Save your life with a lifestyle change
Proper diet and exercise result in a healthier you
Stephanie Witkin
Issue date: 11/23/09 Section: Health
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Megan Sutherland who has been battling a weight problem her whole life recently lost 25 pounds. A smaller Megan couldn't be happier. "I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry," Sutherland said. "I cut out crap and I just lowered my overall calorie intake." Megan stays active by playing for the rugby team at the University at Albany and makes sure to get to the gym every chance she gets. "I had to change the way I ate. I had to change the way I looked at food," she said. Sutherland worries about putting the weight back on but she is working hard to make sure that she maintains her weight loss by eating better and working out.
"The way you eat is a crucial part to your overall health," said Nina Marinello, a sports nutritionist at the University at Albany. Marinello was hired by the school to advise athletes at the university. Marinello helps with advising student athletes who are having a hard time losing or gaining weight in a healthy way. She is starting a website for the athletes that provide resources from reputable sports nutrition programs. She is also hoping to start a course for credit regarding sports nutrition.
"I see a lot of football players who are large but want to be leaner. I also see athletes who are trying to gain weight," Marinello said. When it comes to gaining weight Marinello says that fried foods and desserts have a lot of calories but they have the wrong calories. She suggests unsaturated fats when it comes to gaining weigh rather than saturated fats. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats? According to Marinello saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature and unsaturated fats are fats that are liquid at room temperature. It is the saturated fats that clog arteries in the heart and can create heart attacks and strokes later on in life. "That is the problem with some young people. They can look fit on the outside but because they eat a lot of saturated fats like candy and fries, their hearts have clogged arteries that could prevent blood flow to the heart or brain," Marinello said.
The reality is that there is no magic pill to help you drop or add on the pounds. You have to eat balanced meals that provide all the nutrients you need in a day to survive. Whether or not you are trying to gain or lose weight you have to pick each meal carefully making sure you are not under or over the amount of calories you want to take in at a meal.
Along with eating right you must also exercise regularly. "For people who are obese it is important to remember that losing a significant amount of weight isn't going to happen in two or three months," said David Heller, a personal trainer. "It could take up to and even over a year to lose the weight." Heller recommends a full body workout when trying to lose weight. When you workout you have to do cardio like running or cycling and you have to lift weights that target your arms, legs, abs and other muscle groups. This will allow you to see better long term results.
"A lot of people tend to get discouraged when they don't see results right away. That is why over half of obese people who start a work our regimen fail," Heller said. It is important to be patient when beginning a workout routine.
Obesity causes high blood pressure, diabetes, joint pain, heart attack and stroke. These, according to Marinello, are all preventable if you eat right and exercise the right way. "It is not a quick fix. It is a life style change."