

I've seen some backlash, but most of the comments on the internet are (surprise!) mostly positive.

We never get over the body image issue. Which brings us back to another chapter of:

Let's Compare Stereotyped Professions!

This month's Today's Dietitian has an article on body image among Registered Dietitians, or, more importantly, how RDs are perceived when they are not "thin." Because when people hear that someone is involved in nutrition, the assumption is that you cannot trust them to be "good" if they're "fat".

I can see how this can be a problem for RDs.  Never mind that thin doesn't mean healthy. But it can become way too time consuming to worry about your public perception when you should be worried if you're doing a good job.

Librarians don't fret about their weight. They do, however, fret about EVERY OTHER ISSUE OF THEIR IMAGE. And what's sad is that it's been going on for decades.

I'm not sure if the constant fear of appearing "cool" is better or easier than the fear of being "fat." In fact, it's pretty easy to slide into "creepily odd" from "attempted cool.".

But even though my Librarian peeps fret more, I think it's probably more of a burden to the Dietitians. 

I can speak from the both sides of being "uncool" and being "fat." Cool is really subjective; you'll always find someone who probably fits or relates on some level and will embrace the uncoolness. And for all their vintage clothes and snarky attitudes, Librarians have found more often that library users actually want to more older, nerdy types because they are perceived as knowing more. And I say this as a heavily tattooed librarian that can easily quote kitschy 60's comics. Most patrons treat me a lot different now that I've aged into suits and button down shirts.

But being fat...even your fellow fatties have issues with that. Body image is harder to escape. Especially as you relate it to perceptions of health. Studies show that our perception of health and weight are pretty skewed and it starts at a fairly young age.

So, I'm not sure who "wins" this round. It's bad enough we both have to deal with a lot of other stereotypes. But self-image is a very rancid icing on this unhealthy cake.

And yet we continue to see this in all media, even comics. 

Maybe this tiny segment on Louie might make a difference. But we can just keep on keepin' on in our two much-maligned, but truly awesome professions.
 


References:

“Dietitians and Their Weight Struggles.” Accessed May 15, 2014. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/050114p32.shtml?utm_content=buffer42dff&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.

Fonseca, Helena, and Margarida Gaspar de Matos. “Perception of Overweight and Obesity among Portuguese Adolescents: An Overview of Associated Factors.” The European Journal of Public Health 15, no. 3 (June 1, 2005): 323–28. doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki071.

Certified with issues

So, this happened ...

It's always nice to have a sense of completion. 

I admit that I tend to be a combination of the "needs to know everything" and "ooh, bright shiny object" sort of researcher. (I think those are prevalent in most good librarians, streamlined ska-loving or no). I tend to delve into new subjects and often find myself running off to the next one soon after. Because I like to know WHY and HOW.

But even though I've been hunkering down into nutrition and weight loss research for a few years, I have not tired of it yet. I think that's because of a few reasons. One is that there's always new material and research being published, both scholarly and "media-oriented." The other is that I'm living it. 

This weight loss/maintenance/lifestyle/whathaveyou cannot leave my head. Especially now that maintenance needs a tweak or two. Part of that is being vigilant, resourceful, positive, etc.

The other, more difficult part, is just accepting yourself in the mirror. 

I will admit, I think I look hot. I think (and people agree) that I look much better now at age (as of this coming Sunday) 49, than I did at 39 or even 29. But that doesn't stop me from having moments of body image issues. That moment of "oh crap, what the hell do I look like here?" even though in the next moment, I can think "nice guns!" or "check out the dude!"  But now that there's been some tight pants issues, the "oh crap" stuff gets magnified. It's ridiculous, I KNOW it's ridiculous, but that's how mindsets about weight and body image work. 

There have been quite a few studies on body image, but very, very few of them include men. Although there was a recent one with college men showing that they react to "fat talk" the same way women do...it can make you have body issues. Is it all the same for us? Probably not.

So, it's interesting to see this recent post and video about one man's struggle with body issues. It hit a few chords for me. And it does drive home that it's really only recently that men have begun to talk about this at any level near where women do. 

But the big thing he mentions is that you can lose weight, but unless you're in the right mindset, it's not going to remain off. It's merely a diet that has a start and end and invariably it's not the band-aid you think it is. But men tend not to talk about those issues that make us reach for the extra cupcake.

And I can see this in me. This recent weight loss (now over 2 years on) is beginning to crack and that is what I'm addressing now. It's interesting to run through the regimen in my head and see where it needs .. sharpening, as it were. To see what issues need to be addressed now.

I know I will not let myself get back to total Retro Ska Librarian weight and body issue laden self. But I can see I need a little more "jumper cable" work on myself and to check myself when I think I see what I do when I run past a large window or when I get dressed for work in the morning. 

Sadly, there's no certificate for that. 


References:

Engeln, Renee, Michael R. Sladek, and Heather Waldron. “Body Talk among College Men: Content, Correlates, and Effects.” Body Image 10, no. 3 (June 2013): 300–308. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.02.001.

Pagoto, Sherry L., Kristin L. Schneider, Jessica L. Oleski, Juliana M. Luciani, Jamie S. Bodenlos, and Matt C. Whited. “Male Inclusion in Randomized Controlled Trials of Lifestyle Weight Loss Interventions.” Obesity 20, no. 6 (June 1, 2012): 1234–39. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.140.

“Yes, Men Struggle With Body Image Issues, Too: Here’s My Story.” Huffington Post, April 29, 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bustle/positive-body-image-_b_5193674.html.

Trudging back in...lip up!

I'm back! Did you miss me?

Almost a month without a post! I'm making for a bad blogging statistic. Then again, I'm not doing this professionally or receiving kickbacks/free schwag, so there have been other pressing matters. To be fair, I've even missed a lot of the Rangers games on their way to the playoffs, so you KNOW I've been busy!

I believe all the other pressing issues that made the blog so very post-secondary are now squared away...at least on my part. If and when there is news to reveal, I will do so when it happens.

Then again, as you know, I am not one for very much personal detail on my site, except in relation to my Streamlined activities. So, there may not be much change here, except that I'll now (hopefully) be back to regular posting and perhaps a return to the Foodie Pen Pals pool. I didn't give up my regular perusals of scholarly journals and the accursed Well section of the NY Times, so I've amassed quite a few "for a future blog post" citations. But as I'm going through these citations, I'm noticing one thing.

Nothing new is really being said.

We've kind of hit this data/news plateau in that yes, our portions and sugar intake have increased and we all work longer hours than we used to and we exercise less and now we're all facing this great obesity dilemma. And while this is going on, we're still bombarded with health and nutrition "experts" (and we probably ignore the poor underpaid RDs and Librarians who have FACTS) in order that we may find the quick fix.

And I could, I suppose, post the basic same post for the next several decades and I certainly would have enough resources to do it. But others are doing it better and on a more regular basis.

So right now it's back to the increasing scale.

Here's a recent photo of me at work:

And here's one from two years ago at a similar event:

In the older one, I'm drowning in an old suit. It's way too big for me. In many ways, that was cool. I basically now had dressy clown clothes because I lost so much weight. 

In the newer one, I'm bursting out of my outfit and not all in a good way. Extensive weight training had begun and my body shape was something I never imagined having. Yes, my back, chest and shoulders are all much bigger. That jacket can barely fit around me on the top. I no longer fit in a medium t-shirt and that's not from fat gain, but rather from larger lats and shoulders. I don't mind THAT sort of size increase.

But you can also make out that the "donut" is making a comeback. Not that it went away completely, but it definitely got a few extra fillings injected. And that's an issue.

I am doing less exercise, and more binging. Maybe from stress, maybe from timing. Most likely just not being present while I'm eating. It does take will power and mindfulness. (And somewhere, my teenage punk self is derisively sneering at my using such a word about life. But, hey, we all grow up, kid!) 

But is it really stress doing this? A rather extensive literature review from a few years back shows that the answer is a definite "maybe". But they still think it does play a role:

"Despite the limitations discussed, we can make some broad conclusions that support the idea that stress can influence food intake. The studies examined revealed that stress can lead to decreased and increased eating, which may be related to stressor severity, such that in animals a severe stress results in a lower intake and in humans the response is variable. There is some evidence to suggest that elevated stress levels are associated with a greater desire for hedonic, highly palatable foods that are energy dense. This may contribute to excess energy intakes and weight gain, which is supported by longitudinal studies that suggest there is an association between chronic life stress and future weight gain."

"Chronic life stress." I wouldn't say my life is chronically stressful situation. In fact, I think the stress makes me control more things around me, such as exercise. 

One of the studies mentioned in the previous one was this paper regarding twins in Finland and weight gain. They also took into account personality traits, as well as stress factors. One of the conclusions (although again, they say this was a fairly modest study) was that "low levels of extroversion in young men [was a] stable personality character related to subsequent weight gain."

One thing I have never measured low on was extroversion. (As one of my old friends once said, "Dan, you're not subtle as a brick, you're subtle WITH a brick!" That was about my dating habits, but you get the idea...) So this would mean I should always have been a skinny fella...at least if I grew up in Finland with a twin. 

The answer once again falls to ourselves. I found what works for me, and, unfortunately, I need to find a way to maintain that while still having a life and the stress contained therein.

But there is one difference now. And I find it fascinating. I now feel deprived if I DON'T exercise and I find that I lose little ground muscle-wise if I miss the gym for a week. In the past, I would find myself not being able to lift the amount I had been if I hadn't been doing it for a while. Or getting winded easily. But now I notice I can still lift, pull, span, fly, squat, etc. at continued higher weights. Even my abs are stronger under the donut (the six pack under the pony keg). And again, looking at myself in the mirror...yes, there's a donut, but I also can't help but see a more solid, muscly body, as well. 

So while there are moments that I am terrified I will fall back to complete Retro Ska Librarian, I see that I made a big effort to get to Streamlined and it doesn't fall away immediately.

But I have to keep at it, and that includes blogging about it. 

You're stuck with me and my muscly fingers.   

I will add one more thought to this long post. Another recent NY Times op-ed piece was by someone who was a fat child in the midst of a non-fat family and his journey (via fat camp AND self-awareness) to his own acceptance. It struck a lot of familiar bells. But one thing he focuses is on is what he would say to his son if his son was fat. And it was getting him interested in sports and moving and activity, but with support. 

Now as I've posted so many times before, being that "bad at sports" fat kid myself, it wasn't just me at an age to be aware enough that I was fat to want to do something. It's having the upbringing to know enough about moving and sports and activity to enable that innate feeling in your kids. If I had children back in the day, I imagine they'd be sedentary pop culture bookworms like me. If I had them now, I think I'd make more of a conscious effort to explore movement with them, whether or not they felt fat, thin or didn't care. ("Hey kids, let's play Legion of Super Heroes Freeze Tag!" And it has to be alphabetical or you run a lap!")

Or, I'd probably just make them sing and dance along to this:

I'm back, kids!!


References:

Korkeila, M, J Kaprio, A Rissanen, M Koskenvuo, and T I A Sörensen. “Predictors of Major Weight Gain in Adult Finns: Stress, Life Satisfaction and Personality Traits.” International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders 22, no. 10 (October 1998): 949.

Max, Joshua. “What I’d Say to My Fat Son.” The New York Times, March 22, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/opinion/sunday/what-id-say-to-my-fat-son.html.

Torres, Susan J., and Caryl A. Nowson. “Relationship between Stress, Eating Behavior, and Obesity.” Nutrition 23, no. 11–12 (November 2007): 887–94. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2007.08.008.

Once a fat kid....

You try. You try so hard. You watch what you eat. You exercise. You say you can break through all the crap in your head to make the crap in your body get better....

...and then this study shows up. Turns out we're doomed from the start. DOOOOMED!! If we were fat in kindergarten, well, let's just give up trying.

Enjoy that crown, baby, because that's the only reward you'll be getting!

From the Sally L. Steinberg Collection of Doughnut Ephemera, Archives Center, National Museum of American History,  Smithsonian Institution via the Digital Public Library of America

Oh, come on, I'm kidding. First off, how can I possibly call myself a librarian and not be incredibly happy that someone actually put together a collection of doughnut ephemera? 

Next, this study doesn't mean that exercise and diet aren't important, but that it might be a tougher battle than we know. It does show:

"Overweight kindergartners had four times the risk of becoming obese by the age of 14 years as normal-weight kindergartners. The relative risks of obesity among overweight kindergartners, as compared with normal-weight kindergartners, were highest among children from the two highest socioeconomic groups. Thus, overweight children from the two highest socioeconomic groups had five times the risk of becoming obese as normal-weight children of similar socioeconomic status, whereas an overweight child from the lowest socioeconomic group had only 3.4 times the risk of obesity as a normal-weight child of similar socioeconomic status"

And this means that these kids were already overweight or obese by the time they began kindergarten, meaning they actually were overweight before 5 years of age. And more of them came from backgrounds where access to better food choices and amenities were available!

The discussion of the study takes additional factors into the equation beyond demographics and socioeconomic factors, such as birth weight and genetics. And yes, these definitions of obesity are based on BMI, never a perfect measure. But here's the rub and it comes from one sentence near the end of the results:

"By the time they enter kindergarten, 12.4% of American children are already obese, and 14.9% are overweight."

Yow. That's going to be one long road for these kids. I've been there. A lot of us have. I just don't remember there being so many of us around as a child. I imagined there would have been a lot of less fat bullying if more of us were supposedly obese.

But what are we doing about it? How are we making this easier for kids to be healthier? What if healthy food isn't around them? What if they can't or won't play sports? What if they're just feeding their feelings? What if it really is genetic?

Whatever it is, I don't think we can blame pre-K kids for their choices and actions that way. But it is important to make this better soon. 

Losing all this weight, even in the right mindset, was hard. Maintaining it is harder. And for all the good and healthy ways I feel now, I would have much rather not have had this extra issue hanging around my younger head.


But I also refuse to let this be an excuse to not make the effort. If this study means that my lifetime of weight issues is not over, well, I just got to keep at it. 

We can't let "fate" determine how we live, but we also need to understand that whatever we're doing now is not exactly helping our future generations.  I want kids to enjoy their doughnut royalty. I just don't want them to have to work that much harder to burn it off. 

I think I finally found my resolution for this year!



References:

Cunningham, S. A., Kramer, M. R., & Narayan, K. M. V. (2014). Incidence of Childhood Obesity in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(5), 403–411. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1309753

Boy Body Talk

OK, this will be no surprise to anyone who knows me, but I'm a talker. The art of gabbing/conversation is part and parcel of my personality. I like chatting with people. In fact it took me a long time to warm up to texting because...well...it's not talking.

What may be even more of a surprise is that I DON'T like talking about my body issues with folks. Well, of course, here on this blog, it's fine. It's not the aspect of anonymity that make it easy, but rather the ability to exposit my thoughts without declaring it a dialogue, even with a comments section. I'm not sure that makes perfect sense, even as I type it, but there it is.

But why is that? Well, to be honest, I have a rather adverse reaction to folks talking about their bodies. I was and in many ways still am, pretty self conscious about my body issues. Being scolded for being fat most of my life (even when it seems I wasn't as fat as I imagined), had left me not feeling quite permitted to join in on the discussion. And now that I'm in Streamlined mode, I feel I don't quite have the right to say "Oh, my stomach is still big" or "I can't fit in these pants" without usually getting a derisive look. Yeah, most of that's in my head, but weight issues and stigma can mess anyone up. 

There's been a lot of articles as of late on "Fat Talk," the self-denigrating process of comparing yourself to your friends about body issues. Of course, a lot of this pertains to women. Because men tend not to talk about this or bond other over weight and appearance. 

Is this why I don't like talking about it?

Well, it turns out a recent study of body talk among male college students showed the same results happen. The talk is less about "being fat" and more about muscle and definition, but hearing a peer talk about their body helped promote self-dissatisfaction. It seems like this should be surprising, but really it's nothing new:

And this is why I try to avoid these dialogues. When someone goes on about how fat or out of shape they are, I can only want to change the subject. Especially when it comes to clothes and fashion. Because then you never win.

After several years of ostensibly wearing muu-muus as shirts and ill fitting suits, I finally went to a real clothing store and had myself measured. What did I find out? Even in Retro Ska Librarian mode, my torso was taller than the "average" suit size and my arms were about 1 inch shorter then "average." Meaning I was a fat yet gangly, tyrannosaurus freak!

Actually, it was a very good eye opener for me. Because as I worked into my new Streamlined Ska Librarian body, I KNEW that clothes still wouldn't fit me properly, no matter how "perfect" I became.

So, yes, my suit size has decreased 5 sizes, but I still need to have the arms fixed and I can only wear "tall sizes". I can find nice shirts, but they still don't fall below my waist. It's not me. It's whoever decided what fashion is.  

It's one of the reasons I now order my dress shirts through this site. Their sales are actually cheaper than buying shirts here in the US, and they fit so much better than any dress shirts I've ever owned. It turns out my body is euro-centric!

And that's why I don't engage in body talk. I'm happy to discuss workouts and diet, injuries, even hair loss. But we can't all be competing to see who hates their body most. I think we'd do better just ignoring what fashion tells us.

Now, I'm gonna take my freakishly sized arms and pull up my sadly shaped pants over my long eurotrash torso and sweat it out!


References:

Engeln, R., Sladek, M. R., & Waldron, H. (n.d.). Body talk among college men: Content, correlates, and effects. Body Image. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.02.001

Bloatation intervals

The tape measurements are in and this month I have gained:

• 1/4 inch in arms
• 1.5 inches in shoulders
• 1/2 inch in chest
• 1 inch in quads

Huzzah!
(My waist remains the same.....well, better than going up! Huzzah again!)

My trainer has moved me into giant sets and I am lifting beyond and looking unlike anything I ever imagined:

Welcome to the Librarian Gun Show!

I asked my trainer to up to "sweat factor" of my workouts. I am enjoying the weight training more than I ever expected and with recurring foot issues, my intense running/cardio has decreased, so I needed to kick it up a bit. Because with the increase in muscle mass, I'm feeling an increase in other factors.


Much to my trainer's delight, I cannot fit into much of any of my clothes anymore. After a wonder-filled few years of going from above an XL to an M and being able to shop in regular stores, I'm now busting out of all my shirts, pants (in the thighs) and jackets, all because of muscle. (There's only so many times you can hear my colleagues say, "Now Dan angry! Now Dan smash!!" when I'm about to split open one of my suits along the chest and back.) I'm not looking forward to the cost of a new wardrobe...again...but I'm also more vigilant that my waist size doesn't increase along with the rest of me, because this increase in muscle has been making me crave a lot of food.

And it's also hit me that these mega weight work outs leave me not only looking pumped, but bloated. We're talking like a 5 lb. weight increase after a workout, that then doesn't drop for a few days. A simple search on muscle bloat after working out draws up countless websites, all with a variety of responses, ranging from common sense to, naturally, some bizarre "special" supplement that is the "only solution" to counter these effects.

I couldn't find any good scholarly reports on this issue, but suffice to say that micro-tears in your muscles create a fluid build up while those tears are healing. And you do need to let it heal, so extended weeks of mega-weight work, like mine, does lead to quite excessive bloat build-up. My "donut" surrounding the six pack even looks more .... "donuty." And having a tighter pants waist is not a goal!

So, what to do? Well, aside from spacing out which muscles to use each workout, there's also other ways to get some good cardio in to balance out the exercise, even if I can't do my beloved running or less than beloved elliptical.

A recent article published in the American College of Sports Medicine Journal, shows that a 7 minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can deliver similar benefits to a full weight training and cardio workout. 

It sounds at first like one of those "fad" answers to exercise. Only 7 minutes! Eat what you want! Wear an evening gown while you do it!

But looking at the sets does make sense, at least now that I've been seriously exercising for a few years now. You don't need to hurt yourself in Crossfit or run ultra marathon distances every week, provided you do these correctly AND (most importantly) you only rest the small amount of time between exercises. It's not just about strength and balance, it's about increased heart rate and being sweaty. I see a lot of folks doing these HIIT sessions with long rests in between. So while that does help build some muscle tone, it's not an equivalent workout.

Interestingly enough, my previous workout regimens with my trainer included this sort of HIIT piece a few times a week, although with more reps. With him, I did 11 min sets before the weight training, and on my own I did about 20 minutes of various HIIT before cardio. Was it enough on its own to do the trick? I can't say, and to be honest, I didn't see it as such, However, it definitely helped build some muscle groups and helped to stabilize my balance and overall track towards weight loss. And I sweat a LOT!

I see it now as a good thing to do on off days to help trigger the end of the bloat.

At least that would help it. Yet I've also realized that my cravings for more protein as my muscles grow can sadly make me slip in less than healthy choices, namely sugar-dosed foods. Nothing wrong with good carbs, but we're talking the dessert-y end of the spectrum, which usually triggers the binge responses. 

I talk about this a lot on this site. Even a small amount of a treat can trigger the desire for more, so if I do eat it, I can't be anywhere around more of that sweet, delectable sugary bomb.

Sweetness is something virtually all animals see as an attractant. We are not unique in our powerlessness. But here's a new study showing that some cockroaches in Germany have adapted a behavioral aversion to glucose and fructose, so as to avoid sweet-tasting poison traps. Those wiley insects have actually changed their internal body chemistry so that sweet stuff tastes bad to them.

Why can't we do that? We sort of do, although not in an evolutionary sense. The less sweet stuff I eat, the less I crave it. Sadly, it doens't take a big slip to get back into it, but I know if I can do without cookes and ice cream for a week, there's less of a chance I'll grab it the next week. 

Now, if only cockroaches suffered from bloat...



References:

Klika, Brett, Chris Jorndan. “High-Intensity Circuit Training Using Body Weight: Maximum Results with Minimal Investment.” ACSM'S Health & Fitness Journal 17, no. 3 (May/June 2013): 8-13 doi: 10.1249/FIT.0b013e31828cb1e8

Wada-Katsumata, Ayako, Jules Silverman, and Coby Schal. “Changes in Taste Neurons Support the Emergence of an Adaptive Behavior in Cockroaches.” Science 340, no. 6135 (May 24, 2013): 972–975. doi:10.1126/science.1234854.

Massive Bodyness Redux

A recent article from the BBC caught my eye, especially after writing down my previous thoughts on the never quite solid Body Mass Index (BMI). An Oxford mathematician calculated a new version of the BMI which actually lowers the dreaded number for taller people and raises it for shorter people. Yay for us tall people! 

But while this means all of a sudden I'm smack dab in "normal" weight territory as opposed to just balancing on the cusp, it doesn't mean we should all be jumping onto this new design.

To quote the report:

"Are these numbers "right"? No! -- for human beings are complicated, and any BMI formula will deliver just one number. No single number can be right, and indeed, the extreme reliance of today's medical and insurance establishments on a simple formula worries me a great deal."

And then the final sentences:

"Obesity will be one of the biggest health issues worldwide of the 21st century. If great reliance is going to be placed on a single formula for assessing it, the justification of that formula deserves careful discussion."

It's true. We've spend a worrisome amount of time on our whole health, appearance and daily maintenance regimes all because of a a single number. 

So even me, who would now be out of the "danger zone", is not gleeful. In fact I almost feel like I've been grade-grubbing for a few years, only to finally receive the better grade and now I don't really care any more.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be concerned if your BMI is placed in the Obese/Very Obese area of the scale. There's no way you can claim that it's "all muscle and not fat". And the same goes for the Underweight part of the scale. But the majority of people who hover around the middle areas and are still considered overweight are being fed a very vague message, based on an old and inexact scientific method. I didn't need that new number to tell me I was doing good. And I feel sorry for my "height-challenged" friends who now have been told they're NOT doing as well.

I'll just stick to being healthy instead of "suddenly normal."




References:

“Does the BMI Need Correcting?” BBC, January 29, 2013, sec. Magazine. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21229387.

“New BMI (New Body Mass Index).” Accessed February 4, 2013. http://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/trefethen/bmi.html.

Men Like Meat, Dogs Like Bones

 "See? Here's a picture of me at 300 lbs. You wouldn't have found me attractive then!"
"No, you're hot at that size! But I wouldn't have dated you because you have a really damaged look in your eyes."

That little exchange happened several years ago between myself and one of my exes. I won't say who said which part, but suffice to say either one of us could have played both roles in that bit of drama.

As touchy-feely as it sounds, I think a lot of what we all face is not problems with our appearance but our attitude. We're led to believe we're not doing well if we're not the "perfect weight", even if we're healthy and happy.  

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal addressed the conflicts of "mixed-weight couples." Interesting that in a lot of cases, it was the overweight person in the couple that felt there was an issue with their weight, and that the weight affected the relationship. In many cases, it was other issues, although those were exacerbated with their feeling about their weight. The thinner partner always seemed to be at a loss.

As I mentioned back in an earlier post, my own BMI still lists me as overweight. And some folks are quite eager to point to my "donut" and say, "You're not THAT skinny!" As if this somehow validates any idea of their own weight maintenance.

But you know what? 75 lbs. less IS skinny for me and it IS healthy for me. I actually walk around the gyn once in a while with a 75 lb. barbell and damn, that's a lot of weight to have been carting around all day every day! If more weight comes off as I increase weight training, that's great, but I know I'm at a good place. And much as I do like hearing compliments about the new bod, I did it for myself, and I think that's the part that shows the most. 

There is movement out there called Healthy at Every Size (HAES), which "supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being rather than weight control, " a premise with which I agree. I understand this movement to be a backlash against the diet industry and that's more than fine with me. A lot of websites out there that address HAES, some with good information, others just spewing vitriol. But I can sympathize with that anger and bitterness. We're told (well...mainly women are told) from an early age that you need to look a certain way to be happy, to be successful, to be sexually attractive...which in some roundabout way is saying, "you're NOT that way, so therefore you are not happy or good." And that breeds a lot of contempt for the entire health lifestyle industry, even if the message is just about health and not about appearance. 

However, one of the better HAES supporters is The Fat Nutritionist. Her posts are thoughtful, cogent and evidence-based. She does get the idea that the pursuit of dieting is a futile path, but being healthy and body aware is more important.

And that's the key takeaway: body awareness. Or perhaps just better body awareness. I think we all believe we look different from what we really do look like, often based on the message broadcast to us. And again, it's mainly geared towards women. If you look at different studies on how women and men perceive themselves (or each other), you see that women are more likely to see themselves as not thin enough, even though most men are attracted to women of their size or larger. A far simpler home study can be done merely by comparing the scenarios where women see "ideal women forms": fashion magazines (bony androgynous types), and placing them side by side where men find these "ideal women's forms": in adult "gentlemen's magazines" (Miss Chesty LaRue). Even if those women are inflated with silicone, they're a lot bigger than any fashion body ideal with which women are presented.

Men, however, find themselves to be fairly "on target" with their body image. Less of them believe they are that overweight. Except if you're comparing straight and gay men, such as this study, then it's gay men who think that they're not in good enough shape.

If you had asked a few years back what my Healthy at Every Size goal would be, it would not have been 190 lbs. It probably would have been about 245 lbs. But I think that was my own ignorance of my actual health. But while that initial bit of weight loss was good, it wasn't a cure all for my ills, physical or psychological. So it was important to keep going. Most importantly, I did this not so I wouldn't be fat, but rather so I WOULD be healthier. For me, the journey was about real weight loss.

And yet, I've had some rejections of my new body . Even with bigger chest, arms, shoulders back and legs than I had back in Retro mode, some people like a bit more belly. And there ain't nothing wrong with that!



References:

Bergstrom, Rochelle L, Clayton Neighbors, and Melissa A Lewis. “Do Men Find ‘bony’ Women Attractive?:: Consequences of Misperceiving Opposite Sex Perceptions of Attractive Body Image.” Body Image 1, no. 2 (May 2004): 183–191. doi:10.1016/S1740-1445(03)00025-1.

Bernstein, Elizabeth. “Put a Stop to ‘Do I Look Fat?’” Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323940004578255722852474856.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories.

Mills, Jennifer S., Janet Polivy, C. Peter Herman, and Marika Tiggemann. “Effects of Exposure to Thin Media Images: Evidence of Self-Enhancement Among Restrained Eaters.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 28, no. 12 (December 1, 2002): 1687–1699. doi:10.1177/014616702237650.

Singh, Devendra. “Is Thin Really Beautiful and Good? Relationship Between Waist-to-hip Ratio (WHR) and Female Attractiveness.” Personality and Individual Differences 16, no. 1 (January 1994): 123–132. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(94)90116-3.

Tiggemann, Marika, Yolanda Martins, and Alana Kirkbride. “Oh to Be Lean and Muscular: Body Image Ideals in Gay and Heterosexual Men.” Psychology of Men & Masculinity 8, no. 1 (2007): 15–24. doi:10.1037/1524-9220.8.1.15.