Paul Knowles' Blog

To weigh or not to weigh

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:30:08 -0400

One of the key elements of the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine program I have been on for almost ten months is measurement. We began with a battery of tests – you can read about them in my earliest blogs, if you missed those bits. They established a base line through blood work, cardio-respiratory testing, ultrasounds, x-ray and other measurements.

As you know, the results were not good; the only two positive things were: a) I didn’t have any debilitating or terminal diseases and b) now we knew how much we had to do.

Those tests get repeated from time to time. The blood work has been done once, since September – with great results, as I reported at the time. The cardio-respiratory work has been repeated; the bod pod body fat measurements more frequently; and so on.

But I like to test myself much more often than that. However, I don’t have an at-home cholesterol kit (and would not be taking my own blood if I did, no thank you), and I suspect a bod pod is prohibitively expensive. Although it would look cool, in the corner of the living room.

This leaves me with two ways I can measure what I am accomplishing, both inadequate in the big picture, but both helpful and – to me, anyway – interesting.

One is, the heart rate monitor I bought from AIM. I strap it on when I walk, when I do resistance exercise and – lately – when I cut the grass. Turns out, pushing the mower at a reasonable rate keeps me right in my fat-burning heart rate zone for 50 to 55 minutes. Pretty good results.

I use the monitor to check that I am not dropping below or kicking up out of that zone when I walk. The latter is easy to do, especially up hills, but I still have a lot of excess weight (although 54 pounds fewer than when I started), so I am focused on that goal., and my walks are as close to my fat burning zone as possible.

The second measurement is related to the weight loss. I know that Dr. Mike, Zach and the team will insist – quite rightly – that this is not only about weight loss. I know. I am healthier in every way – just check out my blood work results!

But weight is important, we all know that. And my particular personality (if one can call it that) reacts well to lots of information as motivation.

So I weigh myself every day.

My wife thinks I’m nuts; she weighs herself every five days or so.

There are downsides to weighing in every morning. Some days, depending on sodium content of what I ate the day before, or the kind of exercise I did, or how hot the weather is, my weight will go up a pound or two. Those are bad days. I could avoid them, I suppose, if I weighed myself less frequently.

But most days – I’d say 80 per cent or more of the days since Sept. 28, 2011 – I weigh the same or less than I did the day before. As I write this, that is 287 days; I have lost 54 pounds. That means a lot of really good mornings.

I find, personally, that weighing myself daily has the same result, whether I gain or lose: if I lose, I’m motivated to keep going; if I gain, I am motivated to counter whatever evil force has crept inside my body… or, more to the point, I am motivated to be very sure I am following nutritionist Stephanie Clairmont’s tips, to the letter.

It has all worked out really well. I will probably weigh myself every day for the rest of my life. Am I recommending this to you? Not necessarily. I do recommend that you get healthy, and that you find whatever it is that motivates you to do so.

The folks at AIM, by the way, are terrific motivators.

The non-diet diet

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:50:46 -0400

I must admit, it’s pretty flattering when people notice the significant changes in my shape. One recent day, three different people commented on the missing mass of me – including one woman who yelled “Hey, Sexy!” from her car… although she later told me – in the presence of my wife – that she was kidding. Just as well, I suppose.

I get a lot of questions about how this has been accomplished; of course, I refer the questioners to this blog, and also to the AIM Institute and Dr. Mike Sehl – but one question comes up often enough to inspire me to write this particular column. Here’s the question:

“What diet are you on?” I was asked this most recently in church, on Sunday, an interesting conversation during the prelude!

Here’s my short answer: “I’m not on a diet.” Which is both true and untrue, at the same time.

I’m certainly not on a diet, if that implies a program of eating with a desired weight loss goal, and an end in sight. I have been on diets, before (they didn’t work, just like most of yours didn’t work). By and large, they are short term programs that lead to a specific goal, and then, sadly, to long-term gain in the worst sense of the word.

Or (and I am no expert, so take this with a grain of salt substitute), they leave the dieter on a long-term program of unhealthy eating focused entirely on weight, and not at all on genuine health. I know people who completely avoid carbs, which would give fits to my nutritionist, Stephanie Clairmont.

That kind of diet, I am not on.

But I have changed my eating habits, significantly. The thing is, there is no intention to ever change back, and everyone – Dr. Mike, Stephanie, and my wife Nancy – all agree that’s the right way to go.

Last time I wrote, I quoted the authors of “Younger Next Year”, who suggest that we already know at least 85% of the things we eat, which we should not be eating. Cutting them out will probably cause weight loss; reaching the weight loss and resuming those destructive eating habits will probably cause a reversal of all benefits. I know. I have done it.

More than one person has asked if I am planning a celebratory dinner some time when I reach a significant milestone. Will I go out for ribs, wings, fries and beer, they wonder.

Another short answer: no.

Why would I, when I am thoroughly enjoying the food I eat every day; when I don’t feel seven slightly deprived; and when I know that meal is not good for me in any way?

Have I avoided every dietary evil in the past nine months? No. There have been moments when I have scarfed down a treat offered at a party, or eaten a piece of cake baked especially for a special occasion, or passed the two-glass wine quota. Sometimes, that feels like the right thing to do. Just as often, it ain’t worth it.

I have talked to people who have a plan that gives themselves a reward from time to time – they get to indulge in a forbidden food. (And there clearly are forbidden foods, stuff that is bad for you in every way. Fried food, especially French fries; white bread and its cousins; processed snack food; anything heavy in fat… again, you know, you really do!)

Personally, I’m never going to adopt that system. Because I’m better to keep on enjoying the healthy stuff (which, fortunately, I do), and staying away from temptation. I’d rather reward myself with fresh cherries, or a finer than usual glass of wine.

Once upon a time, many decades ago, I was a smoker. I know people, today, who have quit smoking but take a cigarette from time to time. I sit in awe and fear, every time I see that – because I know I could be a puff or two away from rekindled addiction, and I worry that the same might be true for them. I take a similar approach to the dark side of dining – if something is simply not good for me, I probably should skip it, every time.

I’m not suffering. Last night, dinner (with a group of friends at the end of an annual guys-only fishing trip) included fresh, grilled bass caught earlier that day in Long Point Bay; two wonderful salads; some home-made, multi-grain bread; two glasses of wine; and fresh strawberries for dessert.

Tell me an illicit reward menu that would top that!

So, am I on a diet? No. Do I make daily decisions about healthy eating? Yes.

Is it working? Well, just call me “Sexy”.

"Younger Next Year"

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:15:50 -0400

Dr. Mike Sehl has given me a lot – chiefly, a new lease on life! I am healthier, in better shape, slimmer, more energetic, stronger (everything is relative, okay?), and happier. That’s a pretty impressive list.

He also gave me a book. I know, that’s somewhat less significant than health and wellness, but it was part of the package. The book is called “Younger Next Year”, with the sub-title, “Live Strong, Fit and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond.” It is written by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.

The inscription in my book reads, “To Paul: To your health! Mike”.

As I have read this book, during the course of my health and wellness program to date, it has inspired me, amused me, irritated me, infuriated me, and inspired me all over again. The authors are absolutely insistent on the need for us – all of us – to get into better shape and stay in better shape, if we expect to be anything but medically-challenged couch potatoes for the final decades of our lives.

They’re pushy and demanding, and, for the most part, I think they are right.

I highly recommend the book.

Granted, the authors – especially Crowley – tend to have high expectations. They want me to go on a two-week bike hike or a canoe trek and frankly, I can’t see that happening. But they also want me to be active every day, to exercise in the right heart rate zones, to do fat-burning, cardio and muscle-building work on a regular basis. That, I am doing.

To my astonishment, if I don’t do at least one of these things, every day, I miss it! This is totally unlike any experience I have had in the past, during my sporadic attempts at losing weight or getting into shape (sporadic and entirely unsuccessful, I might add). In those days, exercising or dieting (and no, I am not on a diet. I eat differently, but with full satisfaction), were a much-dreaded chore. Today, I can honestly say they are a pleasure.

To be fair, Crowley and Lodge don’t rely exclusively on the “it’s a pleasure” argument. They are not reluctant to scare the crap out of you, warning you about what lies ahead if you don’t get active. They write, “The point of this book is that we have to learn to cure ourselves, or… we will live and prematurely die in unnecessary pain.”

The key word in that sentence – easily missed because of the threat of death! – is “or”. These guys insist we have a choice “between decay and growth.”

And the key? “Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.” Mike Sehl actually prescribes five days, but admits that six is better. Me, I have been trying for seven, and usually not quite making it, which means I do manage between five and six.

“Younger Next Year” builds a strong and detailed case from their simple premise.

A lot of the information and advice will be brand new to you, and very helpful. I have the advantage of working with Zach Weston (you can, too – call AIM, right now!) so I already knew about fat burning zones and the right heart rates to achieve specific results. Which is why I have now lost 52 pounds, and still counting.

Some of the suggestions are simply rooted in common sense, but doggone it, we seem to need the reinforcement. So there is value in reading Crowley’s comment: “I urge you to sit down, this second, and make a list of all the mountains of garbage you’re eating you know you should quit eating altogether. I bet you get it 85 percent right before you read our two nutrition chapters. (Hint to get you started: French fries. Almost all fast food. Processed snacks with names that end with the letter ‘O’.)”

I must admit that, acting on the advice of nutritionist Stephanie Clairmont and my own negligible store of common sense, I have had no French fries, and almost no fast food or processed stuff ending in ‘O’ since last September. Have I missed this stuff? Maybe four or five times. That feeling of nostalgia goes away pretty quickly when I discover my waist size is down another two inches.

So, I say, read this book.

I have recommended it to my friends. In fact, I recommended it to my most enthusiastic supporter (wife excepted), John. “I am reading this great book,” I said. “Younger next year!”

John growled… literally, growled. “That’s exactly what I told you when I recommended that book to you three years ago, you ass!”

So, with that confession, I say to you – don’t be an ass like me. Call AIM. Read the book. Get active. Be younger next year… it can be done.

Did you miss me?

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:22:01 -0400

I haven’t written in a while, and I apologize for my absence, but life has been a little disrupted in the past month.

Two major events have occurred, which impacted on every facet of our lives – including our AIM program. As I write this, I have only just resumed my faithful daily exercise and nutrition regime.

The first disruption is by far the most important one – my wife, Nancy, had a “silent” heart attack which causes some symptoms but went undetected until she noticed a marked decrease in energy. When I took her to hospital, her heart rate was down to a range between 18 and 30 beats per minute – it should be 70.

The excellent medical team at Cambridge hospital (we went there because she’s a volunteer chaplain at Cambridge) took very good care of her, and within the day had determined that she needed a pacemaker – which was implanted at St. Mary’s hospital the very next day.

All of this took place just 10 days before our busiest time of the year – the New Hamburg Live! Festival of the Arts. I am executive director; Nancy is producer. It ran from May 28-June 3, 13 events in seven days, non-stop work for the organizers.

Amazingly, Nancy was able to participate (although she’s not lifting anything yet). She even sang in the Sunday gospel concert (she’s the one with the pacemaker, in the middle in the photo above, along with Nick Settimi, Vicki St. Pierre, Denise Pelley, Erin Bardua, Doug Worthington and Don Worthington).

Why do I tell you all this in a blog specifically about my AIM health and wellness program? I am convinced that our work with AIM had a significant positive impact on both Nancy’s medical outcome, and my work at the Festival.

Nancy has been exercising and eating healthily, right along beside me, since September. In fact, she has probably been wiser in her eating habits than I. The doctors don’t yet know what caused the heart attack – they may never know, they say – but while the episode disrupted her heart’s electrical system, it apparently did not damage the heart muscle. I wonder if this is because she is in much better shape than a year ago, thanks to the AIM program.

I do know that my exalted duties as executive director of an Arts Festival involve carrying cases of bottled water, carrying and stacking chairs, hauling speakers and lights, and generally working my butt off, as well as wearing a tux on occasion.

I found the physical activity astonishingly easier this year than last – last year I was 50 pounds heavier and in terrible shape; this year, I am on the road to health.

And if I do say so myself… I looked a lot better in a tux, too!

None the less, I also learned that hauling water, being on my feet from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., and rushing madly about is not a substitute for the carefully thought-out regime the AIM folks have developed for me. My 45-minute walk today was more challenging than it has been for months. But I’m back on the job… and Nancy will soon be exercising right beside me, pacemaker be praised.

By the numbers

Sun, 06 May 2012 10:33:38 -0400

Dr. Mike Sehl looked up from the report he had been reading. I was a bit anxious, because those numbers and obscure designations like “hsCRP” and “ALT” told the story of my state of health.

Mike smiled. “They’re all in the right direction,” he said. Well, that was good news, perhaps modestly so, but good news none the less.

Then he added, “In fact, you couldn’t ask for more progress than you currently have, here.” Wow!

So I asked him to elaborate.

Some brief background: at the end of September, 2011, when I received my “comprehensive annual health assessment”, Mike and his team conducted all manner of tests on me, as they do on anyone who enrolls in the program. They discovered the base line of my state of health – and it wasn’t good. You may remember that they assessed me as having a physiological age of 78 (not good, since I was 60 at the time), with all kinds of issues.

Some of those issues were related to cardiovascular fitness and strength. I have been working on them with Zach Weston, with great results. Some were to be attacked by a healthier eating plan, working with Stephanie Clairmont.

As you know, that has all been unfolding ever since. And I have had some chance to compare my cardiovascular progress, and to watch my weight decline by 49 pounds, so far.

But my blood tests in September had shown a number of serious issues, and the tests I took in late April were the first chance to see if there were improvements in these areas.

Here are some of the key figures:

In September, my cholesterol level was 5.87. Anything above 5.2 indicates a risk for developing heart disease. Today, my reading is 4.89. In September, Dr. Mike had considered putting me on a drug to control my high cholesterol levels. No need for that, today.

The triglyceride test measures the risk component for heart disease and diabetes. Anything over 2.3 is in the danger zone. In September, I measured 3.21. In May, I am at 1.6.

HDL is sometimes called “the good cholesterol”; LDL is its evil twin. HDL should be above 1.0. I have actually dropped a bit, from 1.05 to 1.02, but I’m still in good territory. My LDL reading has dropped from 3.35 in September to 3.1 today.

When I had the health assessment in September, I was, frankly, too fat for the ultrasound to allow accurate readings. There were hints of problems (chief among them the fact that I was too fat to allow accurate readings!) There was apparently fat in my liver, among other things.

That was also indicated by a distressing number in my September tests. ALT is a test that detects liver injury. You should be below 36. I registered 63 in September – not good news. Dr. Mike decided to see what impact my healthier lifestyle might have.

This time, 49 pounds lighter, my ultrasound was successful. It showed a smaller liver! And the test result? My ALT score dropped from 63 to 22. Liver problems solved.

It’s the science, stupid!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:56:17 -0400

Let me make this clear: I do understand that my health and wellness program is not a diet, and it is not only about weight loss.

It’s about being healthy, having a physiologically younger body, and living longer. All terrific goals, and I, for one, am irrevocably committed to the program.

But nonetheless, I still have bathroom scales. And a weight loss goal. As well, some good friends have offered a very nice added incentive should I lose 60 pounds. So it’s not surprising that I place a disproportionate emphasis on my weight as a measure of my accomplishments on this program.

Besides, I don’t have a bod pod in my basement, nor can I write a script for extensive blood tests to see if my cholesterol readings are improving. So my day to day comparative measure is those darned scales.

Incidentally, I did just have those aforementioned blood tests, and I will bring you up to date on the results in the next blog. But for today… the scales.

Which were telling me I had stalled in my weight loss. Sure, I have lost 47 pounds (no small achievement, literally), but reading the scales had started to become a rather boring hobby. Up a pound, back down, up a pound again (restaurant meal, thus sodium), back down.

I took my case to Zach and Stephanie. That would be Zach Weston, Director of Exercise Physiology at AIM, and Stephanie Clairmont, Registered Dietician and Nutritionist.

I’m trying to imagine what would have happened if I were on my own in this. Well, first of all, I would weigh something close to 47 pounds more than I do. But second, even if I had managed to lose some weight and start working out, I would have been lost… eating right, exercising, and stalled.

But my team (I hope they don’t object, but I do think of them that way!) knows their stuff. Zach did some analysis of the way I have been exercising, and concluded that I was doing no harm, but perhaps not as much good as I could be with the same amount of time and effort.

And here’s the key: he told me to back off, a bit. I wear a heart rate monitor when I exercise, which records the sessions, and Zach plugged it into his computer and discovered I was not spending enough time in the lower heart rate zones – the zones that are vastly more effective at burning fat calories.

The higher heart rates do other good stuff, but are not as effective when it comes to getting rid of fat – one of my key goals.

Stephanie asked me what I have been eating; I have been following our plan, developed right at the beginning, a simple but effective approach to reducing quantities but enjoying food, none the less. Her answer to help me lose more weight? She added food to my diet – specifically, she insists I have some carbs with lunch and within 20 minutes of a strenuous, TRX workout.

Within days of those consultations, my slow but steady weight loss resumed; my bathroom scales are no longer in danger of being abused as an act of frustration.

This is all just one example of the enormous value of having health advisors who understand the science behind the program. Dr. Mike Sehl often sits me down and explains something new about the science of getting healthy; Zach and Stephanie are sharp and intuitive, but they both rely on scientific measurements … and results.

I have to say, I am loving those results.

A happy semi-anniversary!

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:19:57 -0400

Today is a pretty meaningful semi-anniversary. It marks six months to the day of my initial assessment at the AIM Corporate Health and Wellness Centre.

And if you have been following this blog – this is the 24th entry – you will know that those two words, “health” and “wellness” did not really apply to me on September 29, 2011.

“Obese”, “out of shape”, and “lucky you’re not dead” were more to the point.

But I bought into the program. Dr. Mike Sehl is a very convincing proponent of the whole proactive approach to being healthy. Zach Weston understands the science of getting into a healthy state, and staying there. Stephanie Clairmont is the most understanding and helpful dietician and nutritionist you can imagine. So, in truth, buying in wasn’t all that tough… I knew I was simply becoming part of a superb team, all focused on making me healthier and, in consequence, happier.

Surprisingly, the succeeding six months have not been all that tough, either. I have moved from my initial commitment to walking 30 minutes, five times a week, to somewhat longer walks, almost every day, along with more rigorous, resistance workouts, two or three times a week.

Stephanie and I worked out a sensible approach to eating on Day One, and with very minor tweaks, it has stayed virtually the same, since. She keeps checking, though!

I have acquired a treadmill (which mostly doesn’t work, resulting in the development of creative alternatives), a TRX system (which works very well), and a heart rate monitor (which is absolutely essential, if you are going to be serious about the science of being healthy; I’ll talk more about this in my next blog).

The results, so far?

Today, I weigh 220.5 pounds. Sometime last August, I weighed 265. I have lost almost 45 pounds. When my wife Nancy’s accomplishments are added in, our household is 85 pounds lighter.

I’ve also lost girth. I’m wearing pants with a 40 inch waist… it was a tight 46 inches, last summer. I have given dozens of articles of clothing to the thrift store.

Earlier this week, Zach popped me back into the bod pod, to check my percentage of body fat.

Let me stress that the work is not done, here. My body fat percentage is 39.6%. Anything over 30% is deemed obese, in my age range. However, on September 29, 2011, my body fat percentage was 47.4%. I have come down, a long, long way.

And there is better news – since my last bod pod assessment, in January, I have lost more body fat than I have pounds of weight. Which means I am actually increasing muscle mass (me!). Amazing.

There are challenges, of course, but they are not really all that difficult. Some discipline is required. Have there been slips? Occasionally. I’m encouraged by Dr, Mike to drink up to two glasses of wine a day, but that should be the limit. I have, a few times, had more. I have even had a very occasional pint of beer… although I quickly realize, after the fact, that it was not really worth the calories! A rusty nail every month or two, on the other hand….

I feel terrific. I can only imagine how I will feel when I hit my original weight target — losing 60 pounds; when I slip out of the “obese” category; when I finally hit what would be an ideal weight for me, which I am guessing is something close to 180.

These things will happen, because I don’t feel like I am on a diet or in an unusual training program; instead, I have changed a few things about how I live, changes that I will be able – and happy – to hold on to for the rest of what I hope will be a healthier life.

Bruce Hornsby - for your workout pleasure

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:59:52 -0400

Bruce Hornsby - for your workout pleasure

Off the old treadmill

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:59:21 -0400

Here’s the problem: our treadmill is still not functioning. The company that made the treadmill we bought in November is being very cooperative, shipping new parts almost weekly… but they are not the right parts. So the doggone treadmill still is not working.

In fact, the last time the service guy was here, he didn’t put it back together, because he was afraid we might try to use it anyway, and electrocute ourselves or burn the house down. I may exaggerate, a little.

Not having a treadmill does not mean we cannot walk – the incredibly absent winter we have just enjoyed (and I really do mean, “enjoyed”, non-winter guy that I am) has meant that the roads and sidewalks have been mostly open for walking, so we have hit the road on our walking days.

But every other day, more or less, I want to do a more vigorous workout that combines walking with some resistance training (I cannot believe I am writing this – I sure as heck would not have, six months ago).

Not surprisingly, Zach Weston had the answer. Zach’s the Director of Exercise Physiology and a number of other things at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine; he’s the guy I meet with every two or three weeks to tweak my exercise regimen.

“Do you have any stairs in your house?” he asked.

Of course.

“Are they near the TRX?” (that’s the inexpensive resistance training equipment that now hangs from a rafter in our basement).

Yes.

And from that has come a very exciting – I do not exaggerate, this time – workout plan based on Zach’s suggestions, and put together to meet my specific needs.

Every second day or so, I spent 45 minutes alternating between step-up-and-downs on the bottom stair (in sets numbering between 40 and 80), and 15 reps of one of the nine exercises I now do alternately on the TRX. I usually repeat a couple, for 11 or 12 sets on the TRX in total. I throw in some light weights at the end, and finally some stretches.

My contribution to all this (in addition to the self-discipline that still surprises me!) is that I have put together a one-hour workout play list on I Tunes. I’m a music freak, so any time I hear good tunes, I am in!

I chose songs that work well with that step-up, step-down rhythm – Get Back, by the Beatles, The Way You Make Me Feel, by Michael Jackson, Smooth by Carlos Santana, We’ll Be Together by Sting, The Valley Road by Bruce Hornsby, and some others.

A good set of songs helps carry me through the final, challenging 15 minutes.

This workout does two great things – it puts me in my personal fat burning zone for a significant amount of time, but by the end, stair-stepping (and even doing a few stair pushups) to Bruce Hornsby, my heart rate can get up to 140, a good accomplishment since I still take Atenolol, and way better than I could manage at the beginning of this marvellous experiment in which I am a very willing guinea pig!

It also, by the way, demonstrates that you don’t need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on fitness equipment for your home – the TRX system is about two hundred bucks, and the stairs came with the house.

The tunes, on the other hand – well, my wife has some specific opinions about the amount of money I spend on ITunes. But, on the other hand, she does want me to put together a workout playlist for her, too.

The science of fat

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:24:30 -0500

There is a great deal of solid science behind the process that is converting me from an obese slug to a healthy human being. From time to time, during my visits to AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Mike Sehl sits down with me and shares something new he has discovered that supports his contention that healthy living and preventative medicine are the only sensible way to go in our health care system.

Now, I am not a doctor, and I do not intend to play one in a blog. So my first piece of advice is, if you want the medical details about these matters – talk to Mike.

I will tell you that my most recent conversation with Dr. Mike led me to detesting body fat even more than I already did, every time I looked in a full-length (should I say, “full-width”?) mirror.

Mike told me that when we was a medical student, fat was seen as an inert substance – not good for health, but not malign in its own right. That has changed. It turns out, excess body fat actually functions much like a gland, and it secretes harmful substances into our bodies.

Increased body fat – a Body Mass Index anything over 30 is dangerous, and I have still to come down to that level – means, for example, increased levels of angotensinogen (a term I assure you I had never heard before), which leads to hypertension – high blood pressure. Mike told me, “Body fat actually produces that; fat is an active part of the problem.”

Fat produces other substances related to high blood pressure, as well. And – there is a long explanation for this, but trust me – it’s directly related to the chance you will develop diabetes, because high body fat means your naturally occurring insulin cannot do the job it’s intended to do.

The news does not get better – high body fat, says Dr. Mike, is related to increased coagulation of the blood, which increases our risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

So excess body fat is not just a cumbersome, clogging thing we lug around… it’s that, but while we’re lugging it, it’s also actively trying to kill us. Hmmm…

And – this is not good news to the likes of me – the location of body fat is important. “Our waist circumference seems to be connected to the worst fat…. Your waist circumference and your percentage of body fat are very active in secreting enzymes that go on to cause these problems.”

Rats. Most of my body fat is located right there.

Or – and here’s the good news – it was. I still have a long way to go, but as of a few days ago, I had lost 41 pounds. I’ve run out of holes on a belt that I could not even use six months ago. I had to wear a tux and a fancy shirt to sing in a choral concert last Saturday and – well, let’s just say I could have shared them with the guy next to me, and it’s a good thing they put the bass singers in the back row.

So while my body fat is not down to the levels I – and Dr. Mike – are aiming for, I am taking significant steps away from the toxic dangers outlined in this column.

And speaking of steps – at the advice of Zach Weston, I have been mixing up my exercise routine, and I am amazed at how much I can now do without keeling over. Let me brag for a moment – last night, I did ten sets of 15 exercises on the TRX, interspersed with 440 steps on our stairs, and some work with light weights.

I know plenty of people who can do much more than that, and I applaud you. But in my case, one tenth of that activity would have left me prostrate, six months ago. Now, it leaves me sweating, smiling and feeling pretty damned good about myself.

Donating 29 large pieces of clothing

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:43:00 -0500

Don’t you love it when two plans come together? I know, that’s not exactly the cliché from the A Team, but it’s what happened when I sat down for coffee (no cream, no sugar) with Jeff MacIntyre a few days ago.

I owe Jeff a lot. He’s the guy who approached me about being the out-of-shape, over-weight guinea pig for the new AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, adopting their plan of action and writing about it.

Another way to say that just might be, Jeff is the guy who saved my life.

Exaggeration? Probably not. If you have been following this blog, you know my original stats – and they are still there, posted for all to see, in my earlier blogs. I was in danger of a health crisis in a number of different areas.

Today, less than five months after my initial assessment, I am far healthier, far less obese, and eager to carry on down this new and fulfilling road to health. So, when Jeff asks me to sit down with him, I say yes, and thank you. Sometimes, I think the people at AIM, including Jeff, are even more delighted with my results than I am. They are extremely supportive.

I told Jeff about an incident at a church service that Sunday, when a lovely friend walked up to me, pulled on my sports jacket, made it into a double-breasted coat, and said, “You need to get some new clothes, my man. You are shrinking right out of these.” She was right – some of my clothes are getting pretty loose and sloppy.

When I told this story to Jeff, he suggested an ancillary plan, linked to my weight loss. See, Jeff’s daughter, Madi, is doing something really terrific through social networking. Madi grabbed the idea that this is a leap year, and created a website called “29Leaps” (http://www.29leaps.com).

The idea is simple – here it is in Madi’s own words: “It’s a leap year! That means we have 29 days instead of 28 this February. For some, an extra day is great! …but for those who are sick, homeless, lonely or hurting… an extra day may not be something to celebrate.

“29Leaps is about celebrating life and happiness for everyone. Let’s show people that an extra day is something for EVERYONE to celebrate. Through the good and the bad, it always helps to know that someone cares about you. That’s why we want to take the opportunity to use the number 29 as a benchmark for spreading the good.

“Whether you prefer a simple or creative approach… donate 29 cents or dollars to a cause, spend 29 minutes with someone, send 29 care packages, donate 2.9% or 29% of your profits for the month or on the 29th… even if you want to do 29Leaps 29 times for all 29 days, we simply ask you to get involved and spread the message. Each time you do your 29Leaps, come back to the website and click the button on the right to add your 29 to the grand total!”

Jeff told me about this with all the pride a doting dad could muster… and he has every right to be proud. As I write this, more than 105,000 people have added their “29” on the site… check it out and see how far it has climbed by the time you read this.

Jeff said, “If your clothes don’t fit because you’re getting in shape, why not find 29 things in your closet and donate them to a thrift store.” A great plan! So I have clicked my participation on 29Leaps, and I will share this on Facebook and Linkedin, and I encourage you to leap right in. Into 29Leaps, and, of course, into a personal health and wellness program. You won’t find a better people to support you than the
folks at AIM.

Every day, in every way....

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:16:00 -0500

A few weeks ago, a friend who reads this blog approached me at a community event to compare notes about being the same age as one another. He’s a fit-looking guy, sharp dresser, smart. But he’s 78. Not that there’s anything wrong with that if you are, in fact, 78. Well done, you! However, he had read in one of my first blogs that my body age has been rated at 78, and he was kind of enjoying that, while still commending me for my efforts to improve my health.

Well, Ken, I have to tell you that you are now on your own. Two weeks ago, I was re-assessed in some of the areas originally charted at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, back on September 28. Zach Weston popped me back into the bod pod, and also did some cardio and respiratory tests. And I am proud to announced that, even without re-testing of cholesteral levels and the like, my body age has dropped by seven years – I am now 71 years old, by body age.

“But aren’t you 61?” I hear you ask. Yes. Yes, I am. Which suggests my journey toward health is not nearly over. Never will be in fact. But after just over four months working with Dr. Mike Sehl and his team, I am seven years closer to being a healthy 61 year old.

And it gets better. When I was first tested, my “obtainable body age” was 55, if I did everything right in the program. Today, it’s 52… not only am I getting healthier, but I am building increasing potential for being healthier yet.

There are some definite markers showing the progress. During my first assessment with Zach, my VO2max result was appalling – in the 5th percentile.

According to one reliable definition, “VO2 max is the maximal oxygen uptake or the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilized in one minute during maximal or exhaustive exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight. VO2 max or maximal oxygen uptake is … generally considered the best indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness.”

So when I was tested in September, I showed worse than 95 per cent of the population. This is, as they say, not so good. Four months later, I have moved up 35 percentiles. That’s a lot better.

As I write, I have lost 38 pounds, since last summer.

As tested by my own GP last week, my blood pressure is down to average levels… 130 over 80. I do continue to take Atenolol for high blood pressure; the eventual goal is to wean me from that.

Bottom line? It’s working, the sensible eating and exercise and incredible levels of support from the AIM team. And, ridiculous as it may seem, I am enjoying the entire process. I’m eating well, really good food… just healthier food, and less of it. Don’t miss anything. And I am kinda proud of what I can accomplish now on the treadmill (in fact, we burned the motor out, and are awaiting repairs) and on the TRX system.

By the way – when the treadmill started to smell like it was about to burst into flames, we did not stop walking. We’ve used the excellent, new walking track at the Wilmot Rec Centre several times, and the fine weather has also allowed us to walk outdoors, which we love. So, no time out because the equipment is down, and the result is our continued weight reduction and increased level of fitness.

Just this morning, I sat down with Dr. Mike, and he shared some more, new reasons why losing body fat is essential to healthy living. I wanted to update you on my progress, in this blog, but I’ll be back with some information from Dr. Mike about how our waistlines are aggressively attacking us, in a new blog, in a few days’ time. Stay tuned.

Obese, and getting more so

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:27:00 -0500

Perhaps the most disgusting word I heard during my initial assessment at AIM was the ugly, five-letter word, “obese”. I was, they told me, obese. Second stage obese.

I probably still am,although considerably less obese that in September, and aiming for a time when that word will not be applied to me in any way. To not be obese is one of my new, primary goals in life.

After all, who wants to be “obese”? We work pretty hard to find other words to mask the reality – “fat”, “chubby”, “portly”, and so on. Those words can mean something almost equivalent to “cute”, but there ain’t nothing cute about “obese”.

And yet, while we may not want to be obese, moreand more of us are. During one of my first meetings with Dr. Mike Sehl, he showed me a series of maps of the United States.

You can find these maps, presented in a power point slide show, at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

I encourage you to take a look – the evidence is shocking.

Here’s the deal. The first map shows the percentage of Americans, state by state, who were obese, every year, from 1985 on. Take a look to see the details, but a quick overview reveals that, in 1985, of 23 states reporting, about 13 states recorded less than 10% of the population as “obese”, and another eight states showed between 10% and 14%. That’s as high as obesity rates went, 37 years ago.

By 1990, you will see, most states were recording obesity rates, and the vast majority reported rates between 10& and 14% of the population.

In 1991, the first three states recorded higher rates of obesity, recording that between 15% and 19% of the population were obese. By 1995, well over half of the US states had obesity rates in the 15% to 19% range… but no state registered higher figures.

That changed in 1997, when suddenly, three states showed obesity rates of 20% to 24% – almost a quarter of the citizens in those states wereobese. It ramps up from there; about half the states were in the 20% to 24% range by 2000, but none showed a rate above 24%.

Welcome to this century. Year by year, the rates of obesity continue to climb. The first state to register rates in the 25% to 29% range did so in 2001. By 2003, there were four. By 2004, nine.

If the mounting crisis were not already apparent, 2005 might have been a watershed year. Suddenly, three states reported that more than 30% of their citizens were obese. That quadrupled by 2010 – and by that year, every single state showed obesity rates above 20%.

On the maps I’m referring to, as obesity levels grow, the maps turn from light blue to dark red. It is shocking to watch the change, from 1985 through 2010.

Is the same true in Canada? Almost, although not quite. Stats Canada says, between 2007 and 2009, about 24.1% of Canadians over the age of 30 were obese. The comparable figure in the U.S., says StatsCan, is about 34.4%. But the rate of obesity has been growing quickly here, too.

So we Canadians are a lighter shade of red than our cousins to the south… but we sure as heck ain’t light blue. We ain’t light in any way, and I arrived at AIM as a living, wheezing poster boy for obesity.

They’re helping, more than I can express. The truth is, for all of us who are obese – and that’s at least a quarter of us – the solution will not come in government programs, pills, or wishful thinking. The answer lies in a well-thought-through program of eating properly and exercising appropriately. To get that, I, for one, needed all the help I could get.

My own little spot on themapisgoing to be light, light blue, one day in the not too distant future. I invite you to join me on that side of the spectrum.

A whole bunch of don'ts

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:34:53 -0500

There sure are a lot of “don’ts” involved in this AIM Corporate Health and Wellness Centre program.

For instance, I don’t eat ice cream. I don’t eat french fries.

More importantly, though, I don’t wheeze. I don’t snore nearly as much. I don’t need a mirror to see my toes. I don’t need to rest after a walk to the community mail box. I don’t have clothes that fit me properly.

Look, I know I am not there yet – if there really is a “there”. In fact, I suspect this health and wellness endeavour is much more about the journey than it is about reaching any destination. But although there is a long way to go, I have already come a good distance.

Let’s talk about the don’ts in more detail.

First, the food…

Let me be clear: no one has forbidden me to eat anything. My nutritionist, Stephanie Clairmont, has worked with me to develop more sensible and healthy eating habits, based on a few simple rules, not of caloric intake, but of basic behaviour. I have written about my four-point plan previously, but for easy reference, here it is, with some newer details in brackets:

Replace evening snack of ice cream with 1 cup of fruit

Eating a good-sized breakfast (including dairy, nuts, fruit and half a bagel or equivalent)

Include a half-plate of vegetables in every lunch

Use a smaller plate at dinner (and avoid seconds; don’t be afraid to leave food on the plate if I am not hungry. Enjoy up to two glasses of wine a day.)

So – no direct prohibitions there, although a strong hint about ice cream. But I have personally decided that there are some foods that are simply not a good idea – mostly because they are my biggest temptations. So, since September, I have not eaten a french fry or any ice cream. I have also skipped hamburgers, chicken wings and fast food fried chicken.

I know, I know – for a true Canadian, that sounds like a horrible sacrifice. But here are a few of the things I have eaten: lobster, duck, pheasant, squid, and dozens of other meats and fishes; every vegetable known to human-kind (although I can give mature bok choy a miss); sashimi, dim sum… you get the picture. The lad is not suffering from a lack of options in the dietary department.

It’s the other don’ts I really love. One of the first things my friends noticed is that I don’t wheeze after the mildest exertion. This seems like very good news to me… and also makes me a more desirable companion on the golf course when my fellow players are lining up a difficult putt.

My wife tells me I don’t snore nearly as much as I did.

I am, frankly, pretty shocked at how much flab remains after I have lost about 35 pounds, but there is no doubt that I can see my toes… heck, my ankles… without contortions. And I have only begun this journey (resistance training just entered the picture less than a month ago), so I believe I will be carrying less and less flab as time goes on.

My wardrobe tells me this is already happening. A fair number of articles of clothing don’t fit any more… they have become double- or triple-breasted, and have been ditched or donated; the good news is, my wife had been storing brand new smaller clothes for me that she purchased over a couple of years, in faith that the necessary renovations would eventually take place. I have brand new shirts and slacks, which fit well, and frankly make me feel like a million dollars.

And I don’t get tired at the slightest exertion – my stamina is way better. Next week, Zach Weston, AIM’s Director of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, is going to put me through the same series of tests he did initially on September 28. I certainly won’t be a superb example of a healthy male, not yet… but I am pretty sure the tests will show I have come a long way on this never-ending journey to health.

Thirteen festive occasions later....

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:47:00 -0500

Whew.

The holiday season is a wonderful time. It is also – for someone actively involved in a personal health and wellness program – one heck of a challenging time.

Often, the period between Christmas and New Years is when people abandon their efforts to become more healthy; thus the number of New Years’ Resolutions that are identical to the resolutions from the year before.

When I signed on with Dr. Mike Sehl and his team at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, I promised that my blogs would be entirely honest.

So, in the interests of honesty, here are the facts:

Over the Christmas holiday (I’m calculating from December 20 through December 31), I participated in 11 special meals, plus at least two parties where food and drink were available. That’s thirteen opportunities to fall into temptation.

Did I eat? Yep. According to my notes, I enjoyed a lobster, two turkey dinners, a crown roast dinner, pad thai, roast duck, and other memorable meals.

Did I drink? Yes. Now, Dr. Mike encourages people to consume up to two glasses of wine a day. Some days, I did. Only three of the 13 festive gatherings were dry, so I had something to drink at 10 of them. And I was not always obedient to Dr. Mike’s suggestion – New Year’s Eve comes to mind, where I had perhaps five drinks, including champagne, over the course of a very jolly evening.

Here’s the rest of the story: I almost never (not “never” but “almost never”) had seconds. Some of our hosts were cognizant of our efforts to be healthy, and served wonderful, healthy food. The tapas and soup meal at our friend Susan’s was terrific. Four of the occasions were in restaurants, where the choices were entirely in our hands. There, I was very careful; for instance, I really enjoyed the red curry chicken luncheon dish (lots of veggies, a little bit of rice) at the new Milestones at the Boardwalk.

Our New Year’s Eve celebration was at the Waterlot restaurant here in New Hamburg, which was offering a great, varied menu; my wife obtained a copy, and arranged with Leslie, the owner, for some slight modifications that lowered the fat and calorie content somewhat. I still enjoyed lobster bisque and roast duck. The most dramatic alteration was, while our friends were eating cake, we were enjoying a great fruit cup.

I must also point out that at least three different people – who clearly love me – gave me workout equipment for Christmas. I received four-pound weights, as well as wrist and ankle weights, and my wife and I agreed to give each other a TRX system (picture included below), as recommended by AIM’s Zach Weston. It is installed and in operation in our basement.

All through the holidays, we both were very disciplined about walking, using the weights and, after we hung it on the beam, using the TRX.

So – inquiring minds want to know – what was the result of all this?

I lost weight over the holidays. Not much, but about a pound. My weight is now the lowest it has been in decades, although there is still a long way to go. I did better than maintaining, at the toughest time of the year to do so, and even though I did indulge more than I would any other time.

For all of this, I think the credit has to be shared – with Stephanie, who put me on a very manageable nutrition program that allows highly enjoyable meals; with Zach, who is guiding me through every phase of my exercise plan; with Dr. Mike, who is highly motivational and totally committed to everyone’s health and wellness; with my friends who are so supportive of my efforts; and especially with my wife, who is beside me, treadmill step by treadmill step, menu by menu, as we work toward our goal of being healthy human beings.

Losing weight over Christmas may have been the best gift I received, this year.

On asses and belts

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:23:42 -0500

“Nice ass!”

The comment came from behind me, so there was the very faint possibility she was referring to me. Not that anyone had ever made such a comment to me since… well, since forever.

I turned around and, sure enough, she was speaking to me and was now grinning at me. It was a good friend who happened to be in the same bookstore where I was shopping. A friend who has been reading the blog (and is now probablyt blushing as she reads this particular column).

There was nothing lascivious involved here; she was trying to be encouraging, and noticed the new, slimmer jeans and new (well, rescued from the closest, because it has always been too small) shirt I was wearing.

A silly, friendly comment… which felt pretty darned good.

That sort of thing has been happening a lot, these days. Not “nice ass” comments – that was one of a kind, and I expect no repetitions. But things that feel pretty good – they’re happening a lot.

For example, during my most appointment with Zach Weston, Director of Exercise Physiology, Metabolism and Health Coach Programs at the the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in Waterloo, Zach handed me two weights, one a 20-pounder, the other, 10 pounds. It seemed to me to be an awkward start for a new exercise… I felt pretty unbalanced, and those darned things were heavy.

But this was not a new exercise. He let me hold the unbalanced thirty pounds for a moment, and then said, with a big smile, “That’s how much you have lost, so far.”

Now that was a terrific moment!

So was his comment that I am already several years “younger” than I was at my initial assessment, Sept. 28.

In the three months since that assessment, there have been plenty of good moments. The first time I could fasten a belt my wife bought me a year ago, but which was too small to use. Now, I’m fastening the thing four belt-holes up. Amazing.

The ease at which I am walking, a marked contrast to how I felt in September, when I first followed doctor’s orders, and began a 30-minute daily walk. Zach discovered I am a Leafs’ fan (he likes the Habs, poor man), and so he decided to punish me for my misguided ways with a program that has me spending one period of any Leafs’ game walking on my treadmill at my normal heart rate (between 94 and 99 bmp is my best fat-burning rate at this point) during the action, but then ratcheting up the speed and the incline during all commercials. I am amazed at how easily I handle this, now.

It has also been surprisingly easy to make the right decisions about eating. We’re still enjoying our food – very much, in fact – but we are using our brains as well as our stomachs. Last evening, for example, we finished some delicious sashimi and a bit of sushi, but where a few months ago we would have filled the order sheet for seconds and thirds, we paused, sipped some tea, allowed everything to settle, and realized we were full. Good meal – but half the size I would have chowed down last summer.

So as we enter the holidays, I’m doing so well aware of the choices I have before me. It’s pretty simple, really: I am choosing to be healthy… for the first time in decades. It feels terrific.

So Merry Christmas and the best of the season to all – with an especially warm thank you for your gift that keeps on giving to Dr. Mike, Zach, Stephanie, Anita, Dr. Deb, and the entire team at AIM.

Can't you put this together yourself?

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:27:00 -0500

The AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in Waterloo has been up and running for several months, now. I had my Comprehensive Annual Health Assessment about two and a half months ago, as one of their first guinea pigs… I mean, clients.

But as these things are wont to unfold, they did not hold their official grand opening until recent weeks. I attended, with my wife and co-exerciser Nancy, and a large gathering of interested people.

There was one comment I heard several times as we toured the place and visited with Dr. Mike Sehl and his team. At least a few of the visitors seemed to wonder why the AIM Institute needs to exist, at all – couldn’t you get this through our OHIP-funded health care system?

I’m a big believer in Canada’s health care system. So I took this question very seriously, and I have thought about it a lot. And here’s my take on this – mine alone, and not necessarily reflective of the AIM team: no, you couldn’t.

Technically, that’s not true, of course. Everything included in the AIM package is available somewhere else, some of it through OHIP, some not.

It’s just absolutely unlikely, to a point nearing impossible, that anyone would put this package together for themselves.

Sure, you could get the blood work and urine analysis done through your doctor – although I know I had more detailed analysis done through the AIM tests than I have ever received anywhere else. You could probably get your doctor to order an ultrasound and a chest Xray, and schedule a full physical.

You could sign up with an audiologist for a hearing test, and see your optometrist for an eye exam (probably should, anyway). You could find a reputable nutritionist for an analysis of your diet and to offer ongoing coaching. You could find a place where you could buy respiratory testing and cardio testing, and hire an exercise coach to help you get into healthier condition.

But would you? Really?

I sure as heck would not have done so. I would not have gotten off the ground.

Full confession: two years ago, I carried blood work and colon cancer tests around with me for a full year, taking no action. When I saw the doctor the following year, I got new test orders. That’s my level of proactivity.

With AIM, all the analysis is done in two visits, you have an achievable menu of health-oriented goals, and the option (take it!!) of coaching for a year.

Left to my own devices, I drove around with unfilled blood tests.

Working with the people at AIM, I am eating right, drinking less, exercising daily, and scheduled (damn) for a colonoscopy, this very week.

And by the way, from my unofficial starting point, mid-summer, when I weighed 265 (I had lost a few before I was weighed in at AIM), I am now below 240. Weight is not the sole health indicator, but in my case, it’s an important one.

And because I am working with AIM, they will be working with me through the full 12 months and beyond.

Back to the original question: could you make all this happen, yourself? Technically, it might be possible, but personally, I know that I owe my success so far to a very real partnership between the AIM team, my wife, and myself. I can’t imagine it happening any other way.

Getting younger, all the time

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:02:00 -0500

Today is my 61st birthday. It’s the first birthday I can remember where I am celebrating being younger than I was a year ago.

I know that sounds like the fantasy of all of us as we age, but in this case – according to my friends and mentors at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine – it may also be true.

When I had my complete health assessment, exactly two months ago, Zach Weston’s analysis concluded I had the physical state of a healthy 78-year-old. Good news if you are 78, better if you are 85, pretty shabby if you’re 60.

But Zach – whose full title is “Director of Exercise Physiology, Metabolism and Health Coach Programs” – assured me that with proper nutrition and an effective exercise plan, I could scale that back by more than 20 years.

With the success I have seen so far, I am a least a few years younger than I was two months ago.

Last month saw the release of a fascinating study coordinated by a professor at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Bryan Smale is the Director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing; that organization’s first report is entitled “How are Canadians Really doing?” Traditionally, a country’s wellbeing has been judged in terms of economic growth, measured by the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Smale and his colleagues contend – correctly, I believe – that GDP does not tell the whole story, and in fact, may be terrifically misleading. So they developed the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, to measure the quality of life of Canadians by studying eight “domains”, all with a series of internal “indicators.” You can check all this out at http://www.ciw.ca.

Why am I going on about this? Because two of the “domains” measure indicators that reflect directly on the work of Dr. Mike Sehl and his colleagues at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, and also on the personal quest I have undertaken.

Under “Healthy Populations”, the Index report underlines a dichotomy:

First, “We’re living longer. Canada’s life expectancy rates are among the best in the world. We have made consistent gains over the past decades. On average, a Canadian born in 2006 could expect to live to 80.8 years, up 3.3% from 1994.”

However, “We’re not living better. Although Canadians are living longer, these additional years are not necessarily spent in the best of health. Gains in health-adjusted life expectancy for Canadian women and men peaked in 1996 (59.7 and 55.7 years of expected good health respectively) and overall have dropped 3.9% from 1994 to 2008.”

It is perhaps not unrelated that diabetes levels have soared, increasing 49.2% in the past 15 years. Under another domain, “Leisure and Culture”, the CIW also reports that “Older adults participated in physical activity at much lower levels than all other age groups.”

Dr. Mike is determined to change all of this, one person at a time. We don’t need to see a continuing slide into poor health, but we do need to take action, personally, to adopt a lifestyle that will mean for better health and wellness.

If you have been following this blog, you already know that I was the poster boy for sedentary older adults. No more, thanks to the encouragement of Mike and Zach and their team. I, for one, hope to live both longer and more fully, but I am realizing that return requires some pretty specific investment on my part.

So you can imagine that I was very pleased earlier today when my proactive wife, in cooperation with two thoughtful and terrific friends, presented me with my birthday present – a new, state of the art treadmill.

"Finish your dinner, or no dessert"

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:04:05 -0500

There are times when I feel like I am a rebellious 12-year-old. No, more like seven. Maybe seven and a half.

I am learning a lot of things about myself I never expected to learn during this enduring relationship I’m in with Dr. Mike Sehl and his colleagues at the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine.

One of these things has to do with my attitude about food on my dinner plate.

Like many of you, I’m sure, I was raised to clear my plate. This was insisted upon by my parents – products of the Depression, for whom waste was one of the seven deadly sins, and perhaps the greatest of these.

If I did eat all the food on my plate – and I did, I did! – the reward was… wait for it… more food. Second helpings (or sometimes, thirds). Dessert.

Dessert was typically only offered if the first course had vanished.

I wasn’t a fat kid, but as a sedentary adult, this taboo certainly caught up with me.

I understand this philosophy of food; it was deeply rooted in their upbringing. Now, of course, it is deeply rooted in mine.

In my conversations with my nutritionist at AIM, Stephanie Clairmont, we spent a lot of time talking about why I eat. More, in truth, than about what I eat, although that came up, too. And this business of finishing the food on your plate and being rewarded for it started to emerge as a major issue.

I realized that I not only have absorbed that lesson (along with an enormous amount of entirely unnecessary calories), I also expect others to follow suit. If I cook a nice meal for guests (which I love to do), I get a little perturbed – quietly, privately, of course – if they don’t finish everything I serve to them. That’s even if they tell me they’re no longer hungry!

No more. That era is past.

In fact, I have started to leave food on my own plate on a regular basis. The minute I know I am not hungry, I stop eating. If the plate contains food I know I should not eat, if I want to continue this path toward health and wellness (and a new, slimmer, me), I don’t eat it.

Here’s the kicker: when I leave the food untouched, I feel this frisson of delight, this shiver of rebellion. I have bucked the rules. I have not been obedient. I win!!

Embarrassing, isn’t that? Ridiculous.

Which is why I say, I seem to revert to being seven years old.

My wife, by the way, says this is not news to her.

When the folks at AIM first told me I had the body of a 78-year-old (I’m 60), but that they could help me lower than number, I doubt they were aiming for a 71-year reduction.

Meeting the biggest challenge so far

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:46:17 -0500

This was clearly going to be my biggest challenge, so far. My wife and I were flying to Florida for an 11-day working holiday – “working”, because I would be doing research for travel articles.

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

The problem is, this kind of “research” usually means staying in nice places, and… here’s the crunch… eating in nice restaurants. That’s usually a big bonus, but now, I am committed to the program I’m on with the AIM Institute of Lifestyle Medicine. Since my September 29 Comprehensive Annual Health Assessment, I have been really serious about following the very practical initial program laid out for me by Dr. Mike Sehl and his exercise and nutrition colleagues. Would this be possible on holiday, or should we do what many people do – take a vacation from proper diet and nutrition? We decided not to do that, and to do the best we could under demanding circumstances.

Halfway through our Florida stay, I received the following email reminder from Mike: “Watch out for those American portions. Your health is under your own control.”

Before we boarded the flight, we made some solemn vows. No french fries (not even sweet potato fries). Avoid fried foods. Avoid excessive carbs and calories. Keep alcohol consumption to acceptable levels (see my immediately preceding blog).

In other words, try to be smart.

We also resolved to be as active as we could; my initial exercise plan involves walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

The activity part was not all that much of a challenge. We spent time in Fort Lauderdale, Key West, and Palm Beach. The latter two, especially, are made for walking. I took every opportunity offered to be active, and my tally, at the end of 11 days, included: 5 rounds of golf (with carts, which is not optional on Florida courses, but doing as much walking as possible considering the circumstances); hours and hours of walking in all of the above-mentioned cities, especially Key West where we logged many hours afoot, each day; swimming more than half a dozen times, with laps included each time; snorkeling on one occasion; ping pong, once (she beat me); and, unexpectedly, dancing, during our stay at the fine Chesterfield hotel in Palm Beach.

Diet took a little more planning and a lot of caution. But we ordered wisely (seafood was, of course, plentiful), started all meals with salad or soup or both, and – as I leave this particular built-in habit healthily behind – I left a fair amount of food on my plate, because I was full.

Biggest challenges? Key West waterfront restaurants, where almost everything is fried (but where we managed to find alternatives). Fish sandwiches with enormous buns, which I left for the birds that pillage unoccupied tables in these places. And a special wine-and-haute cuisine dinner with a South African winemaker, where we simply tasted a couple of questionable courses (a cream soup that was delicious and deadly, for instance), and where I stretched the wine quota by perhaps half a glass.

From Key West to Palm Beach, we did all we could to maintain the habits we’re developing on the advice of Dr. Mike and his colleagues.

I waited a couple of days after I flew home, because air travel can do strange things to one’s metabolism, and then I weighed myself, with fear and trembling.

I lost three pounds over those 11 days, and I felt better on the golf course and swimming on the coral reefs than I have in years. This program is really working.