The Obesity Epidemic

I've taken to listening to NPR when I wake up in the morning and get ready for the gym. This morning, they mentioned a study released yesterday that said that Mississippi was the most obese state in the Union, with the state of West Virginia (where I live) a close second. The study said that 30% of people in West Virginia are obese, with the national average being somewhere in the high 20% range. How awful is that? I know that, according to my BMI, I'm still considered obese, and am about 20 pounds away from being just "overweight". And that's with losing close to 50 pounds!

Someone made a comment last week after I posted the Biggest Loser preview video, that fat people are scared to move and really push themselves. I have to agree. I can't believe how many times people have told me to take it easy with my workouts, that I couldn't try running because I would hurt my knees with my weight, that I need to just take a few walks a week and I'd be fine. Then, last fall, I remember watching Jillian make Brittany RUN RUN RUN on that treadmill, and made her do it until she completed the time that Jillian gave her. And I thought, I can do that. I'm amazed at people at the gym who are obese and come in, walk for a half hour, and leave. Sure, that's better than nothing, but it's not going to help you lose signficant amounts of weight. I fell prey to that years ago. I joined a gym while I was in grad school, and would go walk on the treadmill because that is what my doctor who was treating my high blood pressure actually told me to do. And I never lost any weight. And I couldn't understand why... I was exercising! And, not surprisingly, I quit after a few months. It wasn't until I made myself sweat that I realized how capable my body was. So, if you're scared of pushing your body too much because you're heavy/fat/obese, don't be (unless a doctor specifically told you not to). You know how much your body can take. You can feel when it's too much. When you get there, stop. But if you don't push yourself, even just a little, it's easy to slide right back to where you were.

That being said, I started my C25K Week 6 runs yesterday. It was a 5 minute walk, 5 minute run, 3 minute walk, 8 minute run, 5 minute walk, 5 minute run, 5 minute cool down walk. Yes, I literally wrote that on a piece of paper and took it to the gym with me, or I would have forgotten. I was exhausted at the end of this run. I don't know if I was tired because it was the middle of the day and I like to run in the morning. I don't know if I was tired because I had a large dinner the night before. I don't know. All I know is that I completed it, and I'm moving on. Tomorrow's a bunch of 10 minute runs. We'll see how that goes!