3/18/07 - Still waiting – and some random thoughts about my weight

If I’m not completely honest in this blog, there’s no point in doing it, right? So here it is: I’m fat. I’m not obese (yet!), but I’m decidedly, oh let’s be polite, Junoesque, Rubenesque or any other large body I can add “esque” to to make it sound romantic rather than just fat. (No one’s tried Atlanticesque yet, have they?)

Presumably then, once I get my results, they’re going to tell me to lose weight. Right, you and who else? But, as I braced myself for seeing that recommendation in print, I wondered, suppose I were obese? How would that affect their recommendations? And, besides, the obvious “exercise more, eat less” advice, is there a limit to the baseline health someone needs to have for this program to be useful?

So I asked. Their answers:

There is no minimal fitness level to participate, although, of course, they recommend consulting with a doctor if anyone has serious health concerns. They did also tell me they have heard back from customers with serious health problems who have enjoyed a lot of success with this. They did use words like “sensible” and “gradual.” So for anyone who thinks this will provide a magic bullet or instant results: forget it. We are clearly embarking on a slow, practical plan that is intended to work for the rest of our lives. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)

I also asked about those of us who may have filled in the questionnaire with how we intend to eat and exercise, rather than what we actually do. And there’s the beauty of this plan. Because they have our DNA, they know how are bodies are actually functioning. So when they set goal levels, they’re set by our genetic information and are independent of whatever well-meaning fibs we may have told. Obviously the gap between what you do and what they suggest will be influenced by how accurately you report your real life. So now would be a foolish time to shade the truth.

Apparently, in the next year, Sciona will expand their food diaries and exercise plans, so that implementing results gets easier and more guided.

For the record, I would like to lose 30 pounds. I’ll still be comfortably round at that weight, but good enough for me. If I lose just 20 pounds, even my skinny clothes will be too big, so 30 is a little ambitious (and, ultimately, expensive). I’ll keep you posted. The holidays definitely did me in more than usual this year. Another disclaimer of my own: this is not intended to be a weight management plan, although one assumes that part of being healthy is maintaining the right weight and a natural result of living healthfully is an appropriate weight.

Questions:

Is your weight the main reason you’re investigating this?

If not, is it a factor?

What do you do to control it?

3 Responses to “Still waiting – and some random thoughts about my weight”

1. Jeannine Says:
   April 24th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

   Weight is not the main reason to investigate this, however, I believe that if I get the rest of me healthy or work towards it, the weight will come off too. I would like to lose 20 pounds (although the charts say I need to lose 40+…that will never happend!)

   I try to watch what I eat yet I still have problems with portion control and consistent eating. I do not exercise nearly enough. Walking briefly each morning does have a gradual effect but then I forget or choose to sleep-in.

2. J. Taylor Says:
   April 25th, 2007 at 3:06 am

   The only thing I’ve ever found that worked in losing weight was to put less food in my mouth at every meal. I know there are a million other things to consider, including insulin levels, allergies, etc., not to mention exercise (and I definitely need more exercise), but for me, when I cut my portions in half, I lost some weight.

3. Michael T. Says:
   April 26th, 2007 at 8:31 am

   If I had weight issues, It would definitely be a factor in investigating this. For the record, I have always been naturally thin, however, being in my 50’s, I notice I have to work stradily harder to stay this way.

   I try to eat balanced meals, but just as importantly, Like JT, I am big on practicing portion control–especially when eating out. Restaurant portions have become so large that, I rerely eat more than half of any meal. I am also lucky, that I don’t have a big sweet tooth, so I almost never have dessert.

   It sounds obvious but the real key to maintaining or losing weight is to burn more calories than you take in. Simple as that. It is almost impossible in office chair-bound lives, to achieve this without practicing some form of regular exercise. I exercise three times a week for a total of about five hours. This includes, cardio, stretch and weight training. It’s not easy, but the key here is to find an exercise program that keeps your interest. I’ve am very lucky to have found some very charismatic people to train under that make me want to succeed in my goals.

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