A Stern Lecture
One of the blogs I read is Vince Heminson's Boston or Bust. Vince is also trying to qualify to run the Boston Marathon, but he's going at it from a different perspective. Vince has ongoing weight issues. He just struggled through a marathon in a time that he found disappointing. The reason why this is matters is simple, Vince is trying to get his weight down to 180 lbs, from his current 200 or so by his fall marathon. Unfortunately, Vince is hungry.
I sent Vince a link to a piece I wrote last November about losing weight (http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2004/11/losing-weight-by-food-substitution.html). Vince's response was:
"Ahhhh, Scooter.
Renunciation is good for the soul.
And there are many worse fates in life than being a little hungry.
When you get down to brass tacks, a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit.
Ergo, ipso facto, I'm going to be hungry on occasion.
I've been down this road before.
The journey is not so bad and the destination is worth the trip."
While there are things that ring very true in his response, I find the need to respectfully but forcefully disagree. Being hungry stinks! Being hungry most or all the time REALLY STINKS! So, since I've lost weight hungry and have lost weight without hunger, I must reiterate my point - YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT HUNGER! I'm convinced that losing weight without hunger is both better for you mentally AND easier on the body.
When I was spending time hungry, I found my muscles seemed to shrink disproportionately. While that's not a big deal to someone who's living a normal North American lifestyle, when you get into the slightly (OK, maybe more than slightly) abnormal world of racing a marathon (vs. just running one or completing one), the stakes are higher. If your muscles have self-cannibalized, you won't have the strength to complete a good marathon.
Therefore, I've written this post to Vince (and anyone else who might benefit) to say that I am firmly convinced that you can lose weight both without hunger AND without cannibalizing your muscles. You do it by eating plenty of healthy, unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods. These foods should be high in fiber and large with respect to their calorie content. This means lots of fruits, vegetables and whole (unmilled) grains. Intake of meats should be limited and when possible, leaner cuts selected. Refined sugars and oils should also be significantly restricted. It's as simple as that!
Oh, and you don't have to be perfect. Just make good, solid choices most of the time, and when you make a "bad" choice, keep it small and get back "on the wagon" quickly.
So, you've shared in getting Vince's lecture. For some intersting posts about running, visit Vince's blog at: http://vanishingtattoo.blogspot.com/
I sent Vince a link to a piece I wrote last November about losing weight (http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2004/11/losing-weight-by-food-substitution.html). Vince's response was:
"Ahhhh, Scooter.
Renunciation is good for the soul.
And there are many worse fates in life than being a little hungry.
When you get down to brass tacks, a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit.
Ergo, ipso facto, I'm going to be hungry on occasion.
I've been down this road before.
The journey is not so bad and the destination is worth the trip."
While there are things that ring very true in his response, I find the need to respectfully but forcefully disagree. Being hungry stinks! Being hungry most or all the time REALLY STINKS! So, since I've lost weight hungry and have lost weight without hunger, I must reiterate my point - YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT HUNGER! I'm convinced that losing weight without hunger is both better for you mentally AND easier on the body.
When I was spending time hungry, I found my muscles seemed to shrink disproportionately. While that's not a big deal to someone who's living a normal North American lifestyle, when you get into the slightly (OK, maybe more than slightly) abnormal world of racing a marathon (vs. just running one or completing one), the stakes are higher. If your muscles have self-cannibalized, you won't have the strength to complete a good marathon.
Therefore, I've written this post to Vince (and anyone else who might benefit) to say that I am firmly convinced that you can lose weight both without hunger AND without cannibalizing your muscles. You do it by eating plenty of healthy, unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods. These foods should be high in fiber and large with respect to their calorie content. This means lots of fruits, vegetables and whole (unmilled) grains. Intake of meats should be limited and when possible, leaner cuts selected. Refined sugars and oils should also be significantly restricted. It's as simple as that!
Oh, and you don't have to be perfect. Just make good, solid choices most of the time, and when you make a "bad" choice, keep it small and get back "on the wagon" quickly.
So, you've shared in getting Vince's lecture. For some intersting posts about running, visit Vince's blog at: http://vanishingtattoo.blogspot.com/
posted by Scooter at 10:00 AM
1 Comments:
Scooter,
I completely agree! Nothing worse than starving while you diet. When I cut calories, I increase food volume (ex. fiber) and increase meal frequency. If I get hungry, I cheat a little. All rules were made to be broken! The key is to cheat "a little". I still need a NET DEFICIT of calories.
I read some from "Boston or Bust". This guy is disappointed and frustrated with his body's performance in his last race. I too have ordered my body to obey my will. It bloody well backfired! I fear the chap's in a mighty slump over it. Burned himself out, he did!
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