This is my rant for the week

Cowboy

I have managed to lose about five pounds since Christmas, which is a good thing. I have needed to for awhile. One of the things I hate most about being overweight is when someone tells me that all I have to do is "eat right and exercise and the weight will come off", as though repeating that mantra will somehow motivate me to do it, and that the thought had never occured to me. The problem is that when you ask someone, anyone about what "eating right" means, you will get ten thousand answers and that includes from within the medical profession.
I recently watched a program on Public Broadcasting put out by Johns Hopkins university hospital that said that 95% of people who diet fail, and that of the 5% who do lose weight, 95% of them put it back on and then some within a year. So that leaves 2.5% of the people who diet who are actually successful at it. As prescriptions go, a 2.5% success rate is "statistically insignificant"...meaning that 2.5% success is a failure of the "drug" or "therapy". If that is the case, then why do we keep getting that crammed down our throats as though it is a legitimate therapy? Okay, that's my gripe for the day.
It's not that I don't agree that I need to eat in a healthy way, and make my body move and expend energy, it's the simplistic, oftentimes heartless, unkind and insensitive ways even health professionals go about telling us what we should be doing without giving us REAL tools to do it.
I hate to exercise. What I love to do is horseback ride, snowshoe, garden, hike, go birding, go for walks, play frisbee with the dog...I split and stack three or four cords of firewood a year because we heat entirely with wood...and whether the health gurus believe it is or not, these things are exercise. I don't have to lift weights...Stack a cord of firewood and you've lifted over half a ton. That means that this year, I've lifted two tons (four cords). Snowshoeing (I looked this up) for one hour burns nearly 700 calories...no wonder I was never fat when I lived in the mountains! Horseback riding burns as many calories as brisk walking, gardening is great stretching and lifting....AND you can actually live your life while you are doing them.
The idea of watching t.v. to distract myself from doing something I hate doing in the first place seems completely ridiculous to me. How can it be good for me to watch worthless stuff on t.v. while wasting my time going absolutely nowhere on a treadmill or stairmaster in a sweaty gym with other people who also hate being there? I'm not opposed to exercise machines, I have an elliptical machine of my own that I use regularly because I don't have time to go to a gym, and it rains a lot here...but I don't make a case that only that is legitimate exercise.
I think the world has handed us this idea that we are not living until we are "thin and fit" that if we are fat or less than optimally fit, we are not truly living. What is up with that? When did it happen that normal people who are overweight can't be seen as having a quality of life? I'm overweight, there is no disputing it, but I refuse to believe that because I haven't reached that elusive goal of a perfect BMI that my life is less valuable and less fulfilling. Life IS the journey...if we are always looking forward to that time when...we will lose the time we have right now to do what makes us happy, to enjoy the things that are here now for us to enjoy. Hey, if you want to go swimming and you're fat...GO...all that extra fat makes you more buoyant anyway! Have a great time and if someone makes fun of you, ask yourself what that says about THEM not you. I may not look like Roy Rogers on top of a horse...more like Hoss Cartwright, but then I always liked Hoss!
Okay, so I guess that is my rant for the day. Go out and live. Stop worrying about how you look or what people are going to think. I heard a great quote the other day, and I'll probably get it all wrong, but here goes. "The goal of life is not to end up with a thin good looking corpse to be buried in. The goal of life is to skid into the finish line sideways with both hands in the air, smiling and yelling "woo hoo what a ride!" I plan to go out that way. I hope all of you do too. We'll all make it together, but let's enjoy the journey too.
Cowboy

Cowboy

I have managed to lose about five pounds since Christmas, which is a good thing. I have needed to for awhile. One of the things I hate most about being overweight is when someone tells me that all I have to do is "eat right and exercise and the weight will come off", as though repeating that mantra will somehow motivate me to do it, and that the thought had never occured to me. The problem is that when you ask someone, anyone about what "eating right" means, you will get ten thousand answers and that includes from within the medical profession.
I recently watched a program on Public Broadcasting put out by Johns Hopkins university hospital that said that 95% of people who diet fail, and that of the 5% who do lose weight, 95% of them put it back on and then some within a year. So that leaves 2.5% of the people who diet who are actually successful at it. As prescriptions go, a 2.5% success rate is "statistically insignificant"...meaning that 2.5% success is a failure of the "drug" or "therapy". If that is the case, then why do we keep getting that crammed down our throats as though it is a legitimate therapy? Okay, that's my gripe for the day.
It's not that I don't agree that I need to eat in a healthy way, and make my body move and expend energy, it's the simplistic, oftentimes heartless, unkind and insensitive ways even health professionals go about telling us what we should be doing without giving us REAL tools to do it.
I hate to exercise. What I love to do is horseback ride, snowshoe, garden, hike, go birding, go for walks, play frisbee with the dog...I split and stack three or four cords of firewood a year because we heat entirely with wood...and whether the health gurus believe it is or not, these things are exercise. I don't have to lift weights...Stack a cord of firewood and you've lifted over half a ton. That means that this year, I've lifted two tons (four cords). Snowshoeing (I looked this up) for one hour burns nearly 700 calories...no wonder I was never fat when I lived in the mountains! Horseback riding burns as many calories as brisk walking, gardening is great stretching and lifting....AND you can actually live your life while you are doing them.
The idea of watching t.v. to distract myself from doing something I hate doing in the first place seems completely ridiculous to me. How can it be good for me to watch worthless stuff on t.v. while wasting my time going absolutely nowhere on a treadmill or stairmaster in a sweaty gym with other people who also hate being there? I'm not opposed to exercise machines, I have an elliptical machine of my own that I use regularly because I don't have time to go to a gym, and it rains a lot here...but I don't make a case that only that is legitimate exercise.
I think the world has handed us this idea that we are not living until we are "thin and fit" that if we are fat or less than optimally fit, we are not truly living. What is up with that? When did it happen that normal people who are overweight can't be seen as having a quality of life? I'm overweight, there is no disputing it, but I refuse to believe that because I haven't reached that elusive goal of a perfect BMI that my life is less valuable and less fulfilling. Life IS the journey...if we are always looking forward to that time when...we will lose the time we have right now to do what makes us happy, to enjoy the things that are here now for us to enjoy. Hey, if you want to go swimming and you're fat...GO...all that extra fat makes you more buoyant anyway! Have a great time and if someone makes fun of you, ask yourself what that says about THEM not you. I may not look like Roy Rogers on top of a horse...more like Hoss Cartwright, but then I always liked Hoss!
Okay, so I guess that is my rant for the day. Go out and live. Stop worrying about how you look or what people are going to think. I heard a great quote the other day, and I'll probably get it all wrong, but here goes. "The goal of life is not to end up with a thin good looking corpse to be buried in. The goal of life is to skid into the finish line sideways with both hands in the air, smiling and yelling "woo hoo what a ride!" I plan to go out that way. I hope all of you do too. We'll all make it together, but let's enjoy the journey too.
Cowboy

memaw66

My hat is definately off to you!!!!
You hit the nail on the head with that one!!!!

Here's to you, well said.:drinker:

Charlaine

deanea

You come and rant to us anytime:flowerforyou: :drinker:

littlespoon

I understand what you're saying and I totally agree and I put on another post about the translation of studies into the general media.

However....statistically insigificant doesnt mean it was a failure; it is a purely statistical term and is mathematically based. Dont forget that even medical studies usually have a very small sample size (compared to how many people are out there), and then report from that sample. If you are reading original studies from medical journals (which is difficult if you dont have a statistical research background) then dont forget to read the "limitations" of the study (which will be reported usually at the end). These are the general flaws that are unique to each study, but unavoidable as there is no perfect research.

Dont be disheartened, find whatever method suits YOU, as we all work differently in our heads.

Cowboy

Thanks littlespoon. I agree that statistically insignificant can be misleading, and I also agree that there are still 2.5% of those folks who did succeed. That is what I am praying for all of us here. I have not given up. I am still working on it. I just don't want all my friends here to sell themselves short in the meantime. We are all valuable and we all need to embrace ourselves and our lives right where we are...that doesn't mean we can't help each other to do better...just that better is the goal, not the journey and we are ON the journey.
Cowboy

icandoit

Yee haw Cowboy.
Doesn't if feel great to just say what you feel. Way to go.
You exercise a lot. It is sad that our world thinks everybody has to be skinny to be beautiful. And the sad thing is, it will never change. Each has to do what they feel is best for he/she.
I must say that for me when I exercise, I feel so much better, so energized.
When I changed my eating habits, I wasn't falling asleep in the middle of the day. And I know that by making these changes, I will be a happier person and healthier. What ever I have to do to be here to see my kids grow.
I think as long as you are happy, than that is what matters. You don't have to spend each and every day at the gym, you do so much around your place that you probably burn more than most of us in one day at the gym. I think changing eating habit...losing trans fats and watching the fatty food....but still living is the way. We can still enjoy the finer things in life. We don't need to be skinny, we just need to be healthy.
Congrats on losing the 5 pounds. You are on the road to looking good in that kilt when you and your wife renew your vows. Forget the numbers, we will all succeed and we will all do it together. The key is to do it the way you feel is best for you and the same for your wife.
I don't care how people look at me, I care about how I look to myself. I love who I am inside, but the outside is do for a plowing, and when I am done, I won't be skinny, I will look healthy and damn good in my leather chaps and tank cruisin the west coast line on the back of my husbands Harley. Maybe my own, who knows.
You have a great day Cowboy, and you and your wife keep up the great work!!!!
From your posts, I see a strong person who will make it just fine.
Like Hank Williams Jr says-A County Boy will Survive.

Cowboy

Thanks Icandoit! You rock. You are a real inspiration to both of us. With all of your help we will make this happen and we'll do it in a healthy way. It's good to be on the journey with real, sensible, living and breathing people who care.
Cowboy

Eve23

Well said cowboy.

Enjoy the things you enjoy and learn to live life to the fullest. Something we all need to learn.

:bigsmile:

ariannedavis

I'm in total agreement with everything above.

I would also like to point out that we are not part of the 2.5% because we are not "dieting" we are making lifestyle changes! WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! :flowerforyou: Those 95% fail because they discontinue the healthy lifestyle, so that's in your hands!

yoginimary

So what's the rank for next week ?

What about the people who aren't "dieting" - are just moving more and eating less?

Cowboy

Well Marywilldiet...I'll try to rant less and move more, how's that?:laugh:

ariannedavis

Well Marywilldiet...I'll try to rant less and move more, how's that?:laugh:

If laughing burns calories, ranting must too! Keep ranting!

TonyaSyvitski

Holy Hanns you burn that many calories snowshoeing.. maybe I need to start doing that from my house to anyhere i need to go..lol... you know sometimes I really think it is all a bunch of bs. eat right and exercise works for some but let me tell you sometimes I think your body just adjusts and keeps growing anyways.

Morecatslady

Cowboy,
All you said is true and we can all make the lifestyle changes in eating and exercising and most of all enjoying daily life.Rant on and on, 'cause I may or someone else may want to do the same. This sight has brought you and I to some wonderful people and sensible too. Congrats on the 5 pound loss. Here we go on the ride to being more healthy and happy. I praise God I'm on the same rollercoaster with you.
morecatslady

yoginimary

I was thinking about those numbers. Here's a way to look at it:
95% of people who diet fail. I was on a diet on September 4th, 2003, it didn't work, I failed. I also quit smoking that day, that didn't work either. I wasn't successful quiting smoking until I was on my 7th try. But I was successful. However, that gives me a success rate of 14%.

Those that do succeed losing weight, half of them keep it off? Is that what I understood? That's an amazing success rate. To me, that's 50% success. Fun with numbers.

You don't count success by the number of times you failed.

kjllose

Good for you fatboy, I agree totally. I started out on this site and considered myself "on a diet". I didn't expect it to work to me it was just one more thing to try. But it did work and I stopped thinking in terms of diet. I just started thinking of it as a healthy lifestyle and it worked! On top of it all I met WONDERFUL PEOPLE! I think that counts for alot when you feel alone. I think alot of people just need the added extra support. Oh by the way hat's off on your weight loss. And yippee for how many calories in snowshoeing! See ya I'm going out!

Cowboy

Good for you fatboy, I agree totally. I started out on this site and considered myself "on a diet". I didn't expect it to work to me it was just one more thing to try. But it did work and I stopped thinking in terms of diet. I just started thinking of it as a healthy lifestyle and it worked! On top of it all I met WONDERFUL PEOPLE! I think that counts for alot when you feel alone. I think alot of people just need the added extra support. Oh by the way hat's off on your weight loss. And yippee for how many calories in snowshoeing! See ya I'm going out!

Good for you! Donna and I are hoping to join eve23 this weekend for just some of that!
Cowboy

lmwayne

Hey cowboy, I just came from feeding my three horses and let me tell you that cleaning stalls for the tree of them is pretty good exercise. I am love them though and they make everything more fun.

Cowboy

Yeah boy! That'll work up a good sweat. You're right though, they are totally worth it. What kinds of horses do you have?
Cowboy

Razboo

Well, I'm definitly a supporter of The Rant. I guess I agree with your post. Life is a journey and should be enjoyed. 2.5%, even statistically, is a little unbelievable to me, but that wouldn't change my efforts even if it were absolute truth.

It's all about the Self. The journey begins within and nobody knows me but me.

Cowboy

I would also like to point out that we are not part of the 2.5% because we are not "dieting" we are making lifestyle changes! WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! :flowerforyou: Those 95% fail because they discontinue the healthy lifestyle, so that's in your hands!

You're absolutely RIGHT! We aren't a part of the 2.5%. We have already succeeded because we "got it". We are changing our lives and making ourselves healthier and happier...not just thinner. Great insight!
Cowboy