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Author: Edwin R. Burrell, M.D.
Clinic: Afton Road Clinic

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     Scales don't lie, and the tale that this one told was unmistakable. How could I have possibly ballooned up to an all time personal record of 215 pounds? I went to the body mass index chart (BMI) and traced it across to 29. I found that I was at the high end of the overweight category and one step below the dreaded obesity line. It dawned on me that for years I had extolled the virtues of exercise and diet for weight control, yet here I was on the verge of obesity at the tender age of 48. Clearly something had to be done, and I decided that it was time to follow my own advice and come up with a plan to fight this disease.

 

      The dietary changes needed to be made were relatively simple but also very significant. At 150 calories per can, regular pop had to go and was finally replaced with diet. Likewise 2% milk was replaced with skim. A good breakfast of cereal with juice and fruit supplanted the omnipresent doctors lounge donuts. The biggest change was portion control which boiled down to starting each meal with about half the food that I normally use to eat, eating it slowly and then adding little bit more if I was still hungry. I found that with this I was satisfied with less food intake.

 

      By far the biggest challenge was finding enough time for increased physical exercise. I had run sporadically in the past few years but hadn't run seriously since the mid to late 1980's. So off I went to pick up a new pair of shoes and some running shorts. Newton's Law of Motion states that object at rest tend to remain at rest, and objects in motion tend to remain in motion. My first day of running lasted 20 minutes and ended up being just about 2 miles. I was careful to stretch my aging muscles and tendons. I walked a bit both before and after my run. My pace was fast enough to keep me moving but slow enough so that I could have had some conversation. From that humble beginning I gradually increased my time by no more than one to two minutes per outing and running no more that 3 days per week. By September 1, I had cracked the 40 minute mark and could feel a sense of strength returning to my legs. By mid-October I had entered the first road race that I had entered in 20 years. I was able to finish the 5-mile Pine Tree Run for the Apple in a respectable time and thoroughly enjoyed the route through the apple orchards, strawberry fields, and pumpkin patches.

 

       In mid-November someone asked, "Hey are you losing weight?"

 

 Finally down to 195 pounds I had to admit that I felt better and lighter than I had in some time. That one positive comment was motivating as any drill sergeants command. As the weather cooled, I gradually added more layers of polypropylene fleece and nylon including hat, gloves, and wool socks. On the coldest days, to prevent frostbite to the face, I added a face mask and even ski goggles. By adjusting the layers I was able to comfortably run throughout the winter months. The pounds and the inches gradually continued to melt away. As the weather started to warm and the layers started to come off I found that instead of being a chore, the running became something I could look forward to and actually would miss if I wasn't able to do it. Scheduling a fun run or race every four to six weeks kept the motivation up and provided a measurable goal to shoot for. In April I entered the Get in Gear 1 OK Run and finished three minutes faster than my target time.

 

 Memorial Day 2003:

 

       The scale now reads a much more comfortable 180 pounds for a new loss of 35 pounds over one year's time. As I look back the keys to accomplishing this were: 1) Taking the first step towards making positive change. 2) Keeping the effort consistent and measurable. 3) Being able to adjust to changing condition such as weather, holidays, etc.

 

       The purpose of this narrative has nothing to do with self-aggrandizement or bragging. My goal was to try and lead by example in the war against obesity. Sixty percent of the American population is overweight, and one out of three children born this year are eventually are headed for diabetes. No other health problem will cost us more in human or economic terms. The bottom line is that as a society we are too sedentary and eat too much food. It is that simple. It all comes down to making choices. Not everyone can be a runner, but the vast majority of us can and should find some way of increasing out calorie out put through exercise, I don't care if it's hiking, walking, swimming, aerobics, or any other aerobic activity, choose something you like to do and do it. Talk to your doctor about what your goals should be and how to safely achieve them, especially if you are an adult over 40 years of age or have been diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, heart or lung disease or other medical problems. You'll feel better not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Start today, start low, go slow, let it grow. Have fun.