Should I get weighed every day?

Many years ago a personal training client of mine who eventually became a very close girlfriend revealed to me that as a teenager her mother made her get weighed everyday. She went on to tell me that she remembered this ritual like it was yesterday and that many of her eating, food and self esteem issues all revolved around that 3-5 minutes a day. Because of this she was paralyzed for many years and isolated herself from the outside world as it was hard for her to socialize and that her fear of overeating in public overwhelmed her. It seemed that her mother would constantly tell her that she needed to be thin in order to get a boyfriend and that men did not want fat women as wives, so her solution to thinness was to have her get weighed daily. Yes, that would do it! That was over 45 years ago but somehow today this thinking has not changed. Not the boyfriend or husband part but the part as to why we allow those numbers to dictate us and for most women they do. We live in a society where the majority of women still believe that what we weigh is our biggest problem and that somehow when we overcome those dreaded extra pounds life will get peachy and the marriage proposals will come flooding our front door. Today in most circles the underlying message is clear, be thin at any cost. But I ask, what is that cost? Most times it is emotional and mental torture. My friend talked to me extensively about her issues with food and that food was certainly not the nourishment she needed but the enemy that robbed her a healthy life. Now while you might say that this is an extreme case I ask you to think about your own eating and food issues. Do they revolve around getting weighed daily, once a week, once a month of perhaps you do not get weighed? For some women getting weighed it still a mental ritual, have good weigh in day, I feel great, a bad weigh in day, I feel horrible and I binge might even be on the horizon.. Think I am wrong, go sit in any controlled weight loss group such as weight watchers  and observe the members once they come off of the scale. Now I have nothing against weight watchers and I am talking about every women as there are some who have accepted that we are all not going to be a thin but we can all be healthy without letting the scale rule us.  Wherever you stand on this podium the fact remains that most women are ruled by the what they weigh and that list of reasons goes on and on. Although I have not seen my friend for quite some time as our lives took different paths  I sometimes wonder if she got the help she needed, or if she is still ruled by those 3 numbers on that  aluminum flatbed. So, when should you get weighed? That is up to you and while I have nothing against getting weighed just do not let it dictate who you are and rule your life! Have a blessed day!





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MOTIVATION, we all need it!

 Last week I ran into an old friend of mine who I had not seen for quite some time.  Upon seeing her again it was apparent that she had gained a lot of weight in the past year. Before I could give her a hug to say hello she disclosed to me about how horrible she felt and was almost in tears out of  sheer embarrassment.  Well, that hug turned out the more than a hello, that physical connection was to let her know that I could totally understand how she was feeling and take the pressure off  her at that moment. I did not want her to feel judged about these emotions so I began to share with her my own struggles that  revolved around weight obsession, emotional eating and negative body image . And while that thinking seemed so far behind me now at that very moment it seemed like yesterday when my mind and emotions were filled with anxiety, depression and  never ending chaos. With much anxiety she told me that she was so upset and embarrassed because she “let her go.”  by putting this weight on.  I told that she was not alone and that millions of women go through the same trauma every day but there is light at the end of the tunnel. While emotions might run deep now she was in the path of what could be colorful rainbow in her path and she needed to see it and reach for it.

 For many years I ate myself into a never ending trail of  denial and could not get my eating under control.  I remember years of insanity and how food was the only comfort that I relied on in a world of craziness. Some how  though when it hits you personally you are likely to think you are in this solo and that there is no one who understands. But for many they do GET IT  and are in a similar situations.  She confessed that she was feeling depressed and was desperate to lose the weight and get back into a fitness routine, the only problem was that she could not find the WILL to do it. She said she thought about it all of the time but somehow just could not get up and do it. Sound familiar?  Sure it does, as this happens to millions of women every day. The want is there but that is where it stops.  She was not sure how she gained this weight  but one day she woke up and there were more, hips, butts and thighs on her body. SOUND FAMILIAR? It did to me. While she laughed about it again I could see and feel her distress.  I remember that devastation of wanting to give up and waking up one day to more hips, thighs and belly and  how could I turn this around so I could look and feel better.  I wanted her to know she was not alone in this journey and that most who have issues with weight and eating could easily call it quits and just give up for a period of time. I remember having this conversation in my own head many times over the span of many years. I told her that now is NOT the time to  isolate but get support from those who will not judge or try to fix you. It is time to start over again and to move on and that I truly believed in her but she needed to believe not only in herself  but to know that she deserved to feel and look better. I told her that she was worth feeling better but would that make her begin to get on track. Now is the time to get up and begin again. 

Obesity and Alzheimer's Disease

Most of us know that obesity has been linked to a whole host of diseases such as diabetes, some cancers and cardio vascular disease. New research has just been documented that obesity is linked to Alzheimer disease as well.

Researchers specifically found that obesity in middle age predicts an earlier onset of Alzheimer disease, not only that but a higher burden of disease will be more severe when it hits. Some researchers in Baltimore who did a longitudinal Study of Aging looked at the midlife body mass index and Alzheimer’s, they also went further to look at the severity of the disease. The authors of this research study found that higher BMI in middle age (50 years of age) was associated with an earlier onset of Alzheimer disease as well as higher measures of the disease’s severity.

This contributed to more amyloid deposition which is a contributing factor of the onset Alzheimer disease in the brain of patients with a higher midlife BMI, as compared with those who had a healthy BMI at age 50. This indicates a more severe form of the disease. The researchers concluded that a healthy BMI at midlife may thus delay the onset of Alzheimer disease.

Some earlier studies have consistently shown that obesity is associated with dementia. In another study similar to the one above, but conducted in Eastern Finland, researchers followed patients for a total of 26 years, measuring their BMI at an average age of 50 as well as later, at an average age of 71. The researchers observed which patients developed dementia later in life, and found that, again, higher midlife BMI was associated with a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease. You should know that dementia are symptoms associated with memory loss and confusion while Alzheimer is a  disease where thinking is impaired and behavior changes are dramatically caused by changes in the brain. We do know that dementia can sometimes be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. An analysis study from Swedish researchers concluded that “both overweight and obesity at midlife independently increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease.” Some studied also concluded that diabetes, which is an obesity-related disorder, may lead to an earlier onset of dementia. With all of this evidence it is safe to say that overweight and obesity at midlife puts one at a higher risk of developing dementia as well as an earlier onset of Alzheimer disease.

The issue for anyone who is in midlife is that this is a time when many baby boomers have a tendency to gain weight, as metabolism slows down a bit, and they might not be moving as much as they should. With this in mind it is clear to see how utterly important it is to get off of the couch and move your body on a daily basis, we need to live a more active lifestyle and eat more nutritious foods that are good for us and will maintain brain function in our golden years. As we mature and get older keeping your body as well as you mind healthy is the sure way to longer life!