Take A Fitness Challenge: Journey To Svelte, Healthy And Wise

Who relishes unflattering comments that highlight body size and shape? Words have denotation -the dictionary meaning- as well as connotation, the ideas they suggest in the mind. Are you fat,frumpy,obese,dumpy,overweight,flabby or temporarily solid? How would you feel if an airline stewardess asked you to leave a flight because that individual assessed you as too fat to remain on the aircraft? Have you wondered what criteria is used to determine if a passenger should pay for one or two seats because he /she looks portly? A standard has been set for luggage. What determines fatness?

Svelte provides a contrast to inferred verbal abuse about body dimensions. At one time, being a ''Twiggie ' implied one was mere skin and bones. Some people like to see flesh- a filled out form. As a teenager,people called me " beanpole". By fourteen, I had reached a towering five feet eleven and a half; and I teetottered within the weight range of insurance charts. Modelling, though not an ambition, surfaced constantly as a suggestion. But a few years later, that profile changed completely. What kicked svelte and reshaped my figure as a football?

Food serves as medicine; but is the converse true? Society conjures food challenges through sensory appeal. Business people devise ways to attract customers; and if they lack the expertise to propel their ideas, they hire people who will help them achieve their goals. Fast food franchises,restaurants and other food establishments know that a constant stream of hungry, repeat customers with money determine their success. These famished individuals savour  an irresistible, convenient,stable diet which can be basic or etnnic.

What appears on most of the menus?The list includes:

french fries                  white bread               hamburger             cheese            fish       salads

fountain drinks             milkshakes                sundaes                sauces

Besides the fats used in the food preparation and the resulting calories the customer pays willingly for the lurking  salt and sugar poisons. No bandits wait and force eager, hungry patrons to eat fast food fare. With a limited time, usually an hour, to purchase and consume the meal,people favour quick,efficient service. Employment affords individuals the comfort of earning money to purchase food and other services. Often, the option to prepare a meal at home and take it to work is overlooked or ignored for a myriad of reasons. When food, like laughter,is disregarded as a medicine,then medicine becomes the food. 

The college I chose proved perfect. It fostered a vegetarian diet.As a child, I had savoured vegetarian meals- prepared by a neighbour- once a week. I looked forward to being invited to partake of those scrumptious dinners; and  I referred to the vegetarian entree as "holy meat" because the taste was so different. During the second semester, I had to choose:  a circuit of the gym or design my own health program. Hobson choice.

The group I joined forced me to rise  at 5:00 a.m. or earlier as warm up exercises began at 6:00 a.m. We jogged for a mile five days a week. Initially I wogged while a friend jogged backwards so that I could keep a steady pace. For six weeks I pushed myself to wog and kept a strict journal of food consumption, bodily function and exercises.After wogging I did additional exercises  before preparing to go to breakfast and an 8:30 a.m class.Eventually my breathing improved and  I completed the mile in eight minutes. My exercise buddy extended the course to include uphill; and I relished the idea. But, we had to pass German shepherds. Since I had lived nextdoor to two German shepherds prior to attending college and knew their nature, I ended my jogging days.

Although I earned a meagre C grade for the health program, I had aced the wisdom of diet and weight loss through practical experience.Besides losing a substantial amount of pounds,I had peeled away inches and shrunk several clothing sizes.. Once more I was svelte and could vie for a position as a model!

Weight loss demands discipline. Most successesin life result from consistent habits.

Early to bed, early to rise

Makes a man healthy,wealthy and wise.

Rest plays an integral role in good health. While eight hours of sleep satisfies the needs of some individuals, others may require more or less time for rest. Some people take a nap or siesta during the day.The full academic load for a demanding major, the expectations of two jobs and participation in campus activities exacted a toll. Some people think and work better in the early morning; and I am among them. retiring early proved a joy.

Diet entails food choices and other factors including preparation. besides eliminating animal flesh from my diet, I had to evaluate other tempting foods, namely french fried potatoes, milk shakes and frappes as well as most desserts. Often, the food is not bad; but for some individuals it can provide negative effects because of 'bad cholesterol' or its tendency to trigger a disease. Every morning I indulged in a hearty, hot breakfast- usually oatmeal, ate lunch and dinner; and I feasted on fruits and sometimes yogurt throughout the day.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Apples,rich in fibre,provide the ultimate brain food. Fruits contain natural sugars and substances that stimulate the brain, enabling an individual to think faster, respond quickly and recall informatiion. Since fruits contain good cholesterol, they benefit heart health. A sound mind in a sound body heralds the news that it has been fed healthful food- a fruit.

Journey To Svelte, Healthy And Wise Part II

Diet,healthiness,wisdom, weight gain and weight loss share a common bond. Choice. After I landed a lucrative  job as a bank clerk, I chose to eat fast food for lunch daily. My seamstress Mom designed my outfits with ample room for expansion. Instead o fremaining svelte, my body blossomed to plump.However,one trip to New York city transformed my whole existence.

The #5 Dyre Avenue subway train rattled the dishes and signalled its intended arrival at the nearby station two blocks away. My brother reached before the train. Not me. The next train was due in an hour. During the interval, my brother expounded the importance of optimum health via a simple, natural diet. Excess weight affected the heart and the entire body. Did i want  a diseased heart and body or to maintaingood health? Although his lecture made sense,it proved to be a catalyst only. Missing the train had made me late for an important appointment. A few days later, a television news report showed tons of chicken with large cancerous tumors being disposed off; and I vowed that day never to eat poultry meat ever again.